Better Email MCP
📇 ☁️ 🍎 🪟 🐧 - IMAP/SMTP email MCP server with App Passwords (no OAuth2). Auto-discovers G
What is Better Email MCP?
Better Email MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to 📇 ☁️ 🍎 🪟 🐧 - imap/smtp email mcp server with app passwords (no oauth2). auto-discovers g
📇 ☁️ 🍎 🪟 🐧 - IMAP/SMTP email MCP server with App Passwords (no OAuth2). Auto-discovers G
This server falls under the Communication category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- MCP protocol support
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y @n24q02m/better-email-mcpManual Installation
npx -y @n24q02m/better-email-mcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Better Email MCP
Better Email MCP is an IMAP/SMTP email server for the Model Context Protocol that lets AI assistants read, search, send, and manage email across multiple accounts using app passwords instead of OAuth2, making it simpler to set up with Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Outlook, and custom IMAP providers. It supports multi-account configurations, thread-aware replies, attachment handling, and IMAP search queries, and runs in both stdio mode for local clients and HTTP mode for remote deployments. Developers and power users use it to automate email workflows, process inboxes, and compose messages through their AI assistant without complex OAuth flows.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later installed
- An email account with IMAP enabled and an app password generated (Gmail: Google Account > Security > App Passwords; iCloud: Apple ID > App-Specific Passwords)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Claude Code
- Docker (optional, for HTTP/remote deployment mode)
Generate an app password for your email account
For Gmail, go to Google Account > Security > 2-Step Verification > App Passwords. For iCloud, visit appleid.apple.com > Sign-In and Security > App-Specific Passwords. For Outlook, enable two-factor authentication and create an app password.
Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration
Add the better-email-mcp server entry to claude_desktop_config.json, providing your email address and app password in the EMAIL_CREDENTIALS environment variable.
{
"mcpServers": {
"better-email-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@n24q02m/better-email-mcp"],
"env": {
"EMAIL_CREDENTIALS": "[email protected]:your-app-password"
}
}
}
}Configure multiple accounts (optional)
Provide comma-separated credential pairs for multi-account support. Custom IMAP hosts can be specified with a host:port suffix.
[email protected]:pass1,[email protected]:pass2,[email protected]:pass:imap.custom.com:993Restart Claude Desktop
Restart the client to load the email server. The server will auto-discover IMAP/SMTP settings for known providers.
Deploy in HTTP mode with Docker (optional)
For remote or multi-user deployments, run the server in HTTP mode with Docker, exposing it on a public URL.
docker run -p 8080:8080 \
-e PORT=8080 \
-e PUBLIC_URL=https://your-domain.com \
n24q02m/better-email-mcp:latestBetter Email MCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for Better Email MCP with a single Gmail account using an app password.
{
"mcpServers": {
"better-email-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@n24q02m/better-email-mcp"],
"env": {
"EMAIL_CREDENTIALS": "[email protected]:your-16-char-app-password"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for managing email through the MCP server.
- "Search my inbox for unread emails from the last 7 days."
- "Send an email to [email protected] with subject 'Weekly Update' and summarize our Q2 progress."
- "List all folders in my Gmail account."
- "Reply to the latest email from [email protected] and ask for the meeting link."
- "Download the PDF attachment from the most recent invoice email."Troubleshooting Better Email MCP
Authentication failed: invalid credentials for Gmail
Ensure you are using an app password (16 characters, no spaces) rather than your regular Google account password. IMAP must be enabled in Gmail Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Connection timeout for Outlook accounts
Outlook uses OAuth2 device-code flow. When prompted, visit the URL displayed in the MCP client and enter the code to complete authentication. Ensure OUTLOOK_CLIENT_ID is set if using a custom Azure AD app.
Custom IMAP host not connecting
Provide the host and port explicitly in the credential string: [email protected]:password:imap.custom.com:993. Verify the host and port are correct and that the server accepts IMAPS (SSL) connections.
Frequently Asked Questions about Better Email MCP
What is Better Email MCP?
Better Email MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that 📇 ☁️ 🍎 🪟 🐧 - imap/smtp email mcp server with app passwords (no oauth2). auto-discovers g It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Better Email MCP?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y @n24q02m/better-email-mcp. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with Better Email MCP?
Better Email MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Better Email MCP free to use?
Yes, Better Email MCP is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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