IMAP/SMTP Email Tool

Read, search, and manage email via IMAP protocol. Send email via SMTP. Supports Gmail, Outlook, 163.com, vip.163.com, 126.com, vip.126.com, 188.com, vip.188.com, and any standard IMAP/SMTP server.

Important: Configuration is Pre-configured

The .env configuration file is automatically managed by LobsterAI Settings (邮箱设置). Do NOT ask the user to create or edit .env — just run the commands directly. If credentials are wrong, the scripts will return a clear error message; only then should you inform the user to check their email settings.

The .env file is located in this skill's directory (same folder as this SKILL.md file). The scripts load it automatically via an absolute path, regardless of the current working directory.

Configuration Reference

Create .env in the skill folder or set environment variables:

# IMAP Configuration (receiving email)
IMAP_HOST=imap.gmail.com          # Server hostname
IMAP_PORT=993                     # Server port
[email protected]
IMAP_PASS=your_password
IMAP_TLS=true                     # Use TLS/SSL connection
IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true     # Set to false for self-signed certs
IMAP_MAILBOX=INBOX                # Default mailbox

# SMTP Configuration (sending email)
SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com          # SMTP server hostname
SMTP_PORT=587                     # SMTP port (587 for STARTTLS, 465 for SSL)
SMTP_SECURE=false                 # true for SSL (465), false for STARTTLS (587)
[email protected]          # Your email address
SMTP_PASS=your_password           # Your password or app password
[email protected]          # Default sender email (optional)
SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=true     # Set to false for self-signed certs

Common Email Servers

Important for 163.com:

• Use authorization code (授权码), not account password
• Enable IMAP/SMTP in web settings first

IMAP Commands (Receiving Email)

check

Check for new/unread emails.

node scripts/imap.js check [--limit 10] [--mailbox INBOX] [--recent 2h]

Options:

• --limit <n>: Max results (default: 10)
• --mailbox <name>: Mailbox to check (default: INBOX)
• --recent <time>: Only show emails from last X time (e.g., 30m, 2h, 7d)

fetch

Fetch full email content by UID.

node scripts/imap.js fetch <uid> [--mailbox INBOX]

download

Download all attachments from an email, or a specific attachment.

node scripts/imap.js download <uid> [--mailbox INBOX] [--dir <path>] [--file <filename>]

Options:

• --mailbox <name>: Mailbox (default: INBOX)
• --dir <path>: Output directory (default: current directory)
• --file <filename>: Download only the specified attachment (default: download all)

search

Search emails with filters.

node scripts/imap.js search [options]

Options:
  --unseen           Only unread messages
  --seen             Only read messages
  --from <email>     From address contains
  --subject <text>   Subject contains
  --recent <time>    From last X time (e.g., 30m, 2h, 7d)
  --since <date>     After date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  --before <date>    Before date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  --limit <n>        Max results (default: 20)
  --mailbox <name>   Mailbox to search (default: INBOX)

mark-read / mark-unread

Mark message(s) as read or unread.

node scripts/imap.js mark-read <uid> [uid2 uid3...]
node scripts/imap.js mark-unread <uid> [uid2 uid3...]

list-mailboxes

List all available mailboxes/folders.

node scripts/imap.js list-mailboxes

SMTP Commands (Sending Email)

send

Send email via SMTP.

node scripts/smtp.js send --to <email> --subject <text> [options]

Required:

• --to <email>: Recipient (comma-separated for multiple)
• --subject <text>: Email subject, or --subject-file <file>

Optional:

• --body <text>: Plain text body
• --html: Send body as HTML
• --body-file <file>: Read body from file
• --html-file <file>: Read HTML from file
• --cc <email>: CC recipients
• --bcc <email>: BCC recipients
• --attach <file>: Attachments (comma-separated)
• --from <email>: Override default sender

Examples:

# Simple text email
node scripts/smtp.js send --to [email protected] --subject "Hello" --body "World"

# HTML email
node scripts/smtp.js send --to [email protected] --subject "Newsletter" --html --body "<h1>Welcome</h1>"

# Email with attachment
node scripts/smtp.js send --to [email protected] --subject "Report" --body "Please find attached" --attach report.pdf

# Multiple recipients
node scripts/smtp.js send --to "[email protected],[email protected]" --cc "[email protected]" --subject "Update" --body "Team update"

test

Test SMTP connection by sending a test email to yourself.

node scripts/smtp.js test

Dependencies

npm install

Security Notes

• Store credentials in .env (add to .gitignore)
• For Gmail: use App Password if 2FA is enabled
• For 163.com: use authorization code (授权码), not account password

Troubleshooting

Connection timeout:

• Verify server is running and accessible
• Check host/port configuration

Authentication failed:

• Verify username (usually full email address)
• Check password is correct
• For 163.com: use authorization code, not account password
• For Gmail: use App Password if 2FA enabled

TLS/SSL errors:

• Match IMAP_TLS/SMTP_SECURE setting to server requirements
• For self-signed certs: set IMAP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false or SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false