Email (IMAP + SMTP) Runtime Skill

Use this skill for the user's generic IMAP/SMTP mailbox through the Email MCP (mcp__email__*). It authenticates with mailbox credentials or an app password and does not require Google/Microsoft OAuth. Provider-native Gmail and Outlook integrations may still offer more precise labels, server-side thread IDs, and search semantics. Do not read or send mail through a browser when this account is connected.

When To Use

Use Email when the user names a work mailbox, hosting/cPanel mail, custom domain, or any provider account configured through IMAP/SMTP and asks to triage, read, inspect attachments or threads, draft, send, reply, file, or delete messages.

Connection

This MCP authenticates with stored IMAP/SMTP credentials (no OAuth). If a tool returns an auth/connection error (login failed, host unreachable, TLS error), stop and tell the user to re-enter their mailbox credentials in Integrations. Do not fall back to other mail tools or a browser.

Core Tools

• list_folders — enumerate mailbox folders (IMAP has folders, not Gmail-style labels). Run this first when the user names a folder.
• list_messages — list messages (optionally scoped to a folder). Returns message UIDs, not bodies.
• get_message — fetch one message by uid (headers + body).
• list_attachments / download_attachment — inspect and fetch received MIME attachments.
• list_threads / get_thread — reconstruct conversations from Message-ID, In-Reply-To, and References. Pass search_folders including Sent when both sides of a conversation are needed.
• send_email — required: to, subject, body; supports HTML, Cc/Bcc, and base64 MIME attachments.
• reply_to_message / reply_all — send an RFC-threaded response by message UID. reply_all excludes the connected account from recipients.
• list_drafts / get_draft / create_draft / update_draft / send_draft / delete_draft — manage drafts in the server's IMAP Drafts folder.
• mark_read / mark_unread — by uid.
• move_message — required: uid, to_folder (e.g. move to "Archive").
• delete_message — by uid.

Common Recipes

Triage a folder

1. list_folders if the target folder name is uncertain.
2. list_messages scoped to the folder → collect UIDs.
3. get_message per UID to read; summarize. Only mark_read if the user asked.

Send a message

1. Prefer create_draft when the user should review content or recipients.
2. Show the draft and obtain confirmation.
3. send_draft, or use send_email only when the user explicitly approved immediate sending.

Review and reply to a conversation

1. Locate the anchor message with list_messages, then call get_thread.
2. Include the Sent folder in search_folders when the conversation may span Inbox and Sent.
3. Inspect relevant attachments with list_attachments / download_attachment.
4. Show the proposed body and recipients; after confirmation use reply_to_message or reply_all.

File or clean up

1. list_messages with a precise scope, get_message to verify.
2. move_message to Archive/another folder (reversible), preferring it over delete_message.

Guardrails

• Confirm recipient(s), body, and attachments before send_email, reply_to_message, reply_all, or send_draft. Once SMTP accepts a message there is no reliable undo.
• Prefer draft creation for staged review. Draft UIDs may change after update_draft; use the replacement UID returned by the tool.
• Attachments are base64-encoded and limited to 10 MiB each, 20 MiB total, and 10 files per outgoing message.
• delete_message behavior is server-dependent: some IMAP servers move to a Trash folder, others expunge permanently. Treat it as possibly irreversible — prefer move_message to Archive, and confirm before deleting.
• Operate UID-by-UID against the folder you listed; UIDs are folder-scoped, so re-list after a move_message.
• Privacy: read only what the task needs; do not export mailbox contents to other tools/channels.

Edge Cases & Errors

• list_messages returns UIDs only — you must get_message to read content.
• UIDs are scoped to a folder and can change after moves/expunge; don't reuse a UID across folders.
• Generic IMAP has no universal server-side thread ID. Thread tools reconstruct relationships from RFC headers and only scan requested folders; they deliberately do not merge messages by subject alone.
• If Drafts cannot be auto-detected, list folders and pass the server's Drafts folder explicitly.
• Auth/host errors → stop and ask the user to fix credentials; do not retry blindly or switch tools.