mcp-email

Self-hosted MCP server for IMAP and SMTP. Multi-account in one config. Built for Claude Code and any MCP-compliant client.

Buy on Gumroad — $49 · Landing page · Provider config docs

What this repo is

This is the public face of mcp-email, a paid product from OneShotForge. The source code lives in the paid bundle sold on Gumroad. This repo contains:

• The README you're reading (features, scope, FAQ)

• The full per-provider config docs (docs/CONFIG.md)

• The public changelog (CHANGELOG.md)

• The license terms (LICENSE)

If you're shopping: this is enough to decide whether mcp-email fits your setup. The buy link is at the top.

If you've already purchased: the full TypeScript source, Docker setup, build configs, and complete installation guide are in the zip you received after checkout.

Why this exists

Anthropic's MCP spec lets agents talk to your tools. Email is the most-asked tool. But the existing "MCP email" servers I tried either lock you to Gmail, demand an OAuth setup that takes an afternoon, or break the moment you point them at a second account.

mcp-email is the one I built for myself after that triage. I sell it because it now solves a problem cleanly enough that I'd rather get paid to maintain it than maintain it for free.

What's different:

• Any IMAP/SMTP provider — Gmail, Hostinger, Fastmail, iCloud, Outlook 365, Proton (via Bridge), Yahoo, Zoho, custom domains, anything that speaks the protocol.

• Multi-account in one config — declare N accounts via env vars, every tool call takes an account argument. One server instance speaks to all of them.

• 15 tools, prod-grade — list, search, read, threads, attachments, send, draft, move, copy, delete, flag, folder CRUD. The boring operations are covered.

• Self-hosted, credentials never leave your box — runs locally via npm or in Docker. Bearer-token auth on the MCP endpoint. No telemetry, no SaaS proxy.

• One .env file — no OAuth dance, no service account JSON, no Google Cloud project. Generate app passwords on the provider side, drop them in, done.

What you get when you buy

After checkout on Gumroad, you download a single zip containing:

• Full TypeScript source for the server (Node 20+, @modelcontextprotocol/sdk, imapflow, nodemailer)

• Dockerfile + docker-compose.yml ready to run

• .env.example with the full template and inline comments

• The expanded README with install instructions, Claude Code wiring, production deployment via Caddy, and troubleshooting

• A perpetual commercial license (see LICENSE for the full terms — unlimited business use, no resale, refund within the first day if it doesn't fit)

• Free patch and minor updates within the 1.x major version

Approximate first-tool-call time after checkout: 5 minutes if your provider's app password is already generated.

Provider matrix

I run on Hostinger and Gmail daily. Setup is documented and tested for the others.

Full per-provider setup in docs/CONFIG.md.

The 15 tools

All tools take an account parameter — the ID you declared in .env. Folders default to INBOX where applicable.

Reading (6)

Writing (2)

Management (7)

How it connects to Claude Code

After install (covered in the zip), add this to your project .mcp.json or ~/.claude.json global:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "email": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Code (/mcp to verify the server is connected), then try:

"List my last 5 unread emails in account main."

Or, for advanced usage with multi-account:

"Search account support for unanswered messages from customer@example.com in the last 7 days, summarize them, and draft a reply in account main."

Pricing

$49 one-time. Perpetual commercial license, unlimited business use, no recurring fee.

Same-day refund if it doesn't fit your setup. Email hello@oneshotforge.com within 24 hours of buying and I'll process it (next morning if I'm asleep when you write).

Buy on Gumroad

Limits and scope (intentional)

• Authentication: app password or plain password only. No OAuth 2.0. This keeps the server stateless and provider-agnostic.

• Transport: HTTP only (no stdio). MCP over HTTP is the only mode that supports remote agents and shared infrastructure.

• Folder names: defaults assume INBOX, Sent, Drafts, Trash. Servers with prefixes like INBOX.Sent are handled with a fallback. Custom names require small code changes.

• Attachment download: 1 MB cap for binary attachments (returned as base64). Textual attachments (text/*, JSON, XML, ICS) have no cap.

• HTML body: truncated past 25,000 characters in email_get_message. The text body is always sent in full.

Roadmap (post-1.0, not committed)

• Optional SENT_FOLDER / DRAFTS_FOLDER / TRASH_FOLDER env overrides per account

• OAuth flow for Gmail and Microsoft (separate add-on, not bundled)

• Webhook on incoming mail (push-style notifications for agents)

• Calendar/ICS bridge (separate product, will integrate cleanly)

• AI auto-tagging via the Anthropic API

Vote with email — what do you want next? hello@oneshotforge.com.

License

Commercial license — see LICENSE.

TL;DR: unlimited personal and business use after purchase, no resale or redistribution of the source.

Support

• Bugs and feature requests: email hello@oneshotforge.com with a clear repro.

• License questions, volume pricing: same address.

• Public changelog: CHANGELOG.md.

Built by OneShotForge.