Imap MCP Server

A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides seamless IMAP email integration with secure account management and connection pooling. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People connecting email tools to Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-08-21 · ★ 82 · #4 OF 75 MAINTAINED EMAIL · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Imap MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set IMAP_MCP_READ_ONLY, IMAP_MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add nikolausm-imap-mcp-server -- npx -y imap-mcp-server

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nikolausm-imap-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "imap-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package imap-mcp-server - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.nikolausm is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Imap MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v1.5.2 · 2026-07-16

Security · Follow-up hardening for the web setup wizard (a local, occasionally-run onboarding tool). · Credential exposure on POST/PUT account routes (fixed). PUT /api/accounts/:id returned the decrypted account, so a…

v1.5.0 · 2026-06-27

Added · Cross-folder search for imap_search_emails (based on #92 by @jrejaud). New opt-in searchAllFolders scans every selectable mailbox at once - catching messages filed away by rules into custom folders - instead of…

v1.4.0 · 2026-06-27

Implements #87 - restrict which tools the MCP server exposes via environment variables. · Added · IMAP_MCP_READ_ONLY - when truthy (1/true/yes/on), registers only the safe, read-only subset (search, read, list folders…

04 · Who maintains Imap MCP Server

imap-mcp-server is maintained by nikolausm. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Jul 2025.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/nikolausm/imap-mcp-server
category: email - ranked #4 of 75 actively-maintained email servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 6 releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-07-16)
registry: io.github.nikolausm/imap-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-06-04 · 8 versions)
packages: npm:imap-mcp-server

06 · Imap MCP Server FAQ

What is Imap MCP Server?

Is Imap MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-21 and it shipped 6 releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Imap MCP Server?

Run `npx -y imap-mcp-server`. The README documents 2 environment variables (IMAP_MCP_READ_ONLY, IMAP_MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS) to set first. Set IMAP_MCP_READ_ONLY, IMAP_MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Imap MCP Server run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Imap MCP Server

Alternatives to Imap MCP Server

Maintained email servers if Imap MCP Server isn't the fit.

More email MCP servers · Nitrosend · Openagentemail MCP Server · Gmail Postmaster Tools · Outlook SNDS · AMH Cloudflare Ops MCP by WT

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