Gmail IMAP MCP Server

The Gmail IMAP MCP Server bridges the gap between conversational AI assistants and the rich ecosystem of Gmail. By exposing a standardized Model Context Protocol interface, it allows an AI assistant to perform full‑blown email operations—reading, searching, labeling, and even sending messages—without leaving the chat context. This eliminates the need for developers to write custom Gmail wrappers or manage OAuth flows manually, enabling rapid integration of email capabilities into AI‑driven workflows.

At its core, the server authenticates users via OAuth2 against Google’s Gmail API and then interacts with Gmail through IMAP. This dual‑layer approach gives the assistant read/write access to mailbox contents while keeping authentication tokens secure on the client side. The server supports multiple accounts per user, storing each account’s token in a dedicated file under the user’s home directory. This design ensures credentials are isolated, persistent across sessions, and protected from accidental exposure.

Key capabilities include:

• Email Retrieval & Search: Fetch emails in RFC822 format, filter by advanced IMAP queries, and list unread messages. The search interface accepts Gmail‑style query syntax, making it intuitive for users familiar with Gmail’s web UI.
• Label Management: Create, delete, list, and move labels (mailboxes) using standard IMAP mailbox operations. This lets an assistant reorganize mail on the fly, mirroring Gmail’s label system.
• Attachment Handling: Download and upload attachments seamlessly, enabling assistants to forward files or attach documents in replies.
• Message Composition: Send emails with attachments and custom headers, providing a full mail‑sending experience within the MCP ecosystem.

Real‑world scenarios where this server shines include automated email triage, chatbot‑driven customer support that can pull relevant correspondence, and productivity tools that schedule follow‑ups or generate summaries of inbox activity. By integrating the Gmail IMAP MCP Server, developers can weave email intelligence into conversational agents, creating workflows that read context from inboxes, answer queries about past correspondence, or trigger outbound mail based on user prompts—all without leaving the AI interface.