SkillFoxx

Apple Mail MCP Server

An MCP server for Mail on Mac: an agent reads, searches, writes and sorts email and triages the inbox, with a read-only mode

  • 256 ★ on the repository
  • Last commit
  • MIT
MCP server

Broad access

Why this level

  • The server reads every message in every Mail account, personal ones included
  • It can send, forward and delete mail unless `--read-only` is on
  • Saving attachments writes files to disk with your account's rights
All reasons and checks

patrickfreyer/apple-mail-mcpAuthor:Patrick Freyer

Install

In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI

npx skillfoxx add mcp/apple-mail-mcp-server

Detects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.

Other ways to install

Access and checks

How we review

Broad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.

  • The server reads every message in every Mail account, personal ones included
  • It can send, forward and delete mail unless `--read-only` is on
  • Saving attachments writes files to disk with your account's rights

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

Apple Mail MCP opens the Apple Mail app on macOS to an AI assistant. The FastMCP server provides 23 tools. Reading and search: an inbox overview, a list of messages filtered by account and status, search by subject, sender, body, dates, attachments and color flags, and conversation threads. Organization: folders, moving and archiving, read and flag marks, and trash. The agent composes, sends, forwards and replies to messages, manages drafts and saves attachments to disk. Smart inbox triage finds sent mail that got no reply, messages that likely need an answer and the most frequent senders, and there are statistics. Installation goes through a Claude Code plugin that adds the `/email-management` slash command and an email management skill, through `uvx`, `pip`, a `.mcpb` package for Claude Desktop, or by hand.

Who it is for. Mac users with Apple Mail set up who want an agent to triage the inbox, find the right messages and answer them.

Good fit when

  • The inbox holds hundreds of messages and you need to know which need an answer and which have waited for one
  • You need to find a thread on a topic with an attachment within certain dates across several accounts
  • You want to sort newsletters into folders and archive old mail with a dry run
  • You want the agent to draft a reply that you review and send yourself

Not a fit when

  • You are not on macOS or use another mail client: the server controls only Apple Mail
  • An agent must not send mail: run it with `--read-only` or pick another tool
  • You need a bulk mailing: the server caps batch actions at small numbers

Example request

Show which inbox messages most likely need my answer and draft a reply to the oldest one

MCP

Transport
stdio
Authentication
not required

Environment variables

USER_EMAIL_PREFERENCES
A short description of your email habits for the assistant

Limitations

Requires macOS with Apple Mail configured and Python 3.10 or newer. On first run macOS asks for permission to control Mail. The server sees every account in Mail and can send messages unless `--read-only` is on. Batch actions are capped by default: status changes on 10 messages, trash on 5, moves of 1, and parameters raise the limits. Disk writes and attachments use a denylist of dangerous places (shell startup files, `~/.ssh`, autostart), but elsewhere the server writes with your account's rights.

How to disable. Uninstall the plugin with `claude plugin uninstall apple-mail` or remove the server from the client configuration, for example `claude mcp remove apple-mail`. For an `.mcpb` file, remove the extension in Claude Desktop settings.

FAQ

How do I install the server in Claude Code?

The plugin is easiest: `claude plugin marketplace add patrickfreyer/apple-mail-mcp`, then `claude plugin install apple-mail@apple-mail-mcp`. For the MCP server alone use `claude mcp add apple-mail -- uvx mcp-apple-mail`.

How do I block sending?

Start the server with `--read-only`: `compose_email`, `reply_to_email` and `manage_drafts` refuse to send and `forward_email` disappears. Drafts and the open-window mode keep working.

Which tools handle attachments?

`list_email_attachments` shows names and sizes and `save_email_attachment` saves a file to disk. The server refuses writes to dangerous places such as `~/.ssh` or autostart folders.

Does it work with Claude Desktop?

Yes, there is an `.mcpb` package: download it from the releases and install it under Settings, Developer, MCP Servers. You can also put `uvx mcp-apple-mail` into `claude_desktop_config.json`.

Can I give the assistant my habits?

Yes, the `USER_EMAIL_PREFERENCES` variable takes a short description such as the default work account, at most 50 messages and the Archive and Projects folders.

Discussion

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README in short

The project description starts with installation: the Claude Code plugin, then the other routes. A table of 23 tools by group follows (reading and search, organization, composing, attachments, smart inbox, analytics), with setup for read-only mode, user preferences, batch limits and file-access rules.

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