--- title: "Email inboxes for AI agents" description: "Give an AI agent a real mailbox. Connect Claude Code, Codex or any MCP client, approve what it may reach, and let it read, reply and send from your addresses." url: "https://openemail.uk/agents" --- Email for AI agents # An inbox for your agent. On terms you set. Connect Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or any MCP client to a real mailbox. It reads, replies and sends from your addresses, within the access you approve, for as long as you allow. [Open mail](https://openemail.uk/mail/inbox) [Get Started](https://openemail.uk/signup.md)[Connect a client](https://openemail.uk/docs/mcp/connect.md) No key to paste. The client signs in through your browser, and you approve it like any other app. An agent finds a refund request in support@acme.com, answers it in the thread and files it under refunds. ## One address to paste. Any MCP client. The server speaks MCP over HTTP. Add its address to your client, sign in once in the browser and approve what it may reach. ``` claude mcp add --transport http openemail https://api.openemail.uk/mcp ``` Run it in a terminal, then type /mcp in Claude Code to sign in. ``` [mcp_servers.openemail]url = "https://api.openemail.uk/mcp" ``` Add it to ~/.codex/config.toml, then run codex mcp login openemail. ``` { "mcpServers": { "openemail": { "url": "https://api.openemail.uk/mcp" } } } ``` Add it to ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project, or to .cursor/mcp.json for one. ``` { "servers": { "openemail": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.openemail.uk/mcp" } } } ``` Add it to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace. ``` { "mcpServers": { "openemail": { "serverUrl": "https://api.openemail.uk/mcp" } } } ``` Add it to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp\_config.json. ``` https://api.openemail.uk/mcp ``` Open Settings, then Connectors, choose Add custom connector and paste this address. Or let the agent set itself up Paste this into any agent that can run a terminal command. It reads a guide written for agents, then tells you the one step that needs you. Prompt for your agent Run \`npx @openemail/cli agents\` and read the guide it prints. Then tell me what I need to do to sign you in to my OpenEmail mailbox, and wait for my go-ahead before you send anything. [Read the agent guide](https://openemail.uk/docs/cli/agents.md)[Read this page as Markdown](https://openemail.uk/agents.md) ## You approve it. Like any other app. When the client signs in, you pick the workspace, what it may do, which addresses it reaches and for how long. Account → Connected apps changes or removes it later. - **Your role is the ceiling** An app never holds a permission you lack, and when your role loses one, the app loses it on its next call. - **Some things are never granted** No app can create or rotate API keys, open billing or manage the workspace, whatever you tick. - **Risky changes wait for you** Adding a webhook, writing a rule, changing roles or removing a domain needs your verification code, or a 60-minute allowance you switch on for that app. [How an approval is scoped](https://openemail.uk/docs/mcp/scope.md) ## Whole jobs. Call by call. Every step below is a real tool, command or event. Pick a job to follow it through. A disposable inbox takes the verification mail, and the agent reads the code back itself. No account and no key. 1. Command line`openemail temp new --ttl 30` Gets an address that takes mail for the next 30 minutes 2. Browser Fills in the sign-up form at acme.com with it 3. Command line`openemail temp watch --first` Waits for the first message to land 4. Command line`openemail temp read thr_9e3b7c1a` Reads the code out of the message 5. Browser Enters the code and finishes signing up Inbox k7x2m9qfd4pa@ shared domain Acme Your Acme code is 847 293 Your endpoint hears about new mail as it lands, and the agent answers inside the thread from the address the mail came to. 1. Webhook`email.received` New mail arrives for support@acme.com 2. MCP`getThread` Reads the whole thread, oldest message first 3. MCP`replyToEmail` Answers in the thread, from support@acme.com 4. MCP`modifyLabels` Files it under refunds Inbox support@acme.com Ada Park My parcel arrived damaged. Can I get a refund for order 4821? support@acme.com Sorry about the parcel. Your refund for order 4821 is on its way. The agent schedules a reminder for next week and cancels it if the reply comes first. Sent twice with the same key, it is scheduled once. 1. Command line`openemail send --to noor@example.com … --at 7d --idempotency-key quote-311` Schedules a follow-up for seven days from now 2. Webhook`email.replied` Noor replies before the week is out 3. Command line`openemail emails cancel msg_4b7e05d3` Cancels the follow-up before it leaves Inbox quotes@acme.com quotes@acme.com Cancelled Just checking you saw the quote I sent last week. Noor Haddad Thanks, we are going ahead with the quote. A person writes and publishes the template. The agent only fills in its fields, and a missing field is refused rather than sent blank. 1. You Writes and publishes the welcome template 2. MCP`previewTemplate` Renders it with Ada's details and reads the result 3. MCP`sendWithTemplate` Sends it to ada@example.com 4. Webhook`email.delivered` Hears that the receiving server accepted it Inbox hello@acme.com Welcome, version 3, published hello@acme.com Welcome to Acme, Ada. Your team plan is ready. ## Agents slip. The mailbox catches it. Agents retry and misread. These are the parts that keep one bad call small. API and command line POST /emails Idempotency-Key: reply:thr\_7c1e4a90 1. Attempt 1 msg\_4b7e05d3862c1f0a44b19e2c Sent 2. Attempt 2 msg\_4b7e05d3862c1f0a44b19e2c Replayed Same key, same result. A retry never sends twice. 1 Emails sent: 1 MCP tools/call sendEmail 1. Attempt 1 msg\_4b7e05d3862c1f0a44b19e2c Sent 2. Attempt 2 msg\_91c2f7a04d3b6e8c15a0f2d7 Sent An MCP send leaves at once, and a repeat sends again. 2 Emails sent: 2 - **Dry runs first** Add --dry-run to any command and it prints the request it would make instead of making it. - **Deletes ask first** A destructive command run without a person refuses, unless the agent was told to pass --yes. - **Forged mail stays out** Mail its own sending domain disowns goes to Spam, away from the inbox your agent reads. - **Keys leave a trail** Every call made with an API key is logged with its path, status and timing, and the log is kept. ## 128 tools. Each named for what it does. An app gets only the tools its approval covers, so one held to reading has no sending tool at all. - getThreadSummary - composeEmail - sendEmail - replyToEmail - listThreads - getThread - markThreadsRead - markThreadsUnread - modifyLabels - getCurrentDate - getUserLabels - createLabel - updateLabel - deleteLabel - listContacts - getContact - createContact - updateContact - deleteContact - listPeople - saveContact - deleteContacts - blockContact - unblockContact - listContactThreads - getContactActivity - listAudiences - getAudience - createAudience - updateAudience - deleteAudience - listAudienceContacts - addContactToAudience - removeContactFromAudience - addContactsToAudience - removeContactsFromAudience - importContactsToAudience - emptyAudience - setContactAudiences - getAudienceGrowth - previewAudienceSend - sendToAudience - listBroadcasts - getBroadcast - cancelBroadcast - listBroadcastRecipients - getBroadcastRecipient - getBroadcastStats - listTemplates - getTemplate - getTemplateVersion - previewTemplate - createTemplate - updateTemplate - publishTemplate - duplicateTemplate - replaceTemplateContent - restoreTemplateVersion - deleteTemplateVersion - deleteTemplate - listTemplateStarters - getTemplateStarter - getTemplateAnalytics - listTemplateSends - sendWithTemplate - listFiles - getFile - deleteFile - deleteFiles - uploadFile - getFileStats - createFileLink - revokeFileLink - listRules - getRule - createRule - testRule - setRuleEnabled - getEmailTracking - getFileDownloads - listTrackedEmails - getEngagementStats - previewTranslation - listTranslationLanguages - listSuppressions - addSuppression - removeSuppression - getConnections - getActiveConnection - setActiveConnection - getLabel - whoAmI - listRoles - listWorkspaceMembers - listInvitations - revokeInvitation - resendInvitation - listDomains - getDomain - addDomain - verifyDomain - setDomainCatchAll - removeDomain - listDomainAddresses - addDomainAddress - updateDomainAddress - removeDomainAddress - getDomainLogo - setDomainLogo - removeDomainLogo - setDomainLogoCertificate - removeDomainLogoCertificate - setDomainDmarcPolicy - setAddressPhoto - removeAddressPhoto - listApiKeys - listWebhookEvents - listWebhooks - rotateApiKey - setApiKeyEnabled - revokeApiKey - setApiKeySendScope - listApiKeyRequests - listApiKeyActivity - listWebhookDeliveries - getWebhookDelivery - replayWebhookDelivery - listWebhookActivity Asks for your code first [What each tool does](https://openemail.uk/docs/mcp/tools.md) What is missing ## Four things. Know them before you connect. - **Keys cannot open MCP** The MCP server takes an approved sign-in, never an API key. A script holding a key uses the command line or the API instead. - **MCP sends leave at once** An email sent through MCP goes immediately, and sending it twice sends it twice. For an undo window or a safe retry, send through the command line or the API. - **A person signs in once** The browser sign-in, and the code for a risky change, need you. After that the agent works alone until its access runs out. - **No test mode** Every key delivers for real. Try a change with --dry-run first, or send to a disposable inbox. ## Asked first. Answered plainly. Who it is for ## One mailbox. Four ways in. Individuals A free address at openemail.uk, with the client behind it. acme.com acme.dev studio.acme.com hello@ acme.com delivered billing@ acme.com delivered oct-2026-signup@ acme.com delivered anything-at-all@ acme.com delivered Businesses Addresses for everyone, members never counted as seats. billing@acme.com shared SSarah AAli JJamie NNadia No seat added. The bill does not move. Developers The same mailbox over an API, an SDK, a CLI and MCP. /threads?query=invoice { "threads": 12 } Same mailbox, whether a person or a program is holding it. AI agents An inbox your agent can work, with access you approve. listThreads (folder: "inbox", query: "is:unread") 3 unread It reads and sends mail for support@acme.com only. ## Give it an address. Watch it work. MCP, the API and the command line come with every plan, the free one included. Connect a client and approve exactly what it reaches. [Open mail](https://openemail.uk/mail/inbox) [Get Started](https://openemail.uk/signup.md)[Read the MCP guide](https://openemail.uk/docs/mcp/overview.md)