mac-mail-mcp

MCP server that reads your Apple Mail.app data directly from the local SQLite database. No OAuth, no API keys — just local file access.

Works with any email account configured in Mail.app (Gmail, Outlook/Exchange, iCloud, IMAP).

Tools

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | list_accounts | List all email accounts configured in Mail.app | | list_folders | List mailbox folders with message counts | | search | Search by subject, sender, date range, folder | | get_email | Get full email with body (from .emlx files) | | get_thread | Get all messages in a conversation | | unread_count | Unread counts per folder/account |

Setup

cd /path/to/mac-mail-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Global (all Claude Code sessions)

Add to ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mac-mail": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mac-mail-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Project-only

Add a .mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mac-mail": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mac-mail-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

How it works

Mail.app stores all email metadata in a SQLite database at ~/Library/Mail/V*/MailData/Envelope Index and message bodies as .emlx files. This server reads both to give you full access to your email.

Requirements

macOS with Mail.app configured
Node.js 18+
Full Disk Access may be required for the process reading the database

Limitations

Read-only — cannot send, move, or delete emails
Message bodies are only available for emails Mail.app has downloaded locally
Mail.app must be configured with the accounts you want to access

MCP Servers