Apple Mail MCP

io.github.jakobfigurv0.6.2Updated Oct 6, 2026

Privacy-first local MCP for Apple Mail on macOS: inbox context, drafts, approvals, and follow-ups.

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Overview

AI-generated overview

A local macOS MCP server that lets an assistant read Apple Mail, draft and send approved messages, and track follow-ups.

What it does
It connects to the Apple Mail app already configured on the Mac and exposes tools for listing accounts and mailboxes, summarizing and searching messages, and reading a single message body. Write actions such as creating drafts, sending, marking, flagging, and moving require explicit user approval, and an approval queue plus a metadata-only audit log are kept locally. It also stores private contact notes, thread summaries, and follow-up reminders, and can produce a daily briefing.
When to use it
Use it when you want an assistant to work with an existing Apple Mail mailbox on macOS without configuring IMAP or SMTP credentials, for example to triage an inbox, prepare drafts for review, or keep track of follow-ups. It suits users who want human approval before anything is sent or changed.
Requirements
macOS with Apple Mail configured, Node.js 20+, and permission for the host application to control Mail under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Automation. It runs locally over stdio, needs no IMAP or SMTP passwords, and opens no network port. Optional environment variables configure an allowed sender list, audit log path, data store path, dry-run mode, recipient restrictions, and a sending window.
Before you install
Sending and message changes require user_approved: true, so an assistant should only act after the exact message or change is approved. The local data store holds queued draft bodies and saved contact notes, so treat it as private mail data. The server is local, but an MCP client may send tool results to an AI model or another service, so only connect clients and models you trust with mail content. Deletion, attachment export, background scheduling, and automatic sending are excluded.

Installation

In SourceWeft

  1. Open Apple Mail MCP in the dashboard and add it to a workspace.
  2. Enable the server for the chats that should use its tools.

Desktop only via STDIO. STDIO servers start a local process, so they need the SourceWeft desktop host.

Other MCP clients

Follow the launch instructions in the repository.

README

Apple Mail MCP

A local, stdio-based Model Context Protocol server for Apple Mail on macOS.

It talks only to the Apple Mail app already configured on the user's Mac. It does not need IMAP/SMTP passwords or open a network port.

Safety model

  • Mailbox and message tools are read-only by default.
  • create_draft opens an unsent, visible draft in Apple Mail.
  • send_email requires user_approved: true. MCP clients should call it only after the user has approved the exact message.
  • Message changes such as marking, flagging, and moving also require user_approved: true.
  • Dynamic content is passed to osascript as arguments, not interpolated into AppleScript source.
  • Every write action has a local, metadata-only JSONL audit entry. Bodies and credentials are never written to that log.
  • The approval inbox and relationship context are stored only in the local JSON data store described below.

The MCP server itself is local. However, an MCP client may send tool results to an AI model or another service. Only connect clients and models you trust with mail content.

Requirements

  • macOS with Apple Mail configured
  • Node.js 20+
  • Permission for the host application (for example Codex or Terminal) to control Mail under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation

Install

npm (recommended)

bash
npm install -g @jakobf1/apple-mail-mcp

Then configure your MCP client with the installed command:

json
{  "mcpServers": {    "apple-mail": {      "command": "apple-mail-mcp"    }  }}

From source

bash
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_ACCOUNT/apple-mail-mcp.gitcd apple-mail-mcpnpm installnpm run build

Add to an MCP client

If you installed from source rather than npm, use the compiled server over stdio:

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

Restart the MCP client after saving its configuration. The first call will trigger the normal macOS automation permission prompt.

Optional sender policy

To allow sending only from specific configured Apple Mail addresses, configure a comma-separated allowlist when launching the server:

json
{  "env": {    "APPLE_MAIL_MCP_ALLOWED_SENDERS": "[email protected]"  }}

Write-action audit metadata is stored locally at ~/.apple-mail-mcp/audit.jsonl by default. Set APPLE_MAIL_MCP_AUDIT_LOG to use another local path.

AI-first local workspace

The approval inbox and relationship context share a local JSON store at ~/.apple-mail-mcp/data.json by default. It contains queued draft bodies and the contact notes you intentionally save, so treat it as private mail data. Set APPLE_MAIL_MCP_DATA_STORE to use another local path.

APPLE_MAIL_MCP_DRY_RUN=true validates sends but prevents delivery. You can also enforce recipient restrictions with APPLE_MAIL_MCP_ALLOWED_RECIPIENTS, APPLE_MAIL_MCP_ALLOWED_RECIPIENT_DOMAINS, and a local time window such as APPLE_MAIL_MCP_SENDING_WINDOW=09:00-18:00.

Tools

ToolWhat it does
list_accountsLists configured Apple Mail accounts and sender addresses.
list_mailboxesLists the top-level mailboxes in an account.
list_messagesReturns inbox or mailbox summaries without message bodies.
search_messagesSearches recent messages by sender or subject.
get_messageReads one message body by id, with a configurable length limit.
create_draftOpens a visible, unsent outgoing message.
send_emailHands an approved message to Apple Mail for delivery.
create_reply_draftOpens a visible reply draft and preserves Apple Mail's reply recipient/subject handling.
set_message_read_statusMarks one approved message read or unread.
set_message_flag_statusFlags or unflags one approved message.
move_messageMoves one approved message to another mailbox.
get_audit_logReads the local metadata-only audit trail.
get_send_policy / preview_sendInspects or validates the active send safeguards without delivery.
queue_email_for_approval / list_approval_queueStores proposed emails locally for human review.
approve_queued_email / discard_queued_emailApplies an explicitly approved queue decision.
save_contact_context / get_contact_contextMaintains private relationship notes, tone, commitments, and follow-up dates.
get_contact_briefCombines a saved contact profile with recent inbox summaries.
list_follow_up_radarSurfaces saved contacts that are due for a human-approved follow-up.
get_work_mode / set_work_modeSwitches between focused policies such as inbox zero, sales follow-up, support, and deep work.
save_thread_summarySaves a user-approved local thread summary with its source message ids.
get_daily_briefingCombines unread messages, pending approvals, and due follow-ups into a safe daily action brief.

Scope and non-goals

This project is local-only. It is not an SMTP server, does not manage credentials, and does not bypass macOS privacy prompts. It deliberately excludes deletion, attachment export, background scheduling, and automatic sending.

Publishing and registry metadata

The package is published as @jakobf1/apple-mail-mcp. Its MCP Registry identity is io.github.jakobfigur/apple-mail-mcp; see server.json for portable install metadata.

License

MIT

Source: README.md at commit 275e7f9

Tools

0
Tool metadata has not been indexed yet.

Version history

1
  1. v0.6.2LatestOct 6, 2026