How do I install the Email skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add kortix-ai/email in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Email safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: makes network calls. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Email?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Email free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

kortix-ai (@kortix-ai) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Email by kortix-ai — Agent Skill

Name: Email
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: kortix-ai

Send and receive email via IMAP/SMTP using curl. Works with any email provider. By default uses the agent's own inbox configured via KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_* env vars, but can target any SMTP/IMAP server by passing credentials directly. Use when the agent needs to: send email, check inbox, read messages, reply, search, or manage flags.

kortix-ai Updated Sep 9, 2026

File contents

Email (IMAP/SMTP via curl)

Send and receive email from the terminal. Just curl. Works with any provider — AgentMail, Gmail, Outlook, Fastmail, self-hosted, anything with IMAP/SMTP.

By default uses the agent's own inbox (env vars below). Can also target any arbitrary SMTP/IMAP server by swapping the credentials.

Default Credentials (agent's inbox)

These env vars are pre-configured:

USER="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_USER_NAME"
PASS="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_PASSWORD"
SMTP="smtps://$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_SMTP_HOST:$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_SMTP_PORT"
IMAP="imaps://$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_IMAP_HOST:$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_IMAP_PORT"
FROM="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_FROM_NAME <$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_FROM_EMAIL>"
EMAIL="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_FROM_EMAIL"

To use a different mailbox, just swap those values.

Never print credentials.

Send

TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
cat > "$TMPFILE" <<EOF
From: $FROM
To: recipient@example.com
Subject: Hello
Date: $(date -R)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Your message body here.
EOF

curl -sS "$SMTP" --user "$USER:$PASS" \
  --mail-from "$EMAIL" \
  --mail-rcpt "recipient@example.com" \
  --upload-file "$TMPFILE"

rm -f "$TMPFILE"

Multiple recipients: add more --mail-rcpt flags. CC: add Cc: header in the file AND a --mail-rcpt per CC address.

List Folders

curl -sS "$IMAP/" --user "$USER:$PASS" | tr -d '\r'

Inbox Count

curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X "EXAMINE INBOX" | tr -d '\r'

* N EXISTS = total messages.

List Messages

curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" \
  -X "FETCH 1:* (FLAGS BODY.PEEK[HEADER.FIELDS (FROM SUBJECT DATE)])" | tr -d '\r'

Read a Message

curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" \
  -X "FETCH 3 BODY.PEEK[]" | tr -d '\r'

BODY.PEEK[] = read without marking seen. BODY[] = mark as read.

Search

curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X "SEARCH UNSEEN" | tr -d '\r'
curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH FROM "bob@example.com"' | tr -d '\r'
curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH SUBJECT "meeting"' | tr -d '\r'
curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH SINCE 01-Jan-2026' | tr -d '\r'
curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH UNSEEN FROM "bob"' | tr -d '\r'

Returns * SEARCH 1 4 7 — matching sequence numbers.

Mark Read / Unread

curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'STORE 3 +FLAGS (\Seen)' | tr -d '\r'
curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'STORE 3 -FLAGS (\Seen)' | tr -d '\r'

Delete

curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'STORE 3 +FLAGS (\Deleted)' | tr -d '\r'
curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'EXPUNGE' | tr -d '\r'

Reply

FETCH original to get From, Subject, Message-ID
Compose reply with In-Reply-To: and References: set to original Message-ID
Prefix subject with Re:
Send via SMTP as above

Rules

Act, don't ask. Send/read when instructed.
Never print credentials.
Human language. Say "I sent the email" not "curl smtps://..."
Always tr -d '\r' on IMAP output.
Identity: when sending from the agent's own inbox, always use the configured FROM_NAME/FROM_EMAIL.

---name: emaildescription: Send and receive email via IMAP/SMTP using curl. Works with any email provider. By default uses the agent's own inbox configured via KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_* env vars, but can target any SMTP/IMAP server by passing credentials directly. Use when the agent needs to: send email, check inbox, read messages, reply, search, or manage flags.--- # Email (IMAP/SMTP via curl) Send and receive email from the terminal. Just `curl`. Works with any provider — AgentMail, Gmail, Outlook, Fastmail, self-hosted, anything with IMAP/SMTP. By default uses the agent's own inbox (env vars below). Can also target any arbitrary SMTP/IMAP server by swapping the credentials. --- ## Default Credentials (agent's inbox) These env vars are pre-configured: ```bash USER="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_USER_NAME" PASS="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_PASSWORD" SMTP="smtps://$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_SMTP_HOST:$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_SMTP_PORT" IMAP="imaps://$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_IMAP_HOST:$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_IMAP_PORT" FROM="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_FROM_NAME <$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_FROM_EMAIL>" EMAIL="$KORTIX_AGENT_EMAIL_INBOX_FROM_EMAIL" ``` To use a different mailbox, just swap those values. **Never print credentials.** --- ## Send ```bash TMPFILE=$(mktemp) cat > "$TMPFILE" <<EOF From: $FROM To: recipient@example.com Subject: Hello Date: $(date -R) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Your message body here. EOF curl -sS "$SMTP" --user "$USER:$PASS" \ --mail-from "$EMAIL" \ --mail-rcpt "recipient@example.com" \ --upload-file "$TMPFILE" rm -f "$TMPFILE" ``` Multiple recipients: add more `--mail-rcpt` flags. CC: add `Cc:` header in the file AND a `--mail-rcpt` per CC address. --- ## List Folders ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/" --user "$USER:$PASS" | tr -d '\r' ``` --- ## Inbox Count ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X "EXAMINE INBOX" | tr -d '\r' ``` `* N EXISTS` = total messages. --- ## List Messages ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" \ -X "FETCH 1:* (FLAGS BODY.PEEK[HEADER.FIELDS (FROM SUBJECT DATE)])" | tr -d '\r' ``` --- ## Read a Message ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" \ -X "FETCH 3 BODY.PEEK[]" | tr -d '\r' ``` `BODY.PEEK[]` = read without marking seen. `BODY[]` = mark as read. --- ## Search ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X "SEARCH UNSEEN" | tr -d '\r' curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH FROM "bob@example.com"' | tr -d '\r' curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH SUBJECT "meeting"' | tr -d '\r' curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH SINCE 01-Jan-2026' | tr -d '\r' curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'SEARCH UNSEEN FROM "bob"' | tr -d '\r' ``` Returns `* SEARCH 1 4 7` — matching sequence numbers. --- ## Mark Read / Unread ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'STORE 3 +FLAGS (\Seen)' | tr -d '\r' curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'STORE 3 -FLAGS (\Seen)' | tr -d '\r' ``` --- ## Delete ```bash curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'STORE 3 +FLAGS (\Deleted)' | tr -d '\r' curl -sS "$IMAP/INBOX" --user "$USER:$PASS" -X 'EXPUNGE' | tr -d '\r' ``` --- ## Reply 1. FETCH original to get `From`, `Subject`, `Message-ID` 2. Compose reply with `In-Reply-To:` and `References:` set to original `Message-ID` 3. Prefix subject with `Re: ` 4. Send via SMTP as above --- ## Rules - **Act, don't ask.** Send/read when instructed. - **Never print credentials.** - **Human language.** Say "I sent the email" not "curl smtps://..." - **Always `tr -d '\r'`** on IMAP output. - **Identity:** when sending from the agent's own inbox, always use the configured FROM_NAME/FROM_EMAIL.

Frequently asked questions

Email