Wait For Otp

Wait for OTP

Use this skill when an AI agent has triggered an OTP-bearing email (e.g. by submitting a sign-up or login form) and needs to read the code before it expires.

When to use

• Agent just requested an OTP via a sign-up or 2FA flow
• Agent needs to extract a numeric or alphanumeric code from incoming email
• You want to avoid writing polling logic

Prerequisites

• A Lumbox inbox ID (see the create-lumbox-inbox skill)
• The inbox address must have been provided to the service that sends the OTP
• LUMBOX_API_KEY environment variable set

Steps

1. Call the long-poll endpoint. Lumbox holds the connection open until an OTP arrives, then returns it:

   curl "https://api.lumbox.co/v1/inboxes/$INBOX_ID/otp?timeout=60" \
     -H "X-API-Key: $LUMBOX_API_KEY"
   

   The timeout query param controls max wait time in seconds (default 30, max 120).

2. Read the response. The API returns the extracted code and the email it came from:

   {
     "otp": "847291",
     "email_id": "eml_9a2b...",
     "received_at": "2026-04-18T10:30:22.123Z"
   }
   

3. Use the code. Submit otp into the form/API field that's waiting for it.

Tips

• If timeout elapses with no email, the endpoint returns 204 No Content. Re-call to extend the wait.
• Lumbox extracts codes via regex tuned for 4-8 digit numeric, alphanumeric, and format-with-dash codes.
• For magic links instead of OTPs, call /v1/inboxes/:id/wait and read the parsed links.
• Backup codes and expiry timestamps are also extracted into the email record.

Related skills

• create-lumbox-inbox - provision the inbox first
• send-email - reply to the OTP sender or confirm receipt