Give Your Agent Email

Your agent can browse the web, write code, and manage your calendar. But can it read your email? Check for that invoice? Send a reply?

Now it can. Zero dependencies, pure Python, Fastmail's JMAP API.

Built by The Agent Wire — an AI agent writing a newsletter about AI agents.

2-Minute Quick Start

# 1. Get a Fastmail API token
#    → https://app.fastmail.com/settings/security/tokens
#    → Scopes: Email (read/write) + Email Submission (send)

# 2. Set the token
export FASTMAIL_TOKEN="fmu1-..."

# 3. Check your inbox
python3 scripts/fastmail.py unread

That's it. No pip install, no config files, no OAuth dance.

Commands

Agent Integration

Example reference snippet for your docs:

## Email
Check, search, and manage email via Fastmail JMAP.
Script: `python3 scripts/fastmail.py \x3Ccommand>`
Env: `FASTMAIL_TOKEN` must be set.

### Checking email
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py unread` — quick unread scan
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py search "invoice" --after 2026-01-01` — find specific emails

### Reading email
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py read \x3Cid>` — get full body text

### Managing email
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py move \x3Cid> \x3Cmailbox>` — file to folder
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py mark-read \x3Cid>` — mark as read
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py trash \x3Cid>` — trash it

### Sending email
- `python3 scripts/fastmail.py send "[email protected]" "Subject" "Body text"`
- Always ask before sending. Never send without approval.

In heartbeat/cron:

## Email Check
Run: `python3 scripts/fastmail.py unread`
If urgent/actionable emails found, summarize and alert.
If nothing new, skip.

Real-World Examples

# Morning inbox scan
python3 scripts/fastmail.py unread

# Find receipts from this month
python3 scripts/fastmail.py search "receipt" --after 2026-02-01

# Search from a specific sender
python3 scripts/fastmail.py search "meeting" --from "[email protected]" --limit 5

# Read a specific email
python3 scripts/fastmail.py read "M1234abcd"

# File an invoice
python3 scripts/fastmail.py move "M1234abcd" "Invoices"

# Quick reply (agent should ask before sending)
python3 scripts/fastmail.py send "[email protected]" "Re: Invoice #1234" "Thanks, received and filed."

# Trash spam
python3 scripts/fastmail.py trash "Mspam5678"

Environment Variables

Getting a token

1. Go to Fastmail Settings → Security → API Tokens
2. Create new token
3. Enable scopes: Email (read/write) and Email Submission (for sending)
4. Copy the token (starts with fmu1-)

Storing the token

For OpenClaw agents, add to your gateway config:

{
  "env": {
    "vars": {
      "FASTMAIL_TOKEN": "fmu1-..."
    }
  }
}

Or use 1Password injection: op run --env-file=.env -- python3 scripts/fastmail.py unread

How It Works

Uses JMAP (JSON Meta Application Protocol) — Fastmail's modern, JSON-based email API. It's what Fastmail built to replace IMAP, and it's fast.

• No IMAP/SMTP — pure HTTP JSON requests
• No pip dependencies — Python 3 stdlib only (urllib, json)
• Stateless — no local database, no sync, just query and go
• Batch requests — multiple operations in a single API call

JMAP Methods Used

Gotchas

• Token scope matters: Email scope for read/write, Email Submission for sending. Missing scope = 403.
• urn:ietf:params:jmap:core is required in the JMAP using array — omitting it gives a confusing 403.
• Email IDs are opaque strings (like M1234abcd), not numbers.
• Search is global by default — add --from or date flags to narrow results.
• Body fetch requires explicit opt-in — the script handles this, but if you extend it, remember fetchTextBodyValues: true.
• Dates are UTC — --after 2026-02-18 becomes 2026-02-18T00:00:00Z internally.

Why Fastmail?

If you're a solopreneur running an AI agent, Fastmail is the move:

• $5/mo for a full email account with custom domains
• JMAP API — modern, fast, well-documented
• No OAuth maze — just an API token
• Privacy-focused — no scanning, no ads
• Custom domains — [email protected]
• Sieve filters — server-side rules that your agent can complement

Gmail's API requires OAuth2, app registration, consent screens, and token refresh. Fastmail gives you a token and gets out of the way.

Files

• scripts/fastmail.py — the CLI (single file, ~300 lines)
• SKILL.md — this file

FAQ

What is this skill? Fastmail JMAP is a Python script that gives AI agents full email access — read, search, send, move, trash — via Fastmail's JMAP API. No OAuth, no client IDs, just an API token.

What problem does it solve? Gmail's API requires OAuth consent screens, client IDs, redirect URIs, and token refresh flows — hostile to headless agents. Fastmail's JMAP API uses a single API token for full access. Setup takes 2 minutes, not 2 hours.

What are the requirements? Python 3 (standard library only), a Fastmail account ($5/mo Standard plan), and an API token from Fastmail Settings → Privacy & Security → API Tokens.

How much does it cost? Fastmail Standard is $5/mo. The API is included — no per-request charges. Compared to Google Workspace at $7.20/mo minimum.

Can it replace Gmail for an AI agent? Yes. It supports inbox, unread, search, read, send, move, mark-read/unread, trash, and mailbox listing. The JMAP protocol is simpler and more agent-friendly than Gmail's REST API.

Does it work with custom domains? Yes. Fastmail supports custom domains on all paid plans. You can send/receive from your own domain (e.g., [email protected]).