git:20260808.00ec8a4 to git:20261016.9abb221

---

name: email

description: >-

Send and read email via SMTP/IMAP with flowbot email. Use when the user mentions email, mail, smtp, imap, inbox, send, unread.

compatibility: Requires flowbot CLI, network access to a Flowbot server

metadata:

capability: email

cli_root: email

---

# Email

Use `flowbot email` for capability `email`.

**CLI root is `email`** — do not invent `flowbot email` unless cli.md lists it as an alias.

Prefer the workflows below; load [references/cli.md](references/cli.md) only when you need a flag or subcommand not covered here.

**CLI limits:** No attachment download/upload in CLI; get returns text/html bodies and attachment metadata only.

**JSON fields:** Message ids are opaque strings from `list`/`search`; use `-o json` for next_cursor.

## Setup

1. Ensure CLI auth: `flowbot login`

2. Set server via `FLOWBOT_SERVER_URL` or `--server-url`; optional `--profile`, `--debug` / `-d`

3. Prefer `-o json` when parsing results programmatically

4. Destructive commands often need `-y` / `--yes` in non-interactive sessions — check cli.md

5. Token scopes: `service:email:read` / `service:email:write`

## Workflows

### Send an email

When a user wants to send a message:

1. `flowbot email send --to "user@example.com" --subject "Hello" --text "Body"`

2. Prefer --text for plain mail; use --html when HTML is required. Confirm recipients before send.

### Find and read messages

When a user asks to inspect inbox mail:

1. `flowbot email list --unseen-only`

2. `flowbot email get <id>`

3. Mark processed mail with `flowbot email mark-read <id>` when appropriate.

## Troubleshooting

| Error | Fix |

|-------|-----|

| not logged in | `flowbot login` |

| server URL is required | set `FLOWBOT_SERVER_URL` or pass `--server-url` |

| permission denied / 403 | token missing service scopes (`service:email:read` / `service:email:write`) |

| empty results | provider not configured, wrong id/name, or empty dataset |

| unknown command | use `flowbot email`, not the capability id as the CLI verb |