Receive Emails

Check your inbox with one line. Process emails safely. Keep it simple.

Quick Start

10 seconds

quickstart.py
python
from connectonion import get_emails

# Get your emails
emails = get_emails()

That's it. You have your emails.

Core Concept

Three functions. That's all:

core.py
python
get_emails(last=10, unread=False)  # Get emails
send_email(to, subject, message)    # Send email
mark_read(email_id)                 # Mark as read after processing

Important: Emails are NOT auto-marked as read. You control when to mark them.

Setup

Set your email credentials:

Terminalbash

$export EMAIL_ADDRESS="you@example.com"

$export EMAIL_PASSWORD="your-app-password"

$export IMAP_SERVER="imap.gmail.com" # Optional, defaults to Gmail

Gmail users: Use an App Password, not your regular password.

Common Patterns

Check for new emails

check_new.py
python
from connectonion import get_emails, mark_read

# Get unread emails
new_emails = get_emails(unread=True)

for email in new_emails:
    print(f"New from {email['from']}: {email['subject']}")

    # Process the email
    if process_email(email):
        mark_read(email['id'])  # Only mark if processed successfully

Get latest email

latest.py
python
# Get just the most recent email
emails = get_emails(last=1)
if emails:
    latest = emails[0]
    print(f"Latest: {latest['subject']}")

Reply to emails

reply.py
python
from connectonion import get_emails, send_email, mark_read

# Check and reply pattern
for email in get_emails(unread=True):
    if "urgent" in email["subject"].lower():
        # Send reply
        send_email(
            email["from"],
            f"Re: {email['subject']}",
            "I'm on it!"
        )
        # Mark as handled
        mark_read(email['id'])

API Reference

get_emails(last=10, unread=False)

Fetch emails from your inbox.

last - Number of emails to fetch (default: 10)

unread - Only fetch unread emails (default: False)

Returns list of email dicts with: id, from, subject, date, body

mark_read(email_id)

Mark an email as read.

email_id - The email ID from get_emails()

mark_unread(email_id)

Mark an email as unread.

email_id - The email ID from get_emails()

Email Agent Example

email_agent.py
python
from connectonion import Agent, get_emails, send_email, mark_read

def check_inbox() -> str:
    """Check inbox for new emails."""
    emails = get_emails(unread=True)
    if not emails:
        return "No new emails"
    return f"Found {len(emails)} unread emails:\n" + "\n".join(
        f"- {e['from']}: {e['subject']}" for e in emails
    )

def reply_to_email(email_id: str, message: str) -> str:
    """Reply to an email by ID."""
    emails = get_emails(last=50)
    email = next((e for e in emails if e['id'] == email_id), None)
    if not email:
        return "Email not found"

    send_email(email['from'], f"Re: {email['subject']}", message)
    mark_read(email_id)
    return f"Replied to {email['from']}"

agent = Agent(
    name="email-assistant",
    tools=[check_inbox, reply_to_email],
    system_prompt="You help manage emails. Check inbox and reply as needed."
)

agent.input("Check my inbox and summarize what's there")

get_emails vs Gmail

get_emails (IMAP)

Simple functions
Works with any email provider
Uses EMAIL_PASSWORD env var
Basic read/mark operations
Best for simple automation

Gmail (OAuth)

Full Gmail class with many methods
Gmail-specific features (labels, archive, star)
Uses co auth google
Search, CRM, contact analysis
Best for advanced Gmail automation

Need more features? Check out Gmail for full inbox management.

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