Post

Manage IMAP email with the Post CLI and local daemon. Use when reading, searching, fetching, drafting, replying, reply-all, moving, archiving, trashing, exporting, or downloading attachments from email accounts configured in Post. Also use when setting up Post credentials, starting the daemon, or restricting agents to specific mail servers with scoped Post API keys.

Use the post CLI for email tasks and postd for the background daemon.

Read First

• Read SETUP.md for first-time install, keychain credentials, daemon setup, and scoped API keys.
• Read references/common-tasks.md for concrete workflows and reply recipes.

Core Rules

• Treat UIDs as mailbox-scoped, not globally unique. If a message is not in INBOX, pass --reply-mailbox <mailbox> when replying.
• Prefer --json when the result will be parsed or reused in a later step.
• Prefer scoped API keys for agents. Use --token <token> for one-off commands or set POST_API_KEY only in that agent’s environment.
• Use post draft --replying-to <uid> for threaded replies. This auto-derives from, to, and subject, and sets In-Reply-To / References.
• Omit --body to create a Mail-style reply draft with quoted original content ready for inline editing.
• Use --reply-all only when you really want all original recipients copied.

Fast Command Map

Inspect accounts and folders

bash

post servers
post folders --server <server>
post status --server <server> --mailbox INBOX

Find mail

bash

post list --server <server> --mailbox INBOX --limit 20
post search --server <server> --from "[e-mail]" --since 2026-03-01
post fetch <uid> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX
post fetch <uid> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX --json

Draft and reply

bash

# New draft
post draft --server <server> --from [e-mail] --to [e-mail] \
  --subject "Hello" --body reply.md

# Threaded reply with body
post draft --server <server> --replying-to <uid> --body reply.md

# Threaded reply, reply-all
post draft --server <server> --replying-to <uid> --reply-all --body reply.md

# Threaded reply for inline editing in Mail.app
post draft --server <server> --replying-to <uid>

# Reply to a message outside INBOX
post draft --server <server> --replying-to <uid> --reply-mailbox Archive --body reply.md

Attachments and exports

bash

post attachment <uid> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX --output /tmp/mail
post pdf <uid> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX --output /tmp/
post eml <uid> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX --output /tmp/

Organize mail

bash

post move <uids> Archive --server <server> --mailbox INBOX
post archive <uids> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX
post trash <uids> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX
post junk <uids> --server <server> --mailbox INBOX

Reply Workflow Guidance

For real replies, prefer one of these two modes:

1. Compose in Markdown first

   • Fetch the original message
   • Write a .md file with your reply
   • Use post draft --replying-to <uid> --body reply.md

2. Create a native Mail-style draft

   • Use post draft --replying-to <uid>
   • Open and finish it in Mail.app

For multi-question emails, fetch the message first, identify each question, and write an interleaved Markdown reply using blockquotes. See references/common-tasks.md for a full example.

Security / Agent Isolation

Use per-agent API keys instead of sharing a full-access environment:

bash

post api-key create --servers work
post api-key create --servers personal

Then either:

bash

post servers --token <token>

or set only that agent’s environment:

bash

export POST_API_KEY=<token>

Details and setup examples live in SETUP.md.