`imaplib`

The imaplib module provides tools for interacting with mail servers using the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). This module allows you to connect to an IMAP server, authenticate, and perform operations such as fetching and deleting emails.

Here’s a quick toy example of how you’d use imaplib to log in to your email server:

Python
      
        
      
    
>>> import imaplib
>>> mail = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL("imap.example.com")
>>> mail.login("username", "password")
('OK', [b'Authenticated'])
>>> mail.logout()

Key Features

Connects to IMAP servers with or without SSL
Authenticates with a username and password
Lists mailboxes on the server
Fetches email messages and their parts
Searches mailboxes using various criteria
Deletes and moves email messages

Frequently Used Classes and Functions

Object	Type	Description
`imaplib.IMAP4`	Class	Provides basic IMAP functionality
`imaplib.IMAP4_SSL`	Class	Extends `IMAP4` to use SSL for secure connections
`imaplib.IMAP4.login()`	Method	Authenticates with the server
`imaplib.IMAP4.select()`	Method	Selects a mailbox for operations
`imaplib.IMAP4.search()`	Method	Searches the mailbox for specific messages
`imaplib.IMAP4.fetch()`	Method	Retrieves specific messages from the server
`imaplib.IMAP4.logout()`	Method	Logs out and closes the connection

Examples

Connecting to an IMAP server and logging in:

Python
      
>>> import imaplib
>>> mail = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL("imap.example.com")
>>> mail.login("username", "password")
('OK', [b'Authenticated'])

Selecting a mailbox and searching for all emails:

Python
      
>>> mail.select("inbox")
('OK', [b'42'])
>>> result, data = mail.search(None, "ALL")
>>> mail_ids = data[0].split()

Fetching an email by ID:

Python
      
>>> result, data = mail.fetch(mail_ids[0], "(RFC822)")
>>> raw_email = data[0][1]
>>> mail.logout()

Common Use Cases

Connecting to an IMAP server to access emails
Searching for emails with specific criteria
Fetching and reading email content
Deleting or moving emails within mailboxes

Real-World Example

Here’s how you can connect to an IMAP server, search for unread emails, and fetch their subject lines:

Python
      
    
import imaplib, email

mail = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL("imap.example.com")
mail.login("username", "password")
mail.select("inbox")

result, data = mail.search(None, "UNSEEN")
for num in data[0].split():
    result, msg_data = mail.fetch(num, "(RFC822)")
    msg = email.message_from_bytes(msg_data[0][1])
    print(msg["subject"])

mail.logout()

In this example, the imaplib module is used to connect to an email server, search for unread emails in the inbox, and print their subject lines.

Tutorial

Sending Emails With Python

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to send emails using Python. Find out how to send plain-text and HTML messages, add files as attachments, and send personalized emails to multiple people.

intermediate web-dev

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources: