Wrapper over node-imap, providing a simpler api for common use cases
npm install imap-simpleThis library is no longer maintained and has been archived.
A library providing a simpler interface for common use cases of [node-imap][], a robust imap client for node.js.
Warning: This library is missing a great deal of functionality from node-imap. If you have functionality you would
like to see, we're accepting pull requests!
#### Retrieve the subject lines of all unread email
``js
var imaps = require('imap-simple');
var config = {
imap: {
user: 'your@email.address',
password: 'yourpassword',
host: 'imap.gmail.com',
port: 993,
tls: true,
authTimeout: 3000
}
};
imaps.connect(config).then(function (connection) {
return connection.openBox('INBOX').then(function () {
var searchCriteria = [
'UNSEEN'
];
var fetchOptions = {
bodies: ['HEADER', 'TEXT'],
markSeen: false
};
return connection.search(searchCriteria, fetchOptions).then(function (results) {
var subjects = results.map(function (res) {
return res.parts.filter(function (part) {
return part.which === 'HEADER';
})[0].body.subject[0];
});
console.log(subjects);
// =>
// [ 'Hey Chad, long time no see!',
// 'Your amazon.com monthly statement',
// 'Hacker Newsletter Issue #445' ]
});
});
});
`
#### Retrieve Body Content
`js
var imaps = require('imap-simple');
const _ = require('lodash');
var config = {
imap: {
user: 'your@email.address',
password: 'yourpassword',
host: 'imap.gmail.com',
port: 993,
tls: true,
authTimeout: 3000
}
};
imaps.connect(config).then(function (connection) {
return connection.openBox('INBOX').then(function () {
var searchCriteria = ['1:5'];
var fetchOptions = {
bodies: ['HEADER', 'TEXT'],
};
return connection.search(searchCriteria, fetchOptions).then(function (messages) {
messages.forEach(function (item) {
var all = _.find(item.parts, { "which": "TEXT" })
var html = (Buffer.from(all.body, 'base64').toString('ascii'));
console.log(html)
});
});
});
});
`
#### Usage of Mailparser in combination with imap-simple
`js
var imaps = require('imap-simple');
const simpleParser = require('mailparser').simpleParser;
const _ = require('lodash');
var config = {
imap: {
user: 'your@email.address',
password: 'yourpassword',
host: 'imap.gmail.com',
port: 993,
tls: true,
authTimeout: 3000
}
};
imaps.connect(config).then(function (connection) {
return connection.openBox('INBOX').then(function () {
var searchCriteria = ['1:5'];
var fetchOptions = {
bodies: ['HEADER', 'TEXT', ''],
};
return connection.search(searchCriteria, fetchOptions).then(function (messages) {
messages.forEach(function (item) {
var all = _.find(item.parts, { "which": "" })
var id = item.attributes.uid;
var idHeader = "Imap-Id: "+id+"\r\n";
simpleParser(idHeader+all.body, (err, mail) => {
// access to the whole mail object
console.log(mail.subject)
console.log(mail.html)
});
});
});
});
});
`
#### Download all attachments from all unread email since yesterday
`js
var imaps = require('imap-simple');
var config = {
imap: {
user: 'your@email.address',
password: 'yourpassword',
host: 'imap.gmail.com',
port: 993,
tls: true,
authTimeout: 3000
}
};
imaps.connect(config).then(function (connection) {
connection.openBox('INBOX').then(function () {
// Fetch emails from the last 24h
var delay = 24 3600 1000;
var yesterday = new Date();
yesterday.setTime(Date.now() - delay);
yesterday = yesterday.toISOString();
var searchCriteria = ['UNSEEN', ['SINCE', yesterday]];
var fetchOptions = { bodies: ['HEADER.FIELDS (FROM TO SUBJECT DATE)'], struct: true };
// retrieve only the headers of the messages
return connection.search(searchCriteria, fetchOptions);
}).then(function (messages) {
var attachments = [];
messages.forEach(function (message) {
var parts = imaps.getParts(message.attributes.struct);
attachments = attachments.concat(parts.filter(function (part) {
return part.disposition && part.disposition.type.toUpperCase() === 'ATTACHMENT';
}).map(function (part) {
// retrieve the attachments only of the messages with attachments
return connection.getPartData(message, part)
.then(function (partData) {
return {
filename: part.disposition.params.filename,
data: partData
};
});
}));
});
return Promise.all(attachments);
}).then(function (attachments) {
console.log(attachments);
// =>
// [ { filename: 'cats.jpg', data: Buffer() },
// { filename: 'pay-stub.pdf', data: Buffer() } ]
});
});
`
`js
var imaps = require('imap-simple');
var config = {
imap: {
user: 'your@email.address',
password: 'yourpassword',
host: 'imap.gmail.com',
port: 993,
tls: true,
authTimeout: 3000
}
};
imaps.connect(config).then(function (connection) {
const message = Content-Type: text/plain
To: jhannes@gmail.com
Subject: Hello world
Hi
This is a test message;`
connection.append(message.toString(), {mailbox: 'Drafts', flags: '\\Draft'});
});
`js
imaps.connect(config).then(function (connection) {
connection.openBox('INBOX').then(function () {
var searchCriteria = ['ALL'];
var fetchOptions = { bodies: ['TEXT'], struct: true };
return connection.search(searchCriteria, fetchOptions);
//Loop over each message
}).then(function (messages) {
let taskList = messages.map(function (message) {
return new Promise((res, rej) => {
var parts = imaps.getParts(message.attributes.struct);
parts.map(function (part) {
return connection.getPartData(message, part)
.then(function (partData) {
//Display e-mail body
if (part.disposition == null && part.encoding != "base64"){
console.log(partData);
}
//Mark message for deletion
connection.addFlags(message.attributes.uid, "\Deleted", (err) => {
if (err){
console.log('Problem marking message for deletion');
rej(err);
}
res(); //Final resolve
})
});
});
});
})
return Promise.all(taskList).then(() => {
connection.imap.closeBox(true, (err) => { //Pass in false to avoid delete-flagged messages being removed
if (err){
console.log(err);
}
});
connection.end();
});
});
});
`
`js
imaps.connect(config).then(connection => {
return connection.openBox('INBOX')
.then(() => connection.search(['ALL'], {bodies: ['HEADER']}))
.then( messages => {
// select messages from bob
const uidsToDelete = messages
.filter( message => {
return message.parts
.filter( part => part.which === 'HEADER')[0].body.to[0] === 'bob@example.com';
})
.map(message => message.attributes.uid);
return connection.deleteMessage(uidsToDelete);
});
});
`
,
or resolves the returned promise with connection, where connection is an instance of ImapSimple. If the connection
times out, either the callback will be called with the err property set to an instance of ConnectionTimeoutError, or
the returned promise will be rejected with the same. Valid options properties are: - imap: Options to pass to node-imap constructor 1:1
- connectTimeout: Time in milliseconds to wait before giving up on a connection attempt. *(Deprecated: please
use
options.imap.authTimeout instead)*- errors.ConnectionTimeoutError(<number> timeout) - ConnectionTimeoutError - Error thrown when a connection
attempt has timed out.
- getParts(<Array> struct) - Array - Given the
message.attributes.struct, retrieve a flattened array of parts
objects that describe the structure of the different parts of the message's body. Useful for getting a simple list to
iterate for the purposes of, for example, finding all attachments.- ImapSimple(<object> imap) - ImapSimple - constructor for creating an instance of ImapSimple. Mostly used for
testing.
$3
- addFlags(<mixed> uid, <string> flag, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Adds the provided
flag(s) to the specified message(s).
is the uid of the message you want to add the flag to or an array of
uids. flag is either a string or array of strings indicating the flags to add. When completed, either calls
the provided callback with signature (err), or resolves the returned promise.- addMessageLabel(<mixed> source, <mixed> label, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Adds the provided
label(s) to the specified message(s).
source corresponds to a node-imap MessageSource which specifies the messages
to be moved. label is either a string or array of strings indicating the labels to add. When completed, either calls
the provided callback with signature (err), or resolves the returned promise.- removeMessageLabel(<mixed> source, <mixed> label, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Removes the provided
label(s) from the specified message(s).
source corresponds to a node-imap MessageSource which specifies the messages
to be removed. label is either a string or array of strings indicating the labels to remove. When completed, either calls
the provided callback with signature (err), or resolves the returned promise.- append(<mixed> message, [<object> options], [<function> callback]) - Promise - Appends the argument
message to the currently open mailbox or another mailbox.
message is a RFC-822 compatible MIME message. Valid options
are mailbox, flags and date. When completed, either calls the provided callback with signature , or resolves
the returned promise.- delFlags(<mixed> uid, <string> flag, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Removes the provided
flag(s) from the specified message(s).
uid is the uid of the message you want to remove the flag from or an array of
uids. flag is either a string or array of strings indicating the flags to remove. When completed, either calls
the provided callback with signature (err), or resolves the returned promise.- end() - undefined - Close the connection to the imap server.
- getBoxes([<function> callback]) - Promise - Returns the full list of mailboxes (folders). Upon success, either
the provided callback will be called with signature
(err, boxes), or the returned promise will be resolved with boxes.
boxes is the exact object returned from the node-imap getBoxes() result.- getPartData(<object> message, <object> part, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Downloads part data
(which is either part of the message body, or an attachment). Upon success, either the provided callback will be called
with signature
(err, data), or the returned promise will be resolved with data. The data will be automatically
decoded based on its encoding. If the encoding of the part is not supported, an error will occur.- deleteMessage(<mixed> uid, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Deletes the specified
message(s).
uid is the uid of the message you want to add the flag to or an array of uids.
When completed, either calls the provided callback with signature (err), or resolves the returned promise.- moveMessage(<mixed> source, <string> boxName, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Moves the specified
message(s) in the currently open mailbox to another mailbox.
source corresponds to a node-imap MessageSource which
specifies the messages to be moved. When completed, either calls the provided callback with signature (err), or
resolves the returned promise.- openBox(<string> boxName, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Open a mailbox, calling the provided callback
with signature
(err, boxName), or resolves the returned promise with boxName.- closeBox(<boolean> [autoExpunge = true], [<function> callback]) - Promise - Close a mailbox, calling the provided callback
with signature
(err), or resolves the returned promise. If autoExpunge is true, any messages marked as Deleted in the currently
open mailbox will be removed.- addBox(<string> boxName, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Create a mailbox, calling the provided callback
with signature
(err, boxName), or resolves the returned promise with boxName.- delBox(<string> boxName, [<function> callback]) - Promise - Delete a mailbox, calling the provided callback
with signature
(err, boxName), or resolves the returned promise with boxName.- search(<object> searchCriteria, [<object> fetchOptions], [<function> callback]) - Promise - Search for and
retrieve mail in the currently open mailbox. The search is performed based on the provided
searchCriteria, which is
the exact same format as [node-imap][] requires. All results will be subsequently downloaded, according to the options
provided by fetchOptions, which are also identical to those passed to fetch of [node-imap][]. Upon a successful
search+fetch operation, either the provided callback will be called with signature (err, results), or the returned
promise will be resolved with results. The format of results is detailed below. See node-imap's ImapMessage
signature for information about attributes, which, size, and body. For any message part that is a HEADER, the
body is automatically parsed into an object.
`js
// [{
// attributes: object,
// parts: [ { which: string, size: number, body: string }, ... ]
// }, ...]
`Server events
Functions to listen to server events are configured in the configuration object that is passed to the function.
ImapSimple only implements a subset of the server event functions that node-imap supports, see here,
which are mail, expunge and update. Add them to the configuration object as follows:`
var config = {
imap: {
...
},
onmail: function (numNewMail) {
...
},
onexpunge: function (seqno) {
...
},
onupdate: function (seqno, info) {
...
}
};
For more information see here.
- support promises AND callbacks
- make your api as simple as possible
- don't worry about exposing implementation details of [node-imap][] when needed
This project is OPEN open source. See CONTRIBUTING.md for more details about contributing.
- new MAJOR versions when incompatible API changes are made,
- new MINOR versions for backwards-compatible feature additions,
- new PATCH versions for backwards-compatible bug fixes
[node-imap]: https://github.com/mscdex/node-imap