bytemail
Try free for 7 days
Email MCP for Codex app, CLI and IDE extension

Connect Codex to your email.

One command in Terminal adds bytemail to Codex, and the Codex app, CLI and editor extension all pick it up. Then Codex can search, read and tidy every account in bytemail and draft the replies for you to send.

Set it up Try bytemail free
Gmail iCloud Outlook Microsoft 365 Yahoo Fastmail any IMAP server
Set up

4 steps, a minute or two.

You need bytemail 1.5.5 or later on your Mac. Settings › AI in bytemail has the same commands and config, with the exact path for your copy filled in.

  1. 1

    Turn on bytemail MCP

    In bytemail, open Settings › AI, switch on Turn on bytemail MCP and pick the accounts Codex may see.

  2. 2

    Add bytemail to Codex

    Run this once in Terminal. It saves bytemail in ~/.codex/config.toml, which every Codex client reads. 

    codex mcp add bytemail -- \
  /Applications/ByteMail.app/Contents/MacOS/ByteMail --mcp
  3. 3

    Check it's connected

    List your servers: bytemail should be there. In the Codex CLI, /mcp shows it with its tools. 

    codex mcp list
  4. 4

    Ask Codex

    Open a new Codex task or session and ask about your mail.

Prefer to edit the config?

Add this to ~/.codex/config.toml and restart Codex. 

[mcp_servers.bytemail]
command = "/Applications/ByteMail.app/Contents/MacOS/ByteMail"
args = ["--mcp"]
Then just ask

Try asking Codex.

You stay in charge

Codex does the busywork. You make the calls.

Big changes wait for you Sending, sending later, a new rule, removing a label, unsubscribing or blocking: bytemail shows you exactly what's proposed and asks — in bytemail, not in the AI app.
Everything else can be undone Settings › AI › Activity lists what each AI app did, with Undo. Anything touching more than 25 conversations at once asks first.
Only the accounts you pick Share your work account and keep your personal one to yourself. Spam and Trash are never visible, and AI apps can't delete mail.
All 27 tools and safeguards →
Questions

Good to know

Does it work with ChatGPT?

Not today: ChatGPT itself only connects to MCP servers on the internet, so it can't reach bytemail on your Mac. Codex runs on your Mac, so it can.

How do I remove it?

Run codex mcp remove bytemail, or switch off Turn on bytemail MCP in bytemail to stop every AI app at once.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is the open standard AI apps use to talk to other software. bytemail includes an MCP server, so any app that speaks MCP can work with your mail through it.

Does it cost extra?

No. It is part of bytemail on every plan, the free trial included — every tool, not just reading.

Does my mail go to bytemail's servers?

No — that hasn't changed. What an AI app reads goes to that app, and to its provider if the model runs in the cloud. Use a local model, in LM Studio for example, and nothing leaves your Mac.

Can it send email without me?

Not unless you say so. Every send asks you in bytemail first; the only exception is addresses you chose to trust for that session.

Can it delete my mail?

No. AI apps can archive, move, mark, flag, snooze and mute — never delete, and never touch Spam or Trash. Removing a label moves its mail back to your inbox; only if you ask does it go to Trash, where you can restore it.

Other AI apps

Bring Codex to every inbox.

Try bytemail free for 7 days — the MCP server included — then $3.99 a month, or pay once and keep it.

Choose a plan

Mac + iPhone, one licencebytemail for iPhone is in App Store review, coming soon. Included free.

  • 5 devices, one licence
  • Cancel anytime
  • No charge for 7 days
  • Instant key delivery

Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic. Codex is a trademark of OpenAI. VS Code and GitHub Copilot are trademarks of Microsoft. Cursor, LM Studio and Windsurf are trademarks of their owners. bytemail isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

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