Deliver performant, scalable IMAP API integrations — fast

The Nylas APIs lets you integrate your application with 100% of email service providers built on IMAP, including support for iCloud, Yahoo, ISP email services, and more.

Achieve rapid IMAP API integration

Navigate OAuth procedures for authentication and verification

Streamline complex email integration challenges with Nylas

For developers

Bypass IMAP API email integration challenges with Nylas

With a few lines of code, build email CRUD capabilities and bi-directional sync.

See the docs

Node.js

Ruby

Python

Java

Curl

const messages = await nylas.messages.list({
  identifier,
  queryParams: {
    limit: 5,
  }
})

require 'nylas'

nylas = Nylas::Client.new(api_key: 'API_KEY')
query_params = { limit: 5 }
messages, _ = nylas.messages.list(identifier: '<GRANT_ID>', query_params: query_params)

messages.each {|message|
    puts "[#{Time.at(message[:date]).strftime("%d/%m/%Y at %H:%M:%S")}] \
           #{message[:subject]}"
}

messages = nylas.messages.list(
  grant_id,
  query_params={
    "limit": 5
  }
)

import com.nylas.NylasClient;
import com.nylas.models.*;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;

public class ReadInbox {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws NylasSdkTimeoutError, NylasApiError {
        NylasClient nylas = new NylasClient.Builder("<API_KEY>").build();
        ListMessagesQueryParams queryParams = new 
        ListMessagesQueryParams.Builder().limit(5).build();
        ListResponse<Message> message = nylas.messages().list("<GRANT_ID>", queryParams);

        for(Message email : message.getData()) {
            String date = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss").
                format(new java.util.Date((email.getDate() * 1000L)));

            System.out.println("[" + date + "] | " + email.getSubject());
        }
    }
}

curl --request GET \
  --url "https://api.us.nylas.com/v3/grants/GRANT_ID/messages?limit=5" \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY_OR_ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json'

Node.js

Ruby

Python

Java

Curl

const contact = new Contact(nylas);
// The following attributes can be modified for the contact object
contact.givenName = 'Nyla'
contact.birthday = '2014-06-01'
contact.companyName = 'Nylas'
contact.jobTitle = 'Communications Platform'
contact.officeLocation = 'San Francisco'
contact.notes = 'Check out the Nylas Email, Calendar, and Contacts APIs'
contact.emailAddresses = [new EmailAddress({
  type: 'work', email: '[email protected]'
})];
contact.save();

contact = nylas.contacts.create
contact.given_name = 'Nyla'
contact.office_location = 'San Francisco'
contact.company_name = 'Nylas'
contact.notes =
  'Check out the Nylas Email, Calendar, and Contacts APIs'
contact.manager_name = 'Communications'
contact.job_title = 'Communications Platform'
contact.birthday = '2014-06-01'
contact.emails = [
{
  type: 'work',
  email: '[email protected]'
}]
contact.save

contact = nylas.contacts.create()
contact.given_name = 'Nyla'
contact.office_location = 'San Francisco'
contact.company_name = 'Nylas'
contact.notes = 'Check out the Nylas Email, Calendar, and Contacts APIs'
contact.manager_name = 'Communications'
contact.job_title = 'Communications Platform'
contact.birthday = datetime(2014, 6, 1)
contact.emails['work'] = ['[email protected]']
contact.save()

public class NylasExamples {
    public static void createContact() throws IOException, RequestFailedException {
        Contact contact = new Contact();
        
        contact.setGivenName("Nyla");
        contact.setNickname("Nylas");
        contact.setOfficeLocation("San Francisco");
        contact.setCompanyName("Nylas");
        contact.setNotes("Check out the Nylas Email, Calendar, and Contacts APIs");
        contact.setManagerName("Communications");
        contact.setJobTitle("Communications Platform");
        contact.setBirthday("2014-06-01");
        
        contact.setEmails(Arrays.asList(new Contact.Email("work", "[email protected]")));
        contact = account.contacts().create(contact);
    }
}

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.nylas.com/contacts \
  --data '{
  "birthday": "2014-06-01",
  "company_name": "Nylas",
  "emails": [
    {
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "type": "work"
    }
  ],
  "given_name": "Nyla",
  ],
  "job_title": "Nylas Mascot",
  "phone_numbers": [
    {
      "number": "1 800 GO NYLAS",
      "type": "business"
    }
  ],
  "web_pages": [
    {
      "type": "work",
      "url": "nylas.com"
    }
  ],
}'

View on Github

Response

{
    "request_id": "d0c951b9-61db-4daa-ab19-cd44afeeabac",
    "data": [
        {
            "starred": false,
            "unread": true,
            "folders": [
                "UNREAD",
                "CATEGORY_PERSONAL",
                "INBOX"
            ],
            "grant_id": "1",
            "date": 1706811644,
            "attachments": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "grant_id": "1",
                    "filename": "invite.ics",
                    "size": 2504,
                    "content_type": "text/calendar; charset=\"UTF-8\"; method=REQUEST"
                },
                {
                    "id": "2",
                    "grant_id": "1",
                    "filename": "invite.ics",
                    "size": 2504,
                    "content_type": "application/ics; name=\"invite.ics\"",
                    "is_inline": false,
                    "content_disposition": "attachment; filename=\"invite.ics\""
                }
            ],
            "from": [
                {
                    "name": "Nylas DevRel",
                    "email": "[email protected]"
                }
            ],
            "id": "1",
            "object": "message",
            "snippet": "Send Email with Nylas APIs",
            "subject": "Learn how to Send Email with Nylas APIs",
            "thread_id": "1",
            "to": [
                {
                    "name": "Nyla",
                    "email": "[email protected]"
                }
            ],
            "created_at": 1706811644,
            "body": "Learn how to send emails using the Nylas APIs!"
        }
    ],
    "next_cursor": "123"
}

{
    "type": "event.created3",
    "data": {
      "object": {
        "busy": true,
        "calendar_id": "mock-name%40nylas.com",
        "created_at": 1234567890,
        "description": "mock description",
        "hide_participants": false,
        "ical_uid": "[email protected]",
        "id": "mock-data-id",
        "object": "event",
        "owner": "Mock Owner <[email protected]>",
        "organizer": {
          "name": "mock organizer name",
          "email": "[email protected]"
        },
        "participants": [
          {
            "email": "[email protected]",
            "name": "mockParticipantsA",
            "status": "yes"
          },
          {
            "email": "[email protected]",
            "name": "mockParticipantsB",
            "status": "noreply"
          }
        ],
        "read_only": false,
        "reminders": null,
        "status": "confirmed",
        "title": "mock_title",
        "updated_at": 1234567890,
        "when": {
          "start_time": 1234567890,
          "start_timezone": "America/Edmonton",
          "end_time": 1234567890,
          "end_timezone": "America/Edmonton",
          "object": "timespan"
        }
      }
    }
  }

Webhooks

Receive real-time notifications to monitor events and trigger automated workflows.

Sandbox environment

Experiment with our API with pre-configured settings in the Nylas Dashboard.

SDKs

Fast-track your integration with our Node.js, Ruby, Python, Java and Kotlin SDKs.

All of the features of IMAP integrations, none of the hassle

Integrating directly with IMAP accounts without Nylas would take around 5,640 developer hours. With the Nylas Email API, you can integrate with IMAP fast and save on maintenance and support costs.

One integration, every provider

Nylas lets you sync email, calendar, and contacts data into your application from all popular email and calendar service providers.

Hosted and native authentication

Choose between a secure login experience hosted by Nylas or build custom authentication that fits your business needs.

Near-perfect deliverability

Nylas sends mail through the account’s original SMTP/ActiveSync gateway, which means messages sent through Nylas have high deliverability.

Avoid the costs of IMAP integration

Integrating IMAP into your app can take weeks or months just for the initial build, and the ongoing maintenance and support costs scale as you add more users.

The Nylas API provides an easier way to integrate with IMAP that’s secure and low-Maintenance. Nylas eliminates costs associated with:

Edge case handling, breaking changes, ongoing improvements to monitoring and security
Tracking new incoming messages into the inbox
Storing and purging deleted messages
Sync speed and infrastructure
Troubleshooting bugs

Enterprise teams can face even higher costs due to challenges with additional cross-functional collaboration, internal reviews, legal and security assessments, and more.

Calculate your savings with the Nylas APIs

Enhanced security for your IMAP integration

At Nylas, we prioritize security, whether you’re integrating with IMAP or any other provider. We maintain important certifications such as SOC 2, Privacy Shield, GDPR compliance, and HIPAA readiness. We also employ robust measures like data encryption and multi-level permission checks to safeguard your email data, ensuring its confidentiality and integrity throughout the integration process.

With Nylas, you’ll get:

A secure infrastructure following industry best practices
Support for secure authentication methods like OAuth and token-based authentication
Data encryption at rest and in transit to protect sensitive information
Frequent security updates to address vulnerabilities and ensure your integration remains secure

Download the Security Whitepaper

Ready to integrate IMAP API in your app?

Discover the power of the Nylas platform and connect up to 5 accounts for free.

Built for free

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IMAP API?

The IMAP API is an interface for developers to interact with email servers using the IMAP protocol. It allows actions like fetching, storing, and searching email messages, managing folders, and more. The API follows a session-based approach, supporting authentication and providing commands for connection management and CRUD functionality. IMAP organizes mailbox messages and uses sequence numbers or UIDs for message identification.

Nylas offers an email API that removes the complexities of directly interacting with IMAP servers to simplify the integration with IMAP. The API provides a unified interface to access and manage email from various providers, including IMAP-based ones, making integration more manageable and efficient for developers.

How do I get started integrating with the IMAP API?

You must first understand the IMAP protocol to integrate with the IMAP API. Then, you must choose a programming language, set up dependencies, establish a connection, select a mailbox, and interact with email messages. Alternatively, you can simplify the process using Nylas, which offers an API integrating with IMAP and other email providers. With Nylas, you can save time and effort with just a few lines of code while benefiting from enhanced security and streamlined integration.

Can I use an IMAP API with any email server?

Yes, you can generally use an IMAP API with any email server that supports the IMAP protocol. The IMAP protocol is a standard for accessing and managing email messages on a server, and most email servers provide IMAP support as one of their access methods. As long as the email server supports IMAP, you should be able to use an IMAP API to interact with the server and perform actions like fetching, storing, and searching email messages.

However, it’s always a good idea to check the documentation or contact the email service provider to ensure that IMAP access is available and properly configured for your specific server.

What are the security considerations when using an IMAP API?

When using an IMAP API, there are important security considerations to address. First, establish a secure connection with the email server using SSL/TLS encryption to safeguard data during transmission. Implement strong authentication mechanisms, such as OAuth or token-based authentication, to protect against unauthorized access. Additionally, apply access controls and permissions to limit privileges, validate and sanitize user input to prevent vulnerabilities, handle errors securely to avoid exposing sensitive information, and encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit. Follow safe coding practices, keep your integration and dependencies up to date, and stay informed about security updates provided by the IMAP API provider.

To ensure the security of your application when using an IMAP API, prioritize secure connections, authentication, access control, input validation, error handling, data protection, API security, and regular updates. By addressing these considerations, you can enhance your integration’s security and protect user data from potential vulnerabilities and attacks.

What technologies does Nylas support for an IMAP API Integration?

Nylas supports a wide range of technologies for an IMAP API integration, including Python, JavaScript (Node.js), Ruby, Java, C#, and Go. SDKs and libraries are provided for these languages, making integration easier. Frameworks like Flask, Django, Express.js, and Rails can also be used. Additionally, developers can use Nylas’ RESTful API with any technology capable of making HTTP requests. With Nylas, you have the flexibility to choose the technology stack that suits your needs for integrating with the IMAP API.

Introducing Nylas ExtractAI: Sync, filter, and extract structured data from your user’s inbox

Nylas API v3 is now generally available! Learn about the features and functionalities the new infrastructure introduces.

Get inspired by the dev community and explore stellar projects built with Nylas APIs.

Upgrade to v3: Nylas v3 offers major platform improvements and new APIs.