What does the inbox zero mcp server do?

It connects Inbox Zero to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Inbox Zero directly.

How do I install the inbox zero mcp server?

Run it through your MCP client's configuration using `npx -y @inbox-zero/cli`. Add the server block to Claude Desktop's config file (or use `claude mcp add` for Claude Code), restart the client, and the tools appear automatically. Full snippets are on this page.

What credentials does it need?

It reads `GOOGLE_BASE_URL`, `GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID`, `GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET`, `MICROSOFT_BASE_URL`, `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID`, `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET` from the environment. Store these in your client's env block or a secrets manager — never commit them to a repository — and grant the narrowest scope that still covers your use case.

Inbox Zero MCP Server — Setup Guide for Claude

What is the Inbox Zero MCP server?

If you want an AI assistant working directly with Inbox Zero, the inbox zero mcp server is the bridge. AI personal assistant for email Inbox Zero.

What Inbox Zero does

Key capabilities

AI Personal Assistant: — Organizes your inbox and pre-drafts replies in your tone and style
AI Rules for email: — Explain in plain English how your AI should handle your inbox
Reply Zero: — Track emails to reply to and those awaiting responses
Bulk Unsubscriber: — One-click unsubscribe and archive emails you never read
Bulk Archiver: — Clean up your inbox by bulk archiving old emails
Cold Email Blocker: — Auto‑block cold emails
Email Analytics: — Track your activity and trends over time
Meeting Briefs: — Get personalized briefings before every meeting, pulling context from your email and calendar

Installing the inbox zero mcp server

The server is distributed via npm as @inbox-zero/cli, so most clients can run it without a manual build step. Add it to your MCP client's configuration and restart the client to pick it up — the copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are on this page.

Configuration

Before the server will start you need to supply 6 environment variables: GOOGLE_BASE_URL, GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, MICROSOFT_BASE_URL, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than committing them.

Where it fits

Communication servers earn their keep on volume — summarising channels and threads that would otherwise cost you an hour of scrollback. Inbox Zero sits in that group. Worth comparing against the other communication servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

This is a hosted server — you point your client at an endpoint rather than running a local process, so there is nothing to keep updated on your machine.
It will not start until its required credentials are present, so set those before wondering why the tools never appear.
Written in Go.
MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the inbox zero mcp server actually does with your data.
Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.

How to install the Inbox Zero MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "inbox-zero": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@inbox-zero/cli"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID": "your-value",
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-value",
        "MICROSOFT_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID": "your-value",
        "MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

Variable	Description	Required
GOOGLE_BASE_URL	Endpoint or connection string the server talks to.	Yes
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET	Credential the server authenticates with.	Yes
MICROSOFT_BASE_URL	Endpoint or connection string the server talks to.	Yes
MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional
MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET	Credential the server authenticates with.	Yes

Inbox Zero MCP Server

What is the Inbox Zero MCP server?

What Inbox Zero does

Key capabilities

Installing the inbox zero mcp server

Configuration

Where it fits

Practical notes

How to install the Inbox Zero MCP server

Configuration

Frequently asked questions

Alternatives to the Inbox Zero MCP server

Slack

Gmail

Atlassian Rovo

Telegram

Discord

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