IMAP (Reading Email)
What this feature is for
IMAP access lets you read and organize email from any standard email client. Inboxes are served as Maildir folders through Dovecot.
Connection settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Server | imap.inboxlayer.dev |
| Port | 993 |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) |
| Authentication | PLAIN or LOGIN |
| Username | Your inbox email address |
| Password | An API token from your account |
Only port 993 with implicit TLS is supported. STARTTLS on port 143 is not available.
Authentication
IMAP uses the same API tokens as SMTP and the REST API.
- Sign in to your Inboxlayer account.
- Go to Account Settings > API Keys.
- Create a new token or copy an existing one.
- Use the full token value as your IMAP password.
The username is your inbox email address:
- Default domain:
inbox_name@inboxlayer.dev - Custom domain:
inbox_name@yourdomain.com(if domain is verified)
Folders
Each inbox provides the following IMAP folders:
| Folder | Purpose |
|---|---|
| INBOX | Inbound messages |
| Sent | Copies of outbound messages sent via SMTP or API |
| Drafts | Draft messages |
| Trash | Deleted messages |
| Junk | Spam-flagged messages |
Folders are created automatically when the inbox receives its first message.
Limitations
- IMAP is read-oriented. Messages are written to Maildir by the Inboxlayer application, not by the IMAP server. Moving or deleting messages in your IMAP client affects the Maildir storage but is not reflected in the web UI.
- POP3 is not supported.
- Each IMAP connection maps to a single inbox. To access multiple inboxes, configure separate accounts in your email client.
Notes for agents
- Use the REST API for programmatic access. IMAP is best suited for email clients and manual inspection.
- API tokens work across IMAP, SMTP, and REST API without separate credentials.
- Messages appear in IMAP as soon as they are written to Maildir, typically within seconds of delivery.