📥 Reading Emails with Python (imaplib)

Imagine automatically pulling reports from your inbox, monitoring for alerts, or organizing messages into folders — all with Python.

With imaplib, Python can log into your email, search, and read messages programmatically. Let's dive into how it works.

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🧠 What is imaplib?

imaplib is a built-in Python module that connects to email servers using the IMAP protocol (Internet Message Access Protocol).

You can use it to:

• Log into your email

• Search for specific messages

• Read subject lines, bodies, and attachments

• Automate email-based workflows

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🧰 Requirements

• A Gmail or IMAP-enabled email account

• Python 3.x

• IMAP access turned on in your email settings

• Use of an App Password (for Gmail with 2FA)

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🚀 Step 1: Connect to Email Server

import imaplib

EMAIL = "youremail@gmail.com"
PASSWORD = "your_app_password"

mail = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL("imap.gmail.com")
mail.login(EMAIL, PASSWORD)
mail.select("inbox")

⚠️ Gmail requires an App Password, which you can generate here:
https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords

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🔍 Step 2: Search Your Inbox

You can search using filters like FROM, SUBJECT, SINCE, or UNSEEN.

status, messages = mail.search(None, 'UNSEEN')  # unread emails
email_ids = messages[0].split()
print(f"Found {len(email_ids)} new messages.")

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📨 Step 3: Fetch and Read Emails

import email
from email.header import decode_header

for num in email_ids:
    status, data = mail.fetch(num, "(RFC822)")
    msg = email.message_from_bytes(data[0][1])

    # Decode subject
    subject, encoding = decode_header(msg["Subject"])[0]
    if isinstance(subject, bytes):
        subject = subject.decode(encoding or "utf-8")
    
    # From field
    from_ = msg.get("From")
    
    print(f"From: {from_}")
    print(f"Subject: {subject}")

    # Body
    if msg.is_multipart():
        for part in msg.walk():
            content_type = part.get_content_type()
            if content_type == "text/plain":
                body = part.get_payload(decode=True).decode()
                print(f"Body:\n{body}")
                break
    else:
        body = msg.get_payload(decode=True).decode()
        print(f"Body:\n{body}")

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📂 Step 4: Download Attachments

import os

for part in msg.walk():
    if part.get_content_maintype() == 'multipart':
        continue
    if part.get('Content-Disposition') is None:
        continue

    filename = part.get_filename()
    if filename:
        filepath = os.path.join("downloads", filename)
        with open(filepath, "wb") as f:
            f.write(part.get_payload(decode=True))
        print(f"Attachment saved: {filename}")

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🧹 Optional: Mark Emails as Read

mail.store(num, '+FLAGS', '\\Seen')

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✅ Summary

Task	Code
Connect	imaplib.IMAP4_SSL(...)
Login	.login(email, password)
Select folder	.select("inbox")
Search	.search(None, "UNSEEN")
Fetch	.fetch(num, "(RFC822)")
Parse	email.message_from_bytes(...)

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⚠️ Tips & Troubleshooting

• Use App Passwords for secure login (especially on Gmail).

• Always handle encoding for subject lines and body text.

• Use try-except blocks around network calls to avoid crashes.

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🧠 Real-World Use Cases

• 📩 Auto-download reports from a specific sender

• 🔍 Scan inbox for OTPs or confirmation codes

• 🧾 Build a receipt tracker from email invoices

• 🔔 Trigger scripts when certain emails arrive