hermes-agent/website/docs/user-guide/messaging/email.md

---
sidebar_position: 7
title: "Email"
description: "Set up Hermes Agent as an email assistant via IMAP/SMTP"
---

# Email Setup

Hermes can receive and reply to emails using standard IMAP and SMTP protocols. Send an email to the agent's address and it replies in-thread — no special client or bot API needed. Works with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Fastmail, or any provider that supports IMAP/SMTP.

:::info No External Dependencies
The Email adapter uses Python's built-in `imaplib`, `smtplib`, and `email` modules. No additional packages or external services are required.
:::

---

## Prerequisites

- **A dedicated email account** for your Hermes agent (don't use your personal email)
- **IMAP enabled** on the email account
- **An app password** if using Gmail or another provider with 2FA

### Gmail Setup

1. Enable 2-Factor Authentication on your Google Account
2. Go to [App Passwords](https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords)
3. Create a new App Password (select "Mail" or "Other")
4. Copy the 16-character password — you'll use this instead of your regular password

### Outlook / Microsoft 365

1. Go to [Security Settings](https://account.microsoft.com/security)
2. Enable 2FA if not already active
3. Create an App Password under "Additional security options"
4. IMAP host: `outlook.office365.com`, SMTP host: `smtp.office365.com`

### Other Providers

Most email providers support IMAP/SMTP. Check your provider's documentation for:
- IMAP host and port (usually port 993 with SSL)
- SMTP host and port (usually port 587 with STARTTLS)
- Whether app passwords are required

---

## Step 1: Configure Hermes

The easiest way:

```bash
hermes gateway setup
```

Select **Email** from the platform menu. The wizard prompts for your email address, password, IMAP/SMTP hosts, and allowed senders.

### Manual Configuration

Add to `~/.hermes/.env`:

```bash
# Required
EMAIL_ADDRESS=hermes@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASSWORD=abcd efgh ijkl mnop    # App password (not your regular password)
EMAIL_IMAP_HOST=imap.gmail.com
EMAIL_SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com

# Security (recommended)
EMAIL_ALLOWED_USERS=your@email.com,colleague@work.com

# Optional
EMAIL_IMAP_PORT=993                    # Default: 993 (IMAP SSL)
EMAIL_SMTP_PORT=587                    # Default: 587 (SMTP STARTTLS)
EMAIL_POLL_INTERVAL=15                 # Seconds between inbox checks (default: 15)
EMAIL_HOME_ADDRESS=your@email.com      # Default delivery target for cron jobs
```

---

## Step 2: Start the Gateway

```bash
hermes gateway              # Run in foreground
hermes gateway install      # Install as a user service
sudo hermes gateway install --system   # Linux only: boot-time system service
```

On startup, the adapter:
1. Tests IMAP and SMTP connections
2. Marks all existing inbox messages as "seen" (only processes new emails)
3. Starts polling for new messages

---

## How It Works

### Receiving Messages

The adapter polls the IMAP inbox for UNSEEN messages at a configurable interval (default: 15 seconds). For each new email:

- **Subject line** is included as context (e.g., `[Subject: Deploy to production]`)
- **Reply emails** (subject starting with `Re:`) skip the subject prefix — the thread context is already established
- **Attachments** are cached locally:
  - Images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP) → available to the vision tool
  - Documents (PDF, ZIP, etc.) → available for file access
- **HTML-only emails** have tags stripped for plain text extraction
- **Self-messages** are filtered out to prevent reply loops

### Sending Replies

Replies are sent via SMTP with proper email threading:

- **In-Reply-To** and **References** headers maintain the thread
- **Subject line** preserved with `Re:` prefix (no double `Re: Re:`)
- **Message-ID** generated with the agent's domain
- Responses are sent as plain text (UTF-8)

### File Attachments

The agent can send file attachments in replies. Include `MEDIA:/path/to/file` in the response and the file is attached to the outgoing email.

---

## Access Control

Email access follows the same pattern as all other Hermes platforms:

1. **`EMAIL_ALLOWED_USERS` set** → only emails from those addresses are processed
2. **No allowlist set** → unknown senders get a pairing code
3. **`EMAIL_ALLOW_ALL_USERS=true`** → any sender is accepted (use with caution)

:::warning
**Always configure `EMAIL_ALLOWED_USERS`.** Without it, anyone who knows the agent's email address could send commands. The agent has terminal access by default.
:::

---

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| **"IMAP connection failed"** at startup | Verify `EMAIL_IMAP_HOST` and `EMAIL_IMAP_PORT`. Ensure IMAP is enabled on the account. For Gmail, enable it in Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP. |
| **"SMTP connection failed"** at startup | Verify `EMAIL_SMTP_HOST` and `EMAIL_SMTP_PORT`. Check that your password is correct (use App Password for Gmail). |
| **Messages not received** | Check `EMAIL_ALLOWED_USERS` includes the sender's email. Check spam folder — some providers flag automated replies. |
| **"Authentication failed"** | For Gmail, you must use an App Password, not your regular password. Ensure 2FA is enabled first. |
| **Duplicate replies** | Ensure only one gateway instance is running. Check `hermes gateway status`. |
| **Slow response** | The default poll interval is 15 seconds. Reduce with `EMAIL_POLL_INTERVAL=5` for faster response (but more IMAP connections). |
| **Replies not threading** | The adapter uses In-Reply-To headers. Some email clients (especially web-based) may not thread correctly with automated messages. |

---

## Security

:::warning
**Use a dedicated email account.** Don't use your personal email — the agent stores the password in `.env` and has full inbox access via IMAP.
:::

- Use **App Passwords** instead of your main password (required for Gmail with 2FA)
- Set `EMAIL_ALLOWED_USERS` to restrict who can interact with the agent
- The password is stored in `~/.hermes/.env` — protect this file (`chmod 600`)
- IMAP uses SSL (port 993) and SMTP uses STARTTLS (port 587) by default — connections are encrypted

---

## Environment Variables Reference

| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|----------|----------|---------|-------------|
| `EMAIL_ADDRESS` | Yes | — | Agent's email address |
| `EMAIL_PASSWORD` | Yes | — | Email password or app password |
| `EMAIL_IMAP_HOST` | Yes | — | IMAP server host (e.g., `imap.gmail.com`) |
| `EMAIL_SMTP_HOST` | Yes | — | SMTP server host (e.g., `smtp.gmail.com`) |
| `EMAIL_IMAP_PORT` | No | `993` | IMAP server port |
| `EMAIL_SMTP_PORT` | No | `587` | SMTP server port |
| `EMAIL_POLL_INTERVAL` | No | `15` | Seconds between inbox checks |
| `EMAIL_ALLOWED_USERS` | No | — | Comma-separated allowed sender addresses |
| `EMAIL_HOME_ADDRESS` | No | — | Default delivery target for cron jobs |
| `EMAIL_ALLOW_ALL_USERS` | No | `false` | Allow all senders (not recommended) |