Emailclaw Turns Email Threads into Isolated AI Agent Workspaces

Summary

Emailclaw is a local-first AI agent that uses email as its primary interaction channel and treats each new subject as a separate project boundary. Users send a task to an agent email address, confirm the returned TaskId, and continue the work by replying in the same thread; replies can also convert a task into scheduled automation. Each project receives a dedicated directory for attachments, generated files, session history, and agent work, so the agent is expected to remain within that project’s workspace. The system uses IMAP to receive tasks and SMTP to return results, including attachments and requests for approval. It supports configurable model providers, agents, tools, Skills, MCP services, plugins, cron jobs, and Linux headless operation. High-risk tool calls can require a four-digit confirmation code, while permission modes range from read-only exploration to broader execution and should be chosen conservatively in production. Users can connect their own email account or use the system-provided Emailclaw channel, whose service terms state that emails are deleted from its server after 15 minutes and inactive registrations may be deleted after 100 days. Desktop packages are provided for Windows and macOS, with Linux packages and a portable archive; building from source requires JDK 25 and Maven. The project is implemented in Java and uses AgentScope Java 2.0, with Java SPI and external JAR plugins enabling extensions for tools, providers, hooks, MCP, user interfaces, and channels.