# Can Claude Read My Gmail? How to Connect It on a Mac

https://postageformac.com/guides/can-claude-read-gmail (checked 2026-11-06)

Yes, once Claude has a connection to your Gmail. On a Mac, add your Gmail account to Postage with a Google app password, then connect Claude Desktop or Claude Code in Settings > Agents. Claude can then search and read your mail, your threads and the text of attachments like PDFs. It starts at Read only, so nothing in your mailbox changes until you raise its access.

## 1. Create a Google app password

Postage signs in to Gmail over IMAP with an app password: a 16-character code that stands in for your Google password. Postage has no Sign in with Google, so this step is required.

1. Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account.
2. Open myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.
3. Create an app password named Postage and copy the 16 characters.

Google says the option can be missing in three cases: 2-Step Verification set up with security keys only, a work, school or other organization account, and Advanced Protection. On a work account, your Google Workspace admin can turn app passwords off. Without one, Postage can't add that account.

## 2. Add Gmail to Postage

Choose Add Account, enter your address and paste the app password. Postage recognizes gmail.com and googlemail.com addresses and fills in Google's servers. For a Google Workspace address on your own domain, pick Gmail under Provider.

Gmail servers:

```
Incoming (IMAP): imap.gmail.com, port 993, TLS
Outgoing (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com, port 465, TLS
```

You don't have to switch IMAP on. Google says IMAP access has been always on in Gmail since January 2025. Your mail goes straight between your Mac and Google, with no Postage server in between.

## 3. Connect Claude

- **Claude Desktop:** in Postage, open Settings > Agents, turn on **Let agents connect to Postage**, press **Install in Claude Desktop**, and confirm Claude Desktop's install dialog.
- **Claude Code:** Settings > Agents > Claude Code > **Copy Command**, then run it in Terminal.

Terminal:

```
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user postage http://127.0.0.1:47913/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_POSTAGE_TOKEN"
```

Postage has to be open while Claude works, because the server runs inside the app. Full steps, and how this compares with other ways to connect, are in [How to connect Claude to your email on a Mac](https://postageformac.com/guides/connect-claude-to-your-email-mac).

## What Claude can read in Gmail

| Gmail item | What Claude gets |
| --- | --- |
| Search | Runs on Google's servers, across All Mail by default. Trash, Spam and Drafts are left out unless Claude asks for them |
| Messages and threads | Plain-text bodies, senders, recipients, dates and read state |
| Labels | They appear as folders. In Gmail's settings, a label needs Show in IMAP checked to appear |
| Attachments | File name, type and size, plus the text of PDF, text, HTML, CSV, JSON and XML files |
| Newsletters | A marker on list and machine-sent mail, so Claude can include or skip it |

Every email body reaches Claude marked as untrusted content from the sender, because anyone can write to you.

## Things to ask

- "What did I get from my landlord this year?"
- "Summarize what came in overnight, and tell me what needs a reply."
- "Find the PDF contract Dana sent in August and tell me when it ends."

To let Claude act on your mail too, raise it to **Organize and draft**: it can then archive to All Mail, move mail between labels, flag and save drafts. Anything it writes waits for you to press Send in Postage.

## Questions

### Does Claude get my Google password?

No. Postage keeps an app password for Gmail, and Claude connects to Postage with its own token. You can revoke the app password in your Google Account, or the token in Postage, without changing your Google password.

### Can Claude change anything in my Gmail?

Not at Read only, the default. At Organize and draft it can archive, move and flag. At Full it can also move mail to Trash. No level can permanently delete mail or send it.

### Can Claude read more than one Gmail account?

Yes. It sees every account you've added to Postage, along with any iCloud, Fastmail, Yahoo or other IMAP accounts.

### Does this work on Windows or iPhone?

No. Postage is Mac only.

Postage is $39 once, for macOS 14 Sonoma or later: https://postageformac.com/pricing