windows-desktop-com-plugin-for-mail
Claude Cowork connector for Microsoft Outlook desktop. Read, triage, draft, send, and schedule — all via local COM. No Azure AD, no IT appro
Open source Open in the app JSON README (API)
About
Claude Cowork connector for Microsoft Outlook desktop. Read, triage, draft, send, and schedule — all via local COM. No Azure AD, no IT approvals, no cloud credentials.
Details
- Kind
- Plugins
- Topic
- Cloud & DevOps
- Publisher
- gabrieldenny-del
- Origin
- marketplace
- Category
- ferramentas
- Stars
- 3
- Forks
- 3
- Open pull requests
- 1
- Last push
- 2026-04-17T13:01:40Z
- Repository state
- ativo
- Language
- Python
- License
- NOASSERTION
- Added
- 2026-08-30 01:48:58
- Updated
- 2026-08-30 01:48:58
- Origin id
gabrieldenny-del/outlook-extension/windows-desktop-com-plugin-for-mail
README
# outlook-tools — Claude Cowork connector for Microsoft Outlook
A shareable Claude Code / Cowork plugin that lets Claude drive the **locally-installed Microsoft Outlook desktop client** via COM. No Azure AD registration, no OAuth, no cloud. Works against whatever accounts your Outlook profile already has.
**Windows only.** Requires Outlook desktop and [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) installed.
## What it does
| Surface | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| **Email** | list, read, search, move, delete, draft, reply, reply-all, forward, update draft, send |
| **Calendar** | list events (with recurrence expansion), create, update, delete, accept/decline invites |
| **Categories** | list master list, apply to emails or events (replace/add/remove) |
| **Accounts & folders** | enumerate accounts and full folder trees |
Plus:
- **`outlook-assistant`** skill — auto-loads when the user mentions email, calendar, or meetings, teaching Claude the safe-default behaviors (draft before send, soft delete, confirm batch ops).
- **Slash commands:** `/triage-inbox`, `/daily-digest`, `/draft-reply`, `/clean-inbox`.
## Install
### Prerequisites
- **Windows** with Outlook desktop installed and a profile configured
- [**uv**](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) on PATH (handles Python + dependencies)
### Option A — Claude Code (full plugin: MCP tools + skill + slash commands)
```powershell
claude plugin marketplace add github:gabrieldenny-del/outlook-extension
claude plugin install outlook@outlook-tools
```
Restart Claude Code. Run `/mcp` to confirm the `outlook` server shows up and `/plugin` to see the plugin listed. On first run, `uv` creates a venv inside the plugin directory and installs dependencies; subsequent launches reuse it.
This option gives you the full experience: the MCP server, the `outlook-assistant` skill, and slash commands (`/triage-inbox`, `/daily-digest`, `/draft-reply`, `/clean-inbox`).
### Option B — Claude desktop app (MCP server only, via `.mcpb` bundle)
Download the latest `outlook-<version>.mcpb` from the [Releases](https://github.com/gabrieldenny-del/outlook-extension/releases) page, then **double-click** it. Claude desktop will open and prompt you to install the extension.
Alternatively, from inside Claude desktop: **Settings → Extensions → Install from file** and pick the `.mcpb`.
> The desktop bundle contains the MCP server only. Skills and slash commands are a Claude Code feature and are not loaded in the desktop app yet.
## Use it
```
You: /daily-digest
Claude: [calls list_calendar_events + list_emails, produces brief]
You: Draft a reply to Sarah saying I'll get to it Friday
Claude: [search_emails → read_email → create_draft, surfaces draft]
You: Looks good, send it
Claude: [send_email]
```
Or just talk to it: *"Move all unread newsletters from this week to the Archive folder"* — the `outlook-assistant` skill teaches Claude to confirm batch operations before executing.
## Develop locally
The plugin lives under [outlook/](outlook/). To iterate:
```powershell
cd outlook
uv sync # creates .venv, installs deps
uv run outlook-mcp # runs the MCP server over stdio (testing)
```
To load your local copy into Claude Code without publishing:
```powershell
# Add this directory as a local marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add "C:\Users\gabri\Outlook Extension"
claude plugin install outlook@outlook-tools
```
### Layout
```
.
├── .claude-plugin/
│ └── marketplace.json # Claude Code marketplace (1 plugin: "outlook")
├── outlook/ # the Claude Code plugin
│ ├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json
│ ├── .mcp.json # MCP server registration using ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}
│ ├── commands/ # slash commands
│ ├── skills/outlook-assistant/SKILL.md
│ ├── src/outlook_mcp/ # Python MCP server
│ │ ├── outlook.py # COM wrapper (pure, no MCP dep)
│ │ └── server.py # FastMCP tool definitions
│ └── pyproject.toml
├── dxt/ # Claude desktop extension staging
│ ├── manifest.json # .mcpb manifest (Anthropic desktop extension spec)
│ └── server/ # populated by build-dxt.sh (gitignored)
├── scripts/
│ └── build-dxt.sh # stages server code and packs outlook-<version>.mcpb
├── icon.jpg # source icon (auto-converted to PNG at build)
├── LICENSE
└── README.md
```
### Build the desktop extension
```bash
bash scripts/build-dxt.sh
# → outlook-0.1.0.mcpb in repo root
```
The script copies `outlook/src/outlook_mcp` and `outlook/pyproject.toml` into `dxt/server/`, converts `icon.jpg` → PNG via `uv`+Pillow, and packs the bundle with `@anthropic-ai/mcpb`. Distribute the `.mcpb` by attaching it to a GitHub Release.
The `outlook.py` COM wrapper has no MCP dependency and can be imported directly for scripting:
```python
from outlook_mcp import outlook as ol
ol.list_emails(folder="inbox", unread_only=True, limit=10)
```
## Tool reference
### Folder paths
Most tools accept a `folder` string:
| Input | Resolves to |
|---|---|
| omitted or `"inbox"` | Default Inbox |
| `"sent"`, `"drafts"`, `"deleted"`, `"junk"`, `"outbox"`, `"calendar"` | Default special folders |
| `"inbox/Processed/Q1"` | Subfolder under default Inbox |
| `"account@example.com/Inbox/Processed"` | Walk from a specific store |
### Complete tool list
**Email:** `list_accounts`, `list_folders`, `list_emails`, `read_email`, `search_emails`, `move_email`, `delete_email`, `create_draft`, `update_draft`, `send_email`
**Calendar:** `list_calendar_events`, `create_calendar_event`, `update_calendar_event`, `delete_calendar_event`, `respond_to_invite`
**Categories:** `list_categories`, `set_email_categories`, `set_event_categories`
## Security & safety
- **No cloud auth.** The plugin talks to the Outlook COM object on your machine. If you can read the mailbox in Outlook, the plugin can too — nothing more, nothing less.
- **Programmatic-access prompt.** Older Outlook versions or some group-policy configurations display a warning when an external process sends mail. Modern Office 365 generally suppresses it for trusted executables. IT admins can configure via Trust Center → Programmatic Access.
- **Safe-by-default tool use.** The bundled `outlook-assistant` skill instructs Claude to draft before sending, soft-delete by default, and confirm batch operations.
- **Sending is real.** `send_email` sends. For reviewable workflows, prefer `create_draft` and let a human hit Send.
## Roadmap
- Publish to PyPI so `uvx outlook-mcp` works without cloning
- Contacts + tasks tools
- Attachment download (save to disk)
- C#/.NET port for single-exe distribution (easier IT whitelisting than a Python venv)
## Author
**Gabriel Denny**
- Website: [www.gabrieldenny.com](https://www.gabrieldenny.com)
- LinkedIn: [gabrieljdenny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieljdenny)
- GitHub: [@gabrieldenny-del](https://github.com/gabrieldenny-del)
## License
MIT © 2026 Gabriel Denny — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).