Best for
- Users who have Outlook Desktop installed and want to avoid cloud API integration.
- Users who need quick setup without OAuth or admin consent.
- Users who want to leverage local Outlook session and cached data.
O
Outlook Desktop MCP
Community
Turn your running Outlook Desktop into an MCP server. No Graph API, no OAuth.
GitHub source repository ↗
59FMRS · C
Outlook Desktop MCP provides a pragmatic, cloud-free approach to Outlook automation by leveraging the local desktop app, with simple setup. It supports a broad set of features on Windows and macOS, though permissions and security prompts require some configuration. It's a valuable community tool for users wanting to integrate Outlook with MCP clients like Claude.
Outlook Desktop MCP is a community-developed MCP server that leverages the locally running Outlook desktop application's existing authenticated session to provide email, calendar, task, and attachment management via COM automation on Windows and AppleScript on macOS. It avoids the complexity of Microsoft Graph API, Entra app registration, and OAuth token management. It supports Windows and macOS, offering 29 tools on Windows and 22 on macOS.
Tools
send_email
Send an email with To/CC/BCC, plain text or HTML body.
list_emails
List recent emails from any folder, with optional unread filter.
read_email
Read full email content by entry ID or subject search.
search_emails
Full-text search across email subjects and bodies.
reply_email
Reply or reply-all, preserving the conversation thread.
mark_as_read
Mark a specific email as read.
mark_as_unread
Mark a specific email as unread.
move_email
Move an email to Archive, Trash, or any folder.
list_folders
Browse the folder hierarchy with item counts.
list_events
List upcoming events within a date range.
get_event
Read full event details by entry ID.
create_event
Create a personal calendar appointment.
create_meeting
Create a meeting and send invitations to attendees.
update_event
Modify an existing event's subject, time, location, etc.
delete_event
Delete an appointment or cancel a meeting.
respond_to_meeting
Accept, decline, or tentatively accept a meeting invite (Windows only).
search_events
Search calendar events by keyword within a date range.
list_tasks
List pending or completed tasks, sorted by due date.
get_task
Read full task details including body and completion status.
create_task
Create a new task with subject, due date, importance.
complete_task
Mark a task as complete.
delete_task
Remove a task.
list_attachments
List all attachments on an email or calendar event.
save_attachment
Download an attachment to a local directory.
list_categories
List all available color categories in Outlook (Windows only).
set_category
Set or clear categories on any email, event, or task (Windows only).
list_rules
List all mail rules with enabled/disabled status (Windows only).
toggle_rule
Enable or disable a mail rule by name (Windows only).
get_out_of_office
Check whether Out of Office auto-reply is on or off (Windows only).
Setup
- Install Python 3.12+.
- Run
pip install outlook-desktop-mcp. - Register with Claude Code:
claude mcp add outlook-desktop -- outlook-desktop-mcp. - Ensure Outlook is running, then start Claude Code.
Fit and risk
Not for
- Users who do not use Outlook Desktop.
- Users who need cloud API or remote access to Outlook data.
- Users on unsupported Outlook versions (e.g., new Outlook on Windows without COM) or without necessary permissions (macOS).
Required permissions
- Windows: Access to Outlook COM object model; may require authorization or registry policy changes.
- macOS: Requires Automation and Accessibility permissions to control Outlook via osascript and read Exchange inbox.
Risks and side effects
- Programmatic Access prompts may appear; must allow access or configure registry.
- Automated tools could be misused by malicious instructions, potentially sending or modifying emails, calendar, or tasks unexpectedly.
- Local-only, not cloud-based.
Troubleshooting
- Ensure Outlook is running and signed in.
- Windows: If prompted, allow access or import the registry policy file.
- macOS: Ensure python3.12 is granted Automation and Accessibility permissions in System Settings.
- If Exchange inbox listing returns empty, check Accessibility permission is enabled.
Use cases
Manage Outlook emails, calendar, and tasks via natural language with Claude.
Automate email handling: send, search, reply, mark, move.
Manage schedules: create events and meetings, query calendar.
Handle attachments: list and save.
Manage tasks: create, update, complete.
Supported clients
Claude DesktopFull support
Claude CodeFull support