Build / Codex + AgenticEmail
Give Codex its own inbox
Connect AgenticEmail's MCP server to the OpenAI Codex CLI and your agent gets a real inbox it can send from, reply in, and read history from.
Install
Connect the inbox
Codex loads MCP servers from config.toml. The mcp-remote bridge points it at AgenticEmail's hosted server over HTTP.
[mcp_servers.agenticemail]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://api.agenticemail.dev/mcp", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer $AGENTICEMAIL_API_KEY"]export AGENTICEMAIL_API_KEY="am_your_unscoped_key"The MCP server works with any MCP client and needs an unscoped API key. See the MCP docs for the exact config path for your setup.
Why email
Why Codex needs its own inbox
Acts without you in the loop
Your agent can start outreach, reply to incoming mail, and run threads to completion on its own. You review the result, not every keystroke.
A dedicated agent identity
The agent gets its own inbox and address. No shared credentials, no routing through your personal account, no scope creep into your real mail.
A full audit trail
Every message it sends or receives is stored with its thread. Scoped API keys mean you can revoke one agent without touching the others.
Code
Working code
Prefer to script it directly? The same inbox is one SDK or CLI call away.
from agenticemail import AgenticEmail
client = AgenticEmail(api_key="am_your_key")
inbox = client.inboxes.create(username="support-agent")
print(inbox["id"])
client.messages.send(
inbox["id"],
to=["customer@example.com"],
subject="Hello from your agent",
text="Sent by an AI agent via AgenticEmail.",
)
replies = client.messages.list(inbox["id"])
for msg in replies["data"]:
print(msg["from"], msg["subject"])Prompt it directly
- "Create an inbox for this project and email the reviewer when the build is green."
- "Read the latest replies in the beta inbox and open an issue for each bug."
- "Reply to the last message in the vendor thread and confirm the delivery date."
FAQ
Common questions
- How does Codex connect to AgenticEmail?
- Through AgenticEmail's hosted MCP server at https://api.agenticemail.dev/mcp. You register it once with your API key, and Codex can call every inbox and message operation as native tools - no SMTP, no email provider, no glue code.
- Do I need to configure SMTP or an email provider?
- No. AgenticEmail is the provider. Inboxes are real addresses that send and receive; MCP exposes create_inbox, send_message, list_messages, reply_to_message and more directly to the agent.
- Can Codex receive email, not just send it?
- Yes. The agent can list threads and messages, read full history, and reply in the same thread. Inbound mail arrives parsed and is available through the same tools.
- Why does the MCP server need an unscoped key?
- The MCP server exposes inbox creation and cross-inbox operations, so it requires a key that is not locked to a single inbox. Create one at app.agenticemail.dev/keys.
- Is there a free tier?
- Yes. You can create inboxes and start sending on the free tier with no credit card. See the pricing page for limits.
