Forward Email — Claude Code MCP server: mail, domains, DNS
Hooks your agent up to Forward Email: domains, DNS checks, aliases, SMTP sending, mailboxes and calendars.
claude mcp add --env FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY=<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY> --env FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER> --env FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD> --transport stdio forward-email -- npx -y @forwardemail/mcp-serverWhat Forward Email does
This MCP server connects an agent to a Forward Email account. From the chat you can list domains, verify DNS records, create aliases, send mail over SMTP, and reach mailboxes and calendars.
It runs locally over stdio via npx -y @forwardemail/mcp-server. Three environment variables are required: FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY, FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER and FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD. No API key means no authorization, so create one in your Forward Email account first.
Setup is a single terminal command for Claude, Codex and Gemini CLI. Cursor and GitHub Copilot take a JSON block instead — mcpServers in one, servers in the other. Skip the alias user and password and SMTP sending stays dead.
What it helps with
- check a domain's DNS records before moving mail
- add an alias for a new service without creating a mailbox
- send mail from a script over SMTP
- list which domains sit on the account
- cross-check a calendar against project tasks
Example prompts for the agent
- List every domain in my Forward Email account and the DNS status of each
- Create an alias
[email protected]that forwards to my main inbox - Send an email with the subject "Deploy is done" to
[email protected]over SMTP
How to install Forward Email
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY=<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY> --env FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER> --env FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD> --transport stdio forward-email -- npx -y @forwardemail/mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add forward-email --env FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY=<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY> --env FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER> --env FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD> -- npx -y @forwardemail/mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"forward-email": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@forwardemail/mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY": "<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY>",
"FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER": "<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER>",
"FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD": "<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"forward-email": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@forwardemail/mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY": "<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY>",
"FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER": "<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER>",
"FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD": "<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY=<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY> -e FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER> -e FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD> forward-email npx -y @forwardemail/mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Forward Email
How do I install Forward Email in Claude Code?
Run `claude mcp add mcp-server -e FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY=<FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY> -e FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD=<FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD> -- npx -y @forwardemail/mcp-server`, replacing the placeholders with your own values.
What does Forward Email do?
It is an MCP server that gives an agent access to your Forward Email account: domains, DNS verification, aliases, SMTP sending, mailboxes and calendars.
What do I need before running it?
A FORWARD_EMAIL_API_KEY, plus FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_USER and FORWARD_EMAIL_ALIAS_PASSWORD if you want to send mail. All three go in as environment variables.
