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Poll emails using JMAP

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Poll emails using JMAP preview
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Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

n8n does not currently offer a way to retrieve emails from arbritrary providers via a regular node. Unless you're using Gmail or Outlook, you can only use the email trigger to start a workflow when...

Best for

  • Ticket Management automation workflows
  • intermediate n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.manualtrigger, n8n-nodes-base.httprequest, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.stickynote

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Tom.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Poll emails using JMAP
Workflow name
Poll emails using JMAP

n8n does not currently offer a way to retrieve emails from arbritrary providers via a regular node. Unless you're using Gmail or Outlook, you can only use the email trigger to start a workflow when a new email arrives.

This currently limits the possible use cases you can cover in your n8n workflows, as you cannot (for example) get an idea of how many unread messages there are in an inbox, or search for specific messages when an event occurs.

But fear not, there's a new sheriff in town! The JMAP standard allows you to interact with your mailboxes, calendars and contacts through single HTTP requests whenever needed.

This n8n workflow demonstrates how to retrieve the total number of unread messages from a JMAP server and also retrieve details for the first 3 messages. It can easily be adapted to search for messages other than unread, or to return details for more than the first 3 messages.

Screenshots

FAQ

Which n8n version do I need?

The workflow was built using n8n 1.20 and should work here out of the box. HTTP requests are also supported on older n8n versions, so the workflow can be backported as an alternative.

Which credentials do I need?

The JMAP standard does not limit the available authentication options. Fastmail (the sponsor of the standard) supports Bearer authentication as well as OAuth2.

In n8n you can implement the Fastmail Bearer authentication by creating Header Auth credentials with a name of Authorization and a value of Bearer $apiToken (replacing $apiToken with your actual API token from Fastmail).

For other services you'd need to check the respective API documentation for more details on the support authentication methods.

What even is JMAP?

It's an official Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard, sponsored by Fastmail, that will hopefully replace the legacy standards CalDAV, CardDAV, and IMAP soon. The full specs are available here.

How can I use JMAP?

If you're a Fastmail customer or if you're hosting your own Stalwart mail server you can use JMAP today.

If your email provider doesn't yet support JMAP, you might want to contact them and let them know you're interested in this functionality.

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - When clicking "Execute Workflow"

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger - manualTrigger
Config choices
Version 1

Block 2 - Get mailboxes

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.1

Block 3 - Fetch API details

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.1

Block 4 - Format results

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.2

Block 5 - Get unread messages

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.1

Block 6 - Sticky Note

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 7 - Sticky Note1

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

3. Summary Table

Workflow Poll emails using JMAP
Complexity intermediate
Nodes 7
Categories Ticket Management
Author Tom
Published 25 Dec 2023

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/2032/2032.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Poll emails using JMAP do?

n8n does not currently offer a way to retrieve emails from arbritrary providers via a regular node. Unless you're using Gmail or Outlook, you can only use the email trigger to start a workflow when...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Ticket Management use case.