Frequently Asked Questions

Can msgvault send email?

No. msgvault cannot send, forward, or reply to email. While msgvault requests full Gmail account access (required for features like sync, search, and deletion), we have intentionally not built any send functionality into the tool. This is both a scope discipline decision and a security one: msgvault is an archival and analysis tool, not an email client. Whether you are using the CLI directly, running it from a script, or letting an AI agent operate through the MCP server, there is no code path in msgvault that composes or sends mail.

Is it safe to use with AI agents (MCP, Claude, etc.)?

For normal use, yes. The MCP server exposes only read and search operations (no sync, no deletion, no sending). An AI agent operating through the MCP server can only read and search your local archive, which is the intended use case.

However, you should be aware of prompt injection risks. If an adversary can influence the prompts your LLM processes (through malicious email content, for example), the agent could be manipulated into reading sensitive messages such as password reset links or two-factor codes. In a worst case scenario, this could allow an attacker to compromise accounts by combining prompt injection with the ability to read your inbox.

The MCP server’s lack of sync capability offers some protection here, since an agent cannot pull new messages on demand. But this project does not claim to be immune to LLM security issues. Users are ultimately responsible for their own security setup and for understanding the risks of giving LLMs access to sensitive data.

Where is my email data stored?

Everything stays on your local machine. msgvault stores messages in a SQLite database and Parquet analytics files inside your MSGVAULT_HOME directory (defaults to ~/.msgvault). No data is sent to any remote server. See Data Storage for details.

Can I use msgvault with non-Gmail accounts?

Not yet. msgvault currently supports Gmail only. Support for other providers via IMAP is being considered for future releases.

Does deleting email in msgvault delete it from Gmail?

Only if you explicitly run the full deletion workflow. Staging messages for deletion in the TUI does not touch Gmail. You must run msgvault delete-staged to permanently delete staged messages from Gmail. This is irreversible on Gmail’s servers, so review your staged manifests carefully. Your local archive is always preserved. See Deleting Email for the complete process.