# emersion/go-imap

📥 An IMAP library for Go clients and servers

Repository: https://github.com/emersion/go-imap
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/go-imap
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: imap, client, server, mail
Last push: 2026-07-02T12:02:26+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 76/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 90, release rhythm 45, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3781, "days_push": 62, "days_rel": 207, "gap_med": 144.5, "n_releases_24m": 5}
- flags: prerelease_only
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2350, forks 355 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:40.332959+00:00)

## What it is
go-imap is an IMAP4rev2 protocol library for Go, providing both client and server implementations. It lets Go applications talk to mail servers or implement their own IMAP servers.

## Use cases
- fetch emails from an IMAP mailbox in Go
- build a Go email client that reads and moves messages
- implement a custom IMAP server in Go
- monitor an inbox programmatically for new mail
- sync mail between servers via IMAP

## When to choose
- you need low-level IMAP client or server support in a Go project
- you want a well-maintained MIT-licensed library implementing RFC 9051

## When to avoid
- you need a ready-made email application rather than a library
- your project is not in Go

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: email, http-client, http-server
- domain: email, developer-tools, backend
- platform: go, cross-platform
- tags: imap, imap4rev2, mail, protocol-library

## Member repositories
- emersion/go-imap (main) score 76

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:40.332959+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:36:55.915350+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/emersion/go-imap (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:40.332959+00:00, sha 4cb0e2ad5d18)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.