email-resend
v1.0.14Send and receive emails using the Resend API. Use for: (1) sending emails directly via Resend API, (2) receiving email notifications via cron, (3) drafting replies with proper threading, (4) downloading attachments from inbound emails. Required env vars: RESEND_API_KEY (API key). Optional env vars:...
Installation
License
Apache License 2.0 — See LICENSE file for full text.
Email via Resend
Send and receive emails using the Resend API.
Configuration
No config file needed. The skill auto-discovers settings from:
- Environment variables — RESEND_API_KEY (required), DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL/NAME (optional)
- Preferences file —
memory/email-preferences.md(from_email, from_name, telegram target) - OpenClaw context — channel, chat_id, thread_id (for cron delivery)
Required Environment Variables
export RESEND_API_KEY="re_123456789" # Resend API key (required)
# DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL and DEFAULT_FROM_NAME are optional - loaded from preferences file if not set
Preferences File
The skill reads sender info from memory/email-preferences.md:
---
from_email: [email protected]
from_name: Your Name
telegram:
target: "CHAT_ID"
threadId: "THREAD_ID"
---
Scripts check env vars first, then fall back to preferences file.
First-Time Setup
When the skill is first invoked, the sub-agent should:
- Check context — OpenClaw context already has:
context.user.email(from USER.md)context.channel(from current session)context.chat_id-
context.thread_id(for topics) -
Check memory — Use
memory_gettool: - Try:
memory_get path="memory/email-preferences.md" -
If not found, ask user to create
memory/email-preferences.md(NO fallback scanning) -
If missing, ask user — Via chat message (IMPORTANT for cron jobs):
- "Which email should I send from?" (from_email)
- "What's your display name for sent emails?" (from_name)
- "Which channel/topic should I notify you on?" (telegram target + threadId)
Then create memory/email-preferences.md with their answers using the format above.
- Commit to memory — Write preferences to persist across sessions: ```bash write path="memory/email-preferences.md" content="--- from_email: $EMAIL from_name: $NAME telegram: target: "$CHAT_ID" threadId: "$THREAD_ID"
# Email Notification Preferences Saved auto-configured " ``` This ensures memory_get finds it in future sessions. Use MD format with YAML frontmatter.
Format (MD with YAML frontmatter):
---
from_email: [email protected]
from_name: Your Name
telegram:
target: "123456789"
threadId: "334"
---
# Email Notification Preferences
- **Updated:** 2026-01-01
- **Purpose:** Default notification channel for email alerts
Important: Store in memory/email-preferences.md (NOT MEMORY.md) - isolated cron jobs can read this file via memory_get but NOT MEMORY.md.
Context Fields (Available in Sub-Agent)
| Field | Source | Example |
|---|---|---|
user.email |
USER.md | [email protected] |
user.name |
USER.md | Your Name |
channel |
OpenClaw | from context |
chat_id |
OpenClaw | 123456789 |
thread_id |
OpenClaw | 334 |
The skill uses these directly from OpenClaw context — no parsing needed.
Usage
Inbound (Receive)
Cron Setup
There are two ways to configure the cron:
Option 1: Static (Hardcoded Target)
Use this if you always want the same delivery target:
openclaw cron add
--name "email-resend-inbound"
--cron "*/15 * * * *"
--message "Follow instructions in skills/email-resend/cron-prompts/email-inbound.md exactly. If new emails found, include them in your reply."
--session isolated
--announce
--channel telegram
--to "-1003748898773:topic:334"
Option 2: Dynamic (From Preferences) — Recommended
This reads your notification preferences from memory/email-preferences.md and configures the cron automatically.
Run:
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/configure-cron.py
What it does:
1. Reads memory/email-preferences.md for your telegram target/threadId
2. Deletes any existing email-resend-inbound cron
3. Creates a new cron with your preferred delivery target
First-time setup: If preferences don't exist, it will tell you what to configure.
Parameters:
- --schedule "cron */15 * * * *" — Run every 15 minutes
- --session isolated — Required for agentTurn payloads
- --announce — Enable delivery of results to chat
- --channel telegram — Delivery channel
- --to — Telegram target (format: chat_id:topic:thread_id)
Note: The cron prompt reads notification preferences from memory/email-preferences.md. On first run, if preferences are missing, it will ask you for:
- Which channel for notifications (telegram, discord, etc.)
- Chat ID and Thread ID (for topics)
Manual Check
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/inbound.py
Notification Format
Each new email triggers a notification with: - From, Subject, Date - Body preview (~2000 chars) - Attachment list (if any) - Importance: 🔥 HIGH / 📅 MEETING / 📬 NORMAL
Acknowledge Flow (CRITICAL)
NEVER auto-acknowledge emails. Only the user can acknowledge by:
- Replying to the notification message, OR
- Typing: done / ack
Emails must remain in pending state until user explicitly acknowledges.
Use draft-reply.py to compose replies with proper quoting.
Important: Always use inline replies ([[reply_to_current]]) to keep messages linked in the thread. This enables:
- Proper custody chain tracking
- Reply-to-email tracing
- Better conversation flow
CRITICAL: When responding via OpenClaw message tool, use replyTo parameter (not [[reply_to_current]] tag):
message(action="send", channel="<from-context>", replyTo="<msg_id>", ...)
Scripts
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
inbound.py |
Check emails, send notifications |
draft-reply.py |
Draft reply workflow with quoting & threading |
outbound.py |
Send emails directly |
download_attachment.py |
Download attachments from inbound emails |
Downloading Attachments
To download attachments from an inbound email:
# List attachments (shows IDs)
python3 scripts/download_attachment.py <email_id> --list
# Download all to directory
python3 scripts/download_attachment.py <email_id> --output-dir ./attachments
# Download specific attachment
python3 scripts/download_attachment.py <email_id> --attachment-id <attachment_id>
Note: The API path is /emails/receiving/{email_id}/attachments (not the standard /emails/ path).
State Files
memory/email-resend-inbound-notified.json— pending/acknowledged emailsmemory/email-message-map.json— notification message_id → email_id (legacy)memory/email-custody-chain.json— Full DAG of email → notification → actionsmemory/email-msg-to-chain.json— notification message_id → chain lookupmemory/email-draft-state.json— Active draft state (email_id, status, reply_content)
See docs/custody-chain.md for DAG design.
Outbound (Send)
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/outbound.py
--to "[email protected]"
--subject "Hello"
--body "Message text"
# With attachments
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/outbound.py
--to "[email protected]"
--subject "Here's the file"
--body "See attachment"
--attachment ./file.pdf
--attachment ./image.png
⚠️ CRITICAL: Email Threading Rule (2026-02-22)
MANDATORY: Always use draft-reply.py for replying to emails.
This is non-negotiable. Failure to follow this rule will result in broken Gmail threading.
Why This Matters
- Gmail threads emails based on
In-Reply-ToANDReferencesheaders - Using wrong headers = reply appears as NEW thread = context lost
- There's no way to fix this after sending
✅ Correct Workflow (ALWAYS USE THIS)
# Step 1: Start draft (fetches Message-ID automatically)
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/draft-reply.py start <email_id>
# Step 2: Set reply content
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/draft-reply.py content "Your reply"
# Step 3: Send
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/draft-reply.py send
⚠️ CRITICAL: Approval Execution Rule (2026-02-22)
When user approves a draft, you MUST execute the send command immediately.
The mistake to avoid:
- ❌ Show draft for approval → User says "send" → Only acknowledge, don't execute
- ✅ Show draft for approval → User says "send" → RUN draft-reply.py send → Then confirm
Correct workflow:
1. Show draft for approval
2. User replies "approve", "send", "yes", or "ok"
3. IMMEDIATELY run: draft-reply.py send
4. Only THEN confirm to user
Never: - Only acknowledge the approval without executing - Ask for confirmation after user already approved - Wait to send - do it immediately
❌ NEVER Do These Things
NEVER use outbound.py for replies:
# WRONG - will break threading
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/outbound.py
--to "[email protected]" --subject "Re: Original" --body "Reply"
NEVER manually construct --reply-to flags:
# WRONG - guessing Message-ID format never works
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/outbound.py
--to "[email protected]" --subject "Re: Original" --body "Reply"
--reply-to "<some-guess>@resend"
NEVER skip the workflow when subject starts with "Re:":
# WRONG - replying without threading headers breaks thread
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/email-resend/scripts/outbound.py
--to "[email protected]" --subject "Re: Previous Thread" --body "Quick reply"
outbound.py Only For New Emails
outbound.py is for new emails only (not replies):
- First contact
- Announcements
- Emails where you intentionally want a NEW thread
For anything that could be a reply, use draft-reply.py.
Requirements
RESEND_API_KEYenvironment variable set- Python
requestslibrary
Draft Reply Best Practices
When composing a reply via draft-reply.py:
-
Always quote the original — Include the original message with
>prefix so recipient knows what you're responding to -
Use proper threading — Set
In-Reply-ToandReferencesheaders using the original email's Message-ID -
Keep subject line — Start with
Re:prefix to maintain thread (but avoid "Re: Re:") -
Structure: ``` Your reply here
On [date] [original sender] wrote:
quoted original message continues here ```
-
Multiple replies supported — After sending, draft is marked as "sent" so you can reply again to the same thread. Use
resumecommand to continue. -
No double Re: — If original subject already starts with "Re:", don't add another
-
Custody Chain — Track full lineage:
- Email → notification → All replies/actions
- DAG structure with parent links
- Any message traces back to original email
Draft Reply Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
start <email_id> |
Start a draft reply to an email |
resume |
Continue a sent thread to reply again |
content "text" |
Set reply content |
send |
Send the reply |
cancel |
Cancel the draft |
status |
Show current draft status |
After sending, use resume to reply again to the same thread — threading headers are preserved.
Run tests:
python3 skills/email-resend/tests/test_inbound.py
Expected: 43+ tests total (test_inbound.py: 37, test_threading.py: 6, test_attachments.py: varies).
If tests fail: 1. Check which test failed and why 2. Fix the feature/code to match expected behavior 3. Or update tests if feature intentionally changed
⚠️ Privacy & Security Considerations
Required Credentials
- RESEND_API_KEY — Required. Get from https://resend.com API settings. Create with minimal permissions.
- DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL / DEFAULT_FROM_NAME — Optional. If not set, loaded from
memory/email-preferences.md.
Memory File Access
The skill reads ONLY from explicit preferences file:
- memory/email-preferences.md — Required for telegram target/threadId
- No fallback scanning of MEMORY.md, USER.md, TOOLS.md, or memory/*.md
This restricted approach prevents information leakage from sensitive files.
Cron Job
The configure-cron.py script will create/delete a cron job named email-resend-inbound via OpenClaw CLI.
Recommendations
- Run tests with a dummy RESEND_API_KEY before enabling in production
- If you only need outbound email, don't enable inbound/cron
- Audit
memory/email-preferences.mdto ensure it contains only necessary fields - Keep preferences file minimal - only include required fields (target, threadId)