Chilkat2-Python

Search an IMAP Mailbox

Demonstrates the Chilkat Imap.QueryMbx method, which searches the selected mailbox using IMAP search criteria and stores the matching message identifiers in a MessageSet. If bUid is true, the identifiers are UIDs; otherwise they are sequence numbers. This example finds unseen messages and lists their UIDs.

Background: IMAP search runs on the server, so you can find matching messages without downloading them. The criteria string is standard IMAP search syntax — for example UNSEEN, FROM "alice@example.com", SUBJECT "invoice", or SINCE 1-Jan-2026 — and terms can be combined. The result is a MessageSet of identifiers you then fetch, flag, copy, or move. Requesting UIDs (bUid = true) is preferred because UIDs remain valid across sessions.

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import sys
import chilkat2

success = False

# Demonstrates the Imap.QueryMbx method, which searches the selected mailbox using IMAP
# search criteria and stores the matching message identifiers in a MessageSet.  If bUid is
# True, the identifiers are UIDs; otherwise they are sequence numbers.

imap = chilkat2.Imap()

imap.Ssl = True
imap.Port = 993

success = imap.Connect("imap.example.com")
if (success == False):
    print(imap.LastErrorText)
    sys.exit()

success = imap.Login("user@example.com","myPassword")
if (success == False):
    print(imap.LastErrorText)
    sys.exit()

success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox")
if (success == False):
    print(imap.LastErrorText)
    sys.exit()

# Search for unseen (unread) messages, returning their UIDs.
msgSet = chilkat2.MessageSet()
success = imap.QueryMbx("UNSEEN",True,msgSet)
if (success == False):
    print(imap.LastErrorText)
    sys.exit()

# Iterate the matching message identifiers.
n = msgSet.Count
print("Matching messages: " + str(n))

for i in range(0,n):
    print("UID: " + str(msgSet.GetId(i)))

success = imap.Disconnect()
if (success == False):
    print(imap.LastErrorText)
    sys.exit()