Sample code for 30+ languages & platforms
Node.js

Search IMAP Mailbox for Email Matching Criteria

Searching an IMAP mailbox for messages that match search criteria.

Chilkat Node.js Downloads

Node.js
NODEJS_PRELUDE

function chilkatExample() {

    var success = false;

    // This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    var imap = new chilkat.Imap();

    // Connect to an IMAP server.
    // Use TLS
    imap.Ssl = true;
    imap.Port = 993;
    success = imap.Connect("imap.example.com");
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Login
    success = imap.Login("myLogin","myPassword");
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Select an IMAP mailbox
    success = imap.SelectMailbox("Inbox");
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // We can choose to fetch UIDs or sequence numbers.
    var fetchUids = true;

    // Here are examples of different search criteria:

    // Return all messages.
    var allMsgs = "ALL";

    // Search for already-answered emails.
    var answered = "ANSWERED";

    // Search for messages on a specific date.
    // The date string is DD-Month-YYYY where Month is
    // Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, or Dec.
    var onDate = "SENTON 05-Mar-2007";

    // Search for messages between two dates.  SENTBEFORE
    // finds emails sent before a date, and SENTSINCE finds
    // email sent on or after a date.  The "AND" operation
    // is implied by joining criteria, separated by spaces.
    var betweenDates = "SENTSINCE 01-Mar-2007 SENTBEFORE 05-Mar-2007";

    // Another example of AND: find all unanswered emails
    // sent after 04-Mar-2007 with "Problem" in the subject:
    var complexSearch1 = "UNANSWERED SENTSINCE 04-Mar-2007 Subject \"Problem\"";

    // Find messages with a specific string in the body:
    var bodySearch = "BODY \"problem solved\"";

    // Using OR.  The syntax is OR <criteria1> <criteria2>. 
    // The "OR" comes first, followed by each criteria.
    // For example, to match all emails with "Help" or "Question" in the subject.
    // You'll notice that literal strings may be quoted or unquoted.
    // If a literal contains SPACE characters, quote it:
    var orSearch = "OR SUBJECT Help SUBJECT Question";

    // ----------------------------------------------
    // Strings are case-insensitive when searching....
    // ----------------------------------------------

    // Find all emails sent from yahoo.com addresses:
    var fromSearch = "FROM yahoo.com";
    // Find all emails sent from anyone with "John" in their name:
    var johnSearch = "FROM John";

    // Find emails with the RECENT flag set:
    var recentSearch = "RECENT";

    // Find emails that don't have the recent flag set:
    var notRecentSearch = "NOT RECENT";
    // This is synonymous with "OLD":
    var oldSearch = "OLD";

    // Find all emails marked for deletion:
    var markedForDeleteSearch = "DELETED";

    // Find all emails having a specified header field with a value
    // containing a substring:
    var headerSearch = "HEADER DomainKey-Signature paypal.com";

    // Find any emails having a specific header field.  If the 
    // 2nd argument to the "HEADER" criteria is an empty string,
    // any email having the header field is returned regardless
    // of the header field's content.
    // Find any emails with a DomainKey-Signature field:
    var headerExistsSearch = "HEADER DomainKey-Signature \"\"";

    // Find NEW emails: these are emails that have the RECENT flag
    // set, but not the SEEN flag:
    var newSearch = "NEW";

    // Find emails larger than a certain number of bytes:
    var sizeLargerSearch = "LARGER 500000";

    // Find emails marked as seen or not already seen:
    var seenSearch = "SEEN";
    var notSeenSearch = "NOT SEEN";

    // Find emails having a given substring in the TO header field:
    var toSearch = "TO support@chilkatsoft.com";
    // A more long-winded way to do the same thing:
    var toSearch2 = "HEADER TO support@chilkatsoft.com";

    // Find emails smaller than a size in bytes:
    var smallerSearch = "SMALLER 30000";

    // Find emails that have a substring anywhere in the header
    // or body:
    var fullSubstringSearch = "TEXT \"Zip Component\"";

    // Pass any of the above strings here to test a search:
    var messageSet = new chilkat.MessageSet();
    success = imap.QueryMbx(orSearch,fetchUids,messageSet);
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Fetch the email headers into a bundle object:
    var bundle = new chilkat.EmailBundle();
    var headersOnly = true;
    success = imap.FetchMsgSet(headersOnly,messageSet,bundle);
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(imap.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Display the Subject and From of each email.
    var email = new chilkat.Email();
    var i = 0;
    while (i < bundle.MessageCount) {
        bundle.EmailAt(i,email);

        console.log(email.GetHeaderField("Date"));
        console.log(email.Subject);
        console.log(email.From);
        console.log("--");

        i = i+1;
    }

    // Disconnect from the IMAP server.
    success = imap.Disconnect();

}

chilkatExample();