How do I install Maildev?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Maildev need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: MAILDEV_API_PORT.

What transport does Maildev use?

Maildev runs locally over stdio.

When was Maildev last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-10. MailDev MCP server. Manage Docker containers and inspect emails from your AI editor or MCP client.

Maildev MCP server

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own command. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Local command

nuget MailDevMcp

Credentials from the publisher

MAILDEV_API_PORT — Port number for the MailDev REST API (default: 1080)

Claude Code has no install link for a local command. Copy the command below and run it in a terminal.

shClaude Code

1MAILDEV_API_PORT=<value> claude mcp add io.github.pierre3-maildev-mcp -- nuget MailDevMcp

Run in a terminal.

jsonClaude Desktop

1{2  "mcpServers": {3    "io.github.pierre3-maildev-mcp": {4      "command": "nuget",5      "args": [6        "MailDevMcp"7      ],8      "env": {9        "MAILDEV_API_PORT": "<value>"10      }11    }12  }13}

claude_desktop_config.json

Local · nugetPublisher installStep-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Server facts

Local

Transport: stdio
Version: 1.0.1
API key

Tools

No tool list yet. Remote servers get one after the first health check.

FAQ

Questions

MailDevMcp

English | 日本語

mcp-name: io.github.pierre3/maildev-mcp

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for MailDev.
Manage MailDev Docker containers and inspect received emails directly from your AI-powered editor or MCP client.

This server is intended for local development and test automation scenarios where an MCP client needs to:

start or stop a MailDev container
inspect inbox contents
wait for emails after triggering application behavior
inspect HTML bodies and attachments
verify attachment integrity byte-for-byte

Installation

Install as a global .NET tool:

dotnet tool install -g MailDevMcp

After installation, the maildev-mcp command becomes available.

MCP Client Configuration

Add the following to your MCP client settings (e.g. Claude Desktop, VS Code, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maildev-mcp": {
      "command": "maildev-mcp",
      "env": {
        "MAILDEV_API_PORT": "1080"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`MAILDEV_API_PORT`	`1080`	Port number for the MailDev REST API

Typical Workflow

Call StartMaildev to launch a local MailDev container
Trigger your application to send an email
Call WaitForEmail if delivery is asynchronous
Use ListEmails, SearchEmails, or GetEmail to inspect the result
Use GetEmailHtml, GetAttachmentContent, or VerifyAttachment when deeper validation is needed
Clean up with DeleteEmail, DeleteAllEmails, or StopMaildev

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`StartMaildev`	Start the MailDev Docker container with configurable SMTP port, API port, authentication, and TLS
`StopMaildev`	Stop and remove the MailDev Docker container
`MaildevStatus`	Check the running status of MailDev
`ListEmails`	Retrieve the list of received emails
`GetEmail`	Get the details of an email by ID, including attachment information
`GetEmailHtml`	Get the HTML body of an email by ID
`SearchEmails`	Search received emails by subject, sender, or recipient
`DeleteEmail`	Delete a single email by ID
`DeleteAllEmails`	Delete all received emails
`WaitForEmail`	Wait until a new email matching given criteria arrives (useful for test automation)
`GetAttachmentContent`	Get the raw Base64-encoded content of an email attachment
`VerifyAttachment`	Verify that an email attachment matches the original data by byte-by-byte comparison

Tool Behavior Notes

StartMaildev
- Supports custom SMTP and API ports
- Supports optional SMTP authentication
- Treats empty or whitespace-only credentials as authentication disabled
- Supports TLS with a generated self-signed certificate
GetEmail and ListEmails
- Render missing or empty subjects as (no subject)
- Render missing address lists as (none)
WaitForEmail
- Polls MailDev until a matching email arrives or the timeout is reached
- Reports transient MailDev connection failures in the returned message when they occur during polling
VerifyAttachment
- Accepts a Base64-encoded original payload
- Compares the received attachment byte-by-byte
- Reports either exact match, size mismatch, or content mismatch

Requirements and Assumptions

Docker must be installed and available on the same machine where this MCP server runs
MailDev is accessed through its HTTP API on localhost
The configured API port in the MCP client must match the MailDev API port exposed by Docker

Prerequisites

.NET 10 SDK or later
Docker (for running the MailDev container)

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/pierre3/MailDevMcp.git
cd MailDevMcp
dotnet pack -c Release
dotnet tool install -g --add-source ./bin/Release MailDevMcp

License

MIT

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install Maildev?

Does Maildev need an API key?

What transport does Maildev use?

When was Maildev last checked?

Documentation

MailDevMcp

Installation

MCP Client Configuration

Environment Variables

Typical Workflow

Available Tools

Tool Behavior Notes

Requirements and Assumptions

Prerequisites

Building from Source

License