Nylas MCP server

The Nylas MCP server gives AI agents typed tools for email, calendar, contacts, and Notetaker — no SDK integration or API calls required. Your agent asks to “list my messages,” “create an event,” or “send a Notetaker to this meeting,” and the MCP server handles the Nylas API calls.

Works with any MCP-compatible client: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, OpenAI Codex CLI, and more.

Before you begin

You need a Nylas API key and a connected account (grant). If you haven’t set these up yet:

• Get started with the CLI — run nylas init to create an account, generate an API key, and connect a test account in one command.
• Get started with the Dashboard — do the same steps through the web UI.

Quickstart: Nylas CLI (fastest)

If you have the Nylas CLI installed, one command registers the MCP server with your agent:

Claude CodeCursorWindsurfVS CodeCodex CLIAll agents

nylas mcp install --assistant claude-code

nylas mcp install --assistant cursor

nylas mcp install --assistant windsurf

nylas mcp install --assistant vscode

nylas mcp install --assistant codex

nylas mcp install --all

Verify it’s running:

nylas mcp status

That’s it. Your agent now has access to 36 email, calendar, contacts, and Notetaker tools. Skip to available tools to see what’s included.

Manual setup

If you’re not using the CLI, add the Nylas MCP server config to your tool’s config file. Replace <NYLAS_API_KEY> with your actual key.

Claude DesktopCursorCodex CLI

// ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)
// %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Nylas": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.us.nylas.com",
        "--transport",
        "http-first",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer <NYLAS_API_KEY>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

// ~/.cursor/mcp.json (macOS/Linux)
// %APPDATA%\Cursor\mcp.json (Windows)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nylas": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://mcp.us.nylas.com",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <NYLAS_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

# ~/.codex/config.toml (global) or .codex/config.toml (project)
# Set NYLAS_API_KEY in your environment -- don't put the key directly in this file

[mcp_servers.nylas]
url = "https://mcp.us.nylas.com"
bearer_token_env_var = "NYLAS_API_KEY"

After saving, restart your tool. Verify the connection:

• Claude Desktop: Check Settings > Developer > Local MCP servers — Nylas should show as “running.”
• Cursor: Check Settings > Tools & MCP — look for a green dot next to the Nylas server.

MCP server URLs

The MCP server URL depends on where your Nylas application stores data. Use the URL that matches your application’s data residency region.

Region	URL
US (default)	https://mcp.us.nylas.com
EU	https://mcp.eu.nylas.com

Authentication uses a Bearer token with your Nylas API key in the Authorization header — the same key you use for direct API calls.

Available tools

The MCP server exposes these tools to your agent:

Tool	What it does
availability	Find available meeting times across one or more Nylas grants
confirm_send_draft	Generate the confirmation hash required before calling send_draft
confirm_send_message	Generate the confirmation hash required before calling send_message
create_draft	Create a draft email using only the fields the user provided
create_event	Create a calendar event
current_time	Get the current epoch time and ISO 8601 date for a timezone
datetime_to_epoch	Convert a date, time, and timezone to a Unix timestamp
delete_draft	Delete a draft email
delete_event	Delete a calendar event
epoch_to_datetime	Convert Unix timestamps to human-readable date and time values
get_contact	Get a single contact by ID
get_event	Get a single event by ID
get_folder_by_id	Get folder or label details by ID
get_grant	Look up a grant by email address
get_message	Get a single email message by ID, including full body content
get_notetaker	Get details for one grant-scoped Notetaker bot
get_notetaker_media	Get fresh media links for one grant-scoped Notetaker bot
get_search_syntax	Get provider-specific native search syntax for messages and threads
get_standalone_notetaker	Get details for one standalone Notetaker bot
get_standalone_notetaker_media	Get fresh media links for one standalone Notetaker bot
list_calendars	List all calendars for a connected account
list_contacts	List contacts, with optional filters for email, phone number, source, or group
list_events	List events in a calendar
list_folders	List email folders or labels
list_messages	List and search email messages
list_notetakers	List grant-scoped Notetaker bots
list_standalone_notetakers	List standalone Notetaker bots for the application
list_threads	List and search email threads
schedule_notetaker	Schedule a grant-scoped Notetaker bot for a future meeting
schedule_standalone_notetaker	Schedule a standalone Notetaker bot for a future meeting
send_draft	Send a previously created draft
send_message	Send an email directly
send_notetaker	Send a grant-scoped Notetaker bot to an active meeting
send_standalone_notetaker	Send a standalone Notetaker bot to an active meeting
update_draft	Update an existing draft
update_event	Update an existing event

Send confirmation is required. The send_message and send_draft tools require a preceding call to confirm_send_message or confirm_send_draft. This two-step process prevents your agent from sending email without explicit confirmation. The delete_draft and delete_event tools are irreversible, so confirm with the user before calling them.

Security

Prompt injection is a real risk. Malicious content in emails, documents, or calendar events can contain hidden instructions that attempt to trick your agent into sending emails, exposing credentials, or performing unauthorized actions.

You are responsible for implementing safeguards:

• Always require explicit user confirmation before sending emails
• Never expose API keys or credentials in agent responses
• Validate and sanitize content before processing
• Monitor and log all MCP tool calls

Data isolation. The MCP server uses the same auth as the Nylas API — your API key and grant IDs. Configure your agent’s system prompt to ensure each user’s data is only accessed through their own grant.

Timeouts and reconnection

The MCP server enforces a 90-second timeout per request. Connections are stateless — each request is independent. Your client should handle timeouts gracefully and retry as needed.

What’s next

• Give your agent email access — CLI commands for email operations
• Give your agent calendar access — CLI commands for calendar operations
• Authentication — how grants and OAuth work
• API reference — full endpoint documentation
• CLI guides — detailed MCP setup guide on cli.nylas.com