Email username/password credentials

Description

Pure function: builds an email credentials object from a host, port, username, password, and encryption (SSL_TLS, STARTTLS, or NONE). Wire the credentials output into any email operation node. A port of 0 selects the encryption default (993 for SSL_TLS, 143 for STARTTLS and NONE). Use this for servers that still accept password login; Microsoft 365 requires Email OAuth2 credentials instead.

When to use

Use this when the mail server still accepts a username and password over IMAP — most self-hosted and small-provider mailboxes do. Gmail accepts it with an app password (a normal account password will be refused). Microsoft 365 does not accept it at all any more: use Email OAuth2 credentials there.

Keep the password out of the pipeline definition. Create an organization variable marked secret, then wire a Read variable node into the Password pin — a value typed directly into the node is stored verbatim with the pipeline.

Connections are pooled per execution: every email node in one run that names the same host, port, and username shares a single IMAP connection, so wiring one credentials node into several operations costs one login.

The address those connections come from changes over time, so a mail server that allowlists client IPs will eventually lock the pipeline out. See Outbound connections and IP addresses.

Pins

Input pins

Pin	Type	Default	Notes
Host	string	—	IMAP hostname of the mail server, e.g. `imap.gmail.com` or `imap.one.com`. Must not be blank.
Port	integer	—	IMAP port. `0` (the default) selects the port implied by Encryption: 993 for `SSL_TLS`, 143 for `STARTTLS` and `NONE`.
Username	string	—	Mailbox login, usually the full email address.
Password	string	—	Mailbox password, or an app-specific password where the provider requires one (Gmail does). Wire this from a secret variable rather than typing it into the node — a value typed here is stored in the pipeline definition.
Encryption	Email encryption	SSL_TLS	`SSL_TLS` connects over TLS from the first byte (the modern default). `STARTTLS` connects in the clear and upgrades. `NONE` never encrypts — only appropriate for a server on a trusted network.

Output pins

Pin	Type	Notes
Credentials	Email credentials	Opaque credentials object. Wire it into Find emails, Get email, Find email folders, or Create email folder. Nodes that take an email or attachment object need no credentials — those objects carry their own server connection.

Example

Read an order mailbox on a small hosting provider. Create a secret variable orders-imap-password, then wire Read variable into this node’s Password, set Host to imap.one.com, Username to orders@acme.com, Port to 0 and Encryption to SSL_TLS. Feed the Credentials output into Find emails with Folder INBOX and State UNREAD.