> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.loongclaw.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Email

> Configure the Email channel surface in Loong.

# Email

This is a shipped config-backed outbound surface. Email IMAP reply-loop serve runtime is not implemented yet

## At A Glance

| Field                    | Value           |
| ------------------------ | --------------- |
| Catalog id               | `email`         |
| Config key               | `email`         |
| Implementation status    | `config_backed` |
| Transport                | `smtp_imap`     |
| Aliases                  | `smtp`, `imap`  |
| Default send target kind | `address`       |

## Minimal Config

```toml theme={null}
[email]
enabled = true
smtp_host = "smtp.example.com"
smtp_username_env = "EMAIL_SMTP_USERNAME"
smtp_password_env = "EMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORD"
from_address = "loong@example.com"
```

## Smoke Test

```bash theme={null}
loong channels send email --target "ops@example.com" --text "hello from loong"
```

## Command Surface

| Operation       | Command                | Usage or status                                                               |
| --------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| smtp send       | `channels send email`  | Usage: loong channels send email \[OPTIONS] --target \<TARGET> --text \<TEXT> |
| imap reply loop | `channels serve email` | email IMAP reply-loop serve runtime is not implemented yet                    |

## Required Fields For Send

| Requirement     | Config paths                                                        | Env pointer paths                                                           | Default env           |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| channel enabled | `email.enabled`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.enabled`             | none                                                                        | none                  |
| smtp host       | `email.smtp_host`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.smtp_host`         | none                                                                        | none                  |
| smtp username   | `email.smtp_username`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.smtp_username` | `email.smtp_username_env`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.smtp_username_env` | `EMAIL_SMTP_USERNAME` |
| smtp password   | `email.smtp_password`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.smtp_password` | `email.smtp_password_env`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.smtp_password_env` | `EMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORD` |
| from address    | `email.from_address`<br />`email.accounts.<account>.from_address`   | none                                                                        | none                  |

## Gateway And Ownership

This surface is a direct-send delivery lane. It does not join `gateway run` or the gateway-owned reply-loop contract today.

## Operator Notes

* This surface is SMTP send today. The catalog still tracks an IMAP-style serve contract, but it is not a shipped runtime surface yet.
* The outbound subject is derived from the first non-empty line of the body.

## Related Docs

* Continue to [Channel Guides](/use-loong/channel-guides/index) for the full shipped channel matrix.
* Continue to [Channels](/use-loong/channels) for the conceptual surface model.
* Continue to [Channel Setup](/use-loong/channel-setup) for the shared public setup contract.