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Command-Line Help for postbode

This document contains the help content for the postbode command-line program.

Command Overview:

postbode

A fast, simple mail client with automatic mailbox rules

Usage: postbode <COMMAND>

Subcommands:
  • run — Sync all accounts continuously and apply rules; an account another Postbode process syncs is skipped; Ctrl-C stops
  • gui — Open the mail window; syncs every account like run
  • sync — Sync once, apply rules, exit
  • attachment — List or save a message’s attachments
  • rules — Inspect and test rules.toml
  • folders — List folders with message and unread counts
  • list — List recent messages, newest first
  • search — Full-text search (FTS5 syntax) over subject, addresses and fetched bodies, newest first
  • show — Show one message
  • mark — Mark messages read or unread, flagged or unflagged
  • move — Move messages to another folder, creating it if needed
  • archive — Move messages to the Archive folder
  • delete — Move messages to Trash; inside Trash, or without one, delete them keeping a local .eml backup
  • log — Show what rules did, newest first
  • trash — Deleted mail kept for the retention period
  • account — Manage accounts
  • guide — Print the agent guide: how an LLM should drive Postbode

postbode run

Sync all accounts continuously and apply rules; an account another Postbode process syncs is skipped; Ctrl-C stops

Usage: postbode run

postbode gui

Open the mail window; syncs every account like run

Usage: postbode gui

postbode sync

Sync once, apply rules, exit

Usage: postbode sync [OPTIONS]

Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>

postbode attachment

List or save a message’s attachments

Usage: postbode attachment <COMMAND>

Subcommands:
  • list — Index, type, size and name of each attachment
  • save — Save attachment N, as numbered by attachment list, into –dir

postbode attachment list

Index, type, size and name of each attachment

Usage: postbode attachment list [OPTIONS] <UID>

Arguments:
  • <UID>
Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --json

postbode attachment save

Save attachment N, as numbered by attachment list, into –dir

Usage: postbode attachment save [OPTIONS] <UID> <N>

Arguments:
  • <UID>
  • <N>
Options:

  • --dir <DIR>

    Default value: .

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

postbode rules

Inspect and test rules.toml

Usage: postbode rules <COMMAND>

Subcommands:
  • check — Validate rules.toml
  • test — Dry run: print what each rule would do to the cached messages; naming a rule previews it even while disabled
  • schema — JSON Schema for rules.toml; a proposal is one entry of rules
  • propose — Read one rule as JSON on stdin and add it disabled, for a human to approve
  • approve — Enable a disabled rule, such as a proposal
  • reject — Remove a pending proposal
  • list — Names, enabled state and who proposed them
  • apply-existing — Run one rule against mail that predates it

postbode rules check

Validate rules.toml

Usage: postbode rules check

postbode rules test

Dry run: print what each rule would do to the cached messages; naming a rule previews it even while disabled

Usage: postbode rules test [OPTIONS] [NAME]

Arguments:
  • <NAME>
Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>
  • --stdin — Preview one rule read as JSON from stdin instead of rules.toml

postbode rules schema

JSON Schema for rules.toml; a proposal is one entry of rules

Usage: postbode rules schema

postbode rules propose

Read one rule as JSON on stdin and add it disabled, for a human to approve

Usage: postbode rules propose [OPTIONS]

Options:
  • --by <BY> — Who proposes it, recorded as proposed_by = “cli:WHO”

postbode rules approve

Enable a disabled rule, such as a proposal

Usage: postbode rules approve <NAME>

Arguments:
  • <NAME>

postbode rules reject

Remove a pending proposal

Usage: postbode rules reject <NAME>

Arguments:
  • <NAME>

postbode rules list

Names, enabled state and who proposed them

Usage: postbode rules list [OPTIONS]

Options:
  • --json

postbode rules apply-existing

Run one rule against mail that predates it

Usage: postbode rules apply-existing [OPTIONS] <NAME>

Arguments:
  • <NAME>
Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>
  • --dry-run

postbode folders

List folders with message and unread counts

Usage: postbode folders [OPTIONS]

Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>
  • --json

postbode list

List recent messages, newest first

Usage: postbode list [OPTIONS]

Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --limit <LIMIT>

    Default value: 50

  • --json

  • --threads — Group by conversation, the most recently active thread first

Full-text search (FTS5 syntax) over subject, addresses and fetched bodies, newest first

Usage: postbode search [OPTIONS] <QUERY>

Arguments:
  • <QUERY>
Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

  • --bodies — Fetch and index missing bodies first; slow on a large folder

  • --limit <LIMIT>

    Default value: 50

  • --json

postbode show

Show one message

Usage: postbode show [OPTIONS] <UID>

Arguments:
  • <UID>
Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --raw — Print the raw RFC 5322 message instead of the text body

  • --json

postbode mark

Mark messages read or unread, flagged or unflagged

Usage: postbode mark [OPTIONS] <HOW> <UIDS>...

Arguments:

  • <HOW>

    Possible values: flag, read, unflag, unread

  • <UIDS> — Message uids in –folder, as list prints them

Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --dry-run — Print what would happen without touching the server

postbode move

Move messages to another folder, creating it if needed

Usage: postbode move [OPTIONS] --to <TO> <UIDS>...

Arguments:
  • <UIDS> — Message uids in –folder, as list prints them
Options:

  • --to <TO>

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --dry-run — Print what would happen without touching the server

postbode archive

Move messages to the Archive folder

Usage: postbode archive [OPTIONS] <UIDS>...

Arguments:
  • <UIDS> — Message uids in –folder, as list prints them
Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --dry-run — Print what would happen without touching the server

postbode delete

Move messages to Trash; inside Trash, or without one, delete them keeping a local .eml backup

Usage: postbode delete [OPTIONS] <UIDS>...

Arguments:
  • <UIDS> — Message uids in –folder, as list prints them
Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --folder <FOLDER>

    Default value: INBOX

  • --dry-run — Print what would happen without touching the server

postbode log

Show what rules did, newest first

Usage: postbode log [OPTIONS]

Options:

  • --account <ACCOUNT>

  • --limit <LIMIT>

    Default value: 50

  • --json

postbode trash

Deleted mail kept for the retention period

Usage: postbode trash <COMMAND>

Subcommands:
  • list —
  • restore — Append a trashed .eml back into its original folder
  • purge — Remove trash files older than the retention period

postbode trash list

Usage: postbode trash list [OPTIONS]

Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>

postbode trash restore

Append a trashed .eml back into its original folder

Usage: postbode trash restore [OPTIONS] <FILE>

Arguments:
  • <FILE>
Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>

postbode trash purge

Remove trash files older than the retention period

Usage: postbode trash purge [OPTIONS]

Options:
  • --account <ACCOUNT>

postbode account

Manage accounts

Usage: postbode account <COMMAND>

Subcommands:
  • add — Interactively add an IMAP account and test the login

postbode account add

Interactively add an IMAP account and test the login

Usage: postbode account add

postbode guide

Print the agent guide: how an LLM should drive Postbode

Usage: postbode guide

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