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Corky

Alpha software. Expect breaking changes between minor versions. See the changelog for migration notes.

Corky consolidates conversations from multiple email accounts into a single flat directory of Markdown files. Draft replies with AI assistance. Share scoped threads with collaborators via git.

Corky syncs threads from any IMAP provider (Gmail, Protonmail Bridge, self-hosted) into mail/conversations/ — one file per thread, regardless of source. A thread that arrives via both Gmail and Protonmail merges into one file. Labels, accounts, and contacts are metadata, not directory structure. Slack and social media sources are planned.

Why Corky?

Most AI email tools require OAuth access to your entire account. Once authorized, the agent can read every message, every contact, every thread — and you're trusting the service not to overreach.

Corky inverts this:

  1. You label threads in your email client. Only threads you explicitly label get synced locally.
  2. Labels route to scoped views. Each mailbox gives a collaborator or agent a directory containing only the threads labeled for them — nothing else.
  3. Credentials never leave your machine. Config lives inside mail/ (your private data repo). Agents draft replies in markdown; only you can push to your email.
  4. Reduced context poisoning. Agents only see the threads you route to them — not your entire inbox. A focused context means fewer irrelevant details leaking into prompts, better signal-to-noise, and more accurate replies.
  5. Per-contact context. Each mailbox ships with AGENTS.md (or CLAUDE.md), voice.md, and relationship-specific instructions — so agents adapt their tone and knowledge to each contact automatically.

Designed for humans and agents

Corky is built around files, CLI commands, and git — interfaces that work equally well for humans and AI agents. No GUIs, no OAuth popups, no interactive prompts.

  • Everything is files. Threads are Markdown. Config is TOML. Drafts are Markdown.
  • CLI is the interface. Every operation is a single corky command. Scriptable and composable.
  • Single-binary install. One curl | sh gives collaborators corky unanswered and corky draft validate.
  • Self-documenting repos. Each shared repo ships with AGENTS.md, voice.md, and a README.md.

Tech Stack

  • Language: Rust (2021 edition)
  • CLI: clap (derive macros)
  • Serialization: serde + toml / toml_edit / serde_json
  • IMAP: imap + native-tls
  • Email parsing: mailparse
  • SMTP: lettre
  • Dates: chrono
  • Storage: Markdown files (one flat directory, one file per conversation thread)
  • Sources: Any IMAP provider (Gmail, Protonmail Bridge, generic IMAP); Slack and social media planned