Microsoft Outlook

The Microsoft Outlook connector gives AI agents the ability to read, search, send, and manage email through the Microsoft Graph API using OAuth 2.0. With 14 tools covering read, write, and delete operations, it is the most comprehensive email connector in MCPGate. Your credentials are stored encrypted in MCPGate's vault.

Inbox rules can affect all email

outlook_create_rule and outlook_delete_rule modify inbox automation rules that apply to all incoming messages. Always deny these tools in apps that do not explicitly require rule management.

Required scopes#

MCPGate requests the following Microsoft Graph OAuth scopes when you connect an Outlook account. All scopes are requested up front.

Scope	Purpose
Mail.Read	Read email messages, folders, and attachments
Mail.Send	Send email on behalf of the user
Mail.ReadWrite	Move, delete, create drafts, and manage folders
MailboxSettings.ReadWrite	Create and manage inbox rules

Tool reference#

The Outlook connector exposes 14 tools: 5 read, 7 write, and 2 delete.

Tool	Category	Description
outlook_read_email	read	Read a specific email by ID
outlook_search_emails	read	Search emails using a query string
outlook_list_folders	read	List all mail folders
outlook_list_rules	read	List inbox message rules
outlook_get_attachment	read	Get attachments from an email message
outlook_send_email	write	Send a new email
outlook_reply_to_email	write	Reply to an email
outlook_forward_email	write	Forward an email to new recipients
outlook_move_email	write	Move an email to a different folder
outlook_create_folder	write	Create a new mail folder
outlook_create_rule	write	Create a new inbox message rule
outlook_create_draft	write	Create a draft email
outlook_delete_email	delete	Delete an email message
outlook_delete_rule	delete	Delete an inbox message rule

Common guardrail recipes#

Read-only access#

Enable only the five read tools. Deny all write and delete tools. This is the safest configuration for agents that only need to retrieve, search, and summarise email.

Send and read (no rules, no delete)#

Use the built-in send_and_read preset. It allows all read tools plus outlook_send_email, outlook_reply_to_email, outlook_forward_email, and outlook_create_draft. All other write and delete tools — including inbox rules and folder management — are denied.

Block email to external domains#

Apply the allow_domains template to outlook_send_email, outlook_reply_to_email, and outlook_forward_email. Configure it with your company domain so the AI can only send to internal addresses.

Troubleshooting#

AADSTS error on connect — The Microsoft account may require admin consent for Graph API scopes, especially in an enterprise tenant. Ask your M365 admin to grant consent for the MCPGate app registration.
Send fails with 403 — Ensure Mail.Send was granted during OAuth authorisation. If it was not, disconnect and reconnect the Outlook connector.
Search returns no results — outlook_search_emails uses Microsoft Graph OData query syntax. Ensure your query string is valid. Example: subject:invoice from:vendor@example.com.