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Email MCP Server

This read-only MCP Server allows you to connect to Email data from Claude Desktop through CData JDBC Drivers. For full CRUD support, check out our MCP Server for Email (https://www.cdata.com/drivers/email/download/mcp).

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cdatasoftware-email-mcp-server-by-cdata": {
      "command": "java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "/PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "/PATH/TO/email.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

This MCP server lets you query live Email data through the CData JDBC Driver without needing to write SQL. It exposes Email data as relational models and provides a simple MCP interface that lets language models retrieve up-to-date information from your Email system in natural language queries.

How to use

You interact with the Email MCP Server through an MCP client. Start the server on the same machine as your client, then point your client at the MCP server you configured. You can ask questions that touch multiple tables and you will receive structured results that reflect live Email data. Common tasks include listing available tables, inspecting columns, and running read-only queries to retrieve relevant Email records.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Java and Maven installed on your machine to build and run the MCP server.

git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/email-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd email-mcp-server-by-cdata

mvn clean install

# This creates the MCP server JAR: CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar

# Install the CData JDBC Driver for Email from the CData site, then license it
# (Follow the provided license steps for your platform)

Configure the JDBC connection to Email using the driver’s Connection String utility, then save the connection string in a .prp file (email.prp) with your chosen properties.

# Example properties to put in email.prp
Prefix=email
ServerName=CDataEmail
ServerVersion=1.0
DriverPath=PATH\\TO\\cdata.jdbc.email.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.email.EmailDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:email:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
Tables=

Additional setup notes

The server is started as a standalone Java process that reads its configuration from the .prp file. You will run the MCP server using the exact command shown in the example below. The MCP server operates in stdio mode, which means it interfaces with clients on the same machine.

java -jar /PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /PATH/TO/email.prp

Configuration for Claude Desktop client

To use Claude Desktop (or a similar MCP client), create a JSON config that registers the MCP server. The structure below shows how a local stdio server is wired into the client configuration. You can place this file in the appropriate client configuration directory.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "email_mcp": {
      "command": "PATH\\TO\\java.exe",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "PATH\\TO\\CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "PATH\\TO\\email.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Running the server

Start the MCP server on its own using the exact command shown earlier. The server runs in stdio mode, so it can be used by clients that run on the same machine.

Usage details

Once configured, you can query Email data through the built-in tools. You don’t need to call the tools explicitly; instead, ask the client to retrieve data such as the list of tables, available columns, or results from a read-only query. Typical patterns include exploring the Email data schema and asking natural language questions that translate into SQL-like queries under the hood.

Troubleshooting

If the MCP server does not appear in the client, ensure you have fully quit and restarted the client so it reloads the MCP server configuration. Verify the .prp file path and the JDBC driver path are correct, and that the JDBC driver is licensed and reachable. If you cannot connect to Email data, re-run the driver’s connection string utility to generate a valid JDBC URL and update the .prp file accordingly.

License

This MCP server is provided under the MIT License. You are free to use, modify, and distribute the software in compliance with the MIT terms.

Available tools

email_mcp_get_tables

Retrieves a list of tables available in the Email data source. The output is CSV with column headers on the first line.

email_mcp_get_columns

Retrieves a list of columns for a specified table. The output is CSV with column headers on the first line.

email_mcp_run_query

Executes a SQL SELECT query against the Email data source and returns results.