Client setup

These configurations run Proton Safe MCP locally over STDIO. Complete Getting started first: Proton Mail Bridge must be running, the package must be installed, and the Bridge-generated IMAP password must already be stored with proton-safe-mcp setup.

Never configure the Proton password

The env blocks below contain only the Proton address and Bridge port. Never add your Proton account password, recovery phrase, 2FA secret, hardware-key material, or even the Bridge-generated IMAP password. The server obtains the Bridge credential from the OS keyring.

Find the installed command before configuring a graphical client:

command -v proton-safe-mcp

Use the returned absolute path wherever an example shows /absolute/path/to/proton-safe-mcp.

Claude Code

Register the server at user scope so the configuration stays private and is available in all of your projects:

claude mcp add \
  --scope user \
  --env PROTON_BRIDGE_USER="your-address@proton.me" \
  --env PROTON_IMAP_PORT="1143" \
  --transport stdio \
  proton-safe \
  -- /absolute/path/to/proton-safe-mcp serve

Verify the connection:

claude mcp get proton-safe
claude mcp list

Start Claude Code and ask it to call mailbox_status. The result should report connected: true. Use /mcp inside Claude Code to inspect the exposed tools.

Reference: Claude Code MCP documentation.

Cursor

Create or edit the global configuration at ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Global configuration is preferable to .cursor/mcp.json in a project because this server exposes personal email access and should not be committed to another repository.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "proton-safe": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/proton-safe-mcp",
      "args": ["serve"],
      "env": {
        "PROTON_BRIDGE_USER": "your-address@proton.me",
        "PROTON_IMAP_PORT": "1143"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Cursor, open Settings > Tools & MCP, and confirm that proton-safe is enabled and its tools are listed. Then ask the agent to call mailbox_status.

Reference: Cursor MCP documentation.

VS Code

Open the Command Palette and run MCP: Open User Configuration. Add this server to the user-level mcp.json; do not put a personal mail configuration in .vscode/mcp.json in a shared repository.

{
  "servers": {
    "protonSafe": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/proton-safe-mcp",
      "args": ["serve"],
      "env": {
        "PROTON_BRIDGE_USER": "your-address@proton.me",
        "PROTON_IMAP_PORT": "1143"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run MCP: List Servers, start protonSafe if necessary, and inspect its output for startup errors. In an agent chat, ask it to call mailbox_status and confirm that connected is true.

Reference: VS Code MCP configuration.

Approval still happens outside the client

All three clients can prepare a pending draft, but none can approve it through MCP. Inspect and approve the exact proposal in a separate terminal:

export PROTON_BRIDGE_USER="your-address@proton.me"
proton-safe-mcp show <draft_id>
proton-safe-mcp approve <draft_id>

The client may then call commit_approved_draft. You still review and send the resulting draft in Proton Mail yourself.