Very basic example of using Python and IMAP to iterate over emails in a gmail folder/label. http://www.voidynullness.net/blog/2013/07/25/gmail-email-with-python-via-imap/

gmail_imap_example.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
#
# Very basic example of using Python and IMAP to iterate over emails in a
# gmail folder/label.  This code is released into the public domain.
#
# RKI July 2013
# http://www.voidynullness.net/blog/2013/07/25/gmail-email-with-python-via-imap/
#
import sys
import imaplib
import getpass
import email
import email.header
import datetime

EMAIL_ACCOUNT = "[email protected]"
EMAIL_FOLDER = "Top Secret/PRISM Documents"


def process_mailbox(M):
    """
    Do something with emails messages in the folder.  
    For the sake of this example, print some headers.
    """

    rv, data = M.search(None, "ALL")
    if rv != 'OK':
        print "No messages found!"
        return

    for num in data[0].split():
        rv, data = M.fetch(num, '(RFC822)')
        if rv != 'OK':
            print "ERROR getting message", num
            return

        msg = email.message_from_string(data[0][1])
        decode = email.header.decode_header(msg['Subject'])[0]
        subject = unicode(decode[0])
        print 'Message %s: %s' % (num, subject)
        print 'Raw Date:', msg['Date']
        # Now convert to local date-time
        date_tuple = email.utils.parsedate_tz(msg['Date'])
        if date_tuple:
            local_date = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(
                email.utils.mktime_tz(date_tuple))
            print "Local Date:", \
                local_date.strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S")


M = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL('imap.gmail.com')

try:
    rv, data = M.login(EMAIL_ACCOUNT, getpass.getpass())
except imaplib.IMAP4.error:
    print "LOGIN FAILED!!! "
    sys.exit(1)

print rv, data

rv, mailboxes = M.list()
if rv == 'OK':
    print "Mailboxes:"
    print mailboxes

rv, data = M.select(EMAIL_FOLDER)
if rv == 'OK':
    print "Processing mailbox...\n"
    process_mailbox(M)
    M.close()
else:
    print "ERROR: Unable to open mailbox ", rv

M.logout()

gmail_imap_python3.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
#
# Very basic example of using Python 3 and IMAP to iterate over emails in a
# gmail folder/label.  This code is released into the public domain.
#
# This script is example code from this blog post:
# http://www.voidynullness.net/blog/2013/07/25/gmail-email-with-python-via-imap/
#
# This is an updated version of the original -- modified to work with Python 3.4.
#
import sys
import imaplib
import getpass
import email
import email.header
import datetime


EMAIL_ACCOUNT = "[email protected]"

# Use 'INBOX' to read inbox.  Note that whatever folder is specified, 
# after successfully running this script all emails in that folder 
# will be marked as read.
EMAIL_FOLDER = "Top Secret/PRISM Documents"


def process_mailbox(M):
    """
    Do something with emails messages in the folder.  
    For the sake of this example, print some headers.
    """

    rv, data = M.search(None, "ALL")
    if rv != 'OK':
        print("No messages found!")
        return

    for num in data[0].split():
        rv, data = M.fetch(num, '(RFC822)')
        if rv != 'OK':
            print("ERROR getting message", num)
            return

        msg = email.message_from_bytes(data[0][1])
        hdr = email.header.make_header(email.header.decode_header(msg['Subject']))
        subject = str(hdr)
        print('Message %s: %s' % (num, subject))
        print('Raw Date:', msg['Date'])
        # Now convert to local date-time
        date_tuple = email.utils.parsedate_tz(msg['Date'])
        if date_tuple:
            local_date = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(
                email.utils.mktime_tz(date_tuple))
            print ("Local Date:", \
                local_date.strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S"))


M = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL('imap.gmail.com')

try:
    rv, data = M.login(EMAIL_ACCOUNT, getpass.getpass())
except imaplib.IMAP4.error:
    print ("LOGIN FAILED!!! ")
    sys.exit(1)

print(rv, data)

rv, mailboxes = M.list()
if rv == 'OK':
    print("Mailboxes:")
    print(mailboxes)

rv, data = M.select(EMAIL_FOLDER)
if rv == 'OK':
    print("Processing mailbox...\n")
    process_mailbox(M)
    M.close()
else:
    print("ERROR: Unable to open mailbox ", rv)

M.logout()

Hi..
Is there anyway we can parse data if the body of the email is an html content?
How do we pass this information to this code?

Absolutely splendid! Thanks a lot for this mate.

Do you happen to have a snippet to send SMTP mails in Python3 as well? Cheers!

@pizzabreath Check out this snippet from Real Python for Gmail with getpass added on my end (vs. input):

from getpass import getpass
import smtplib
import ssl

port = 465  # For SSL
smtp_server = "smtp.gmail.com"
sender_email = "[email protected]"  # Enter your address
receiver_email = "[email protected]"  # Enter receiver address
password = getpass("Type your password and press enter: ")
message = """\
Subject: Hi there

This message is sent from Python."""

context = ssl.create_default_context()
with smtplib.SMTP_SSL(smtp_server, port, context=context) as server:
    server.login(sender_email, password)
    server.sendmail(sender_email, receiver_email, message)