1. Prepare and connect the mailbox
Create a dedicated Mail app password in Fastmail. In Pear, choose a mailbox connection and the Fastmail preset. Use your full Fastmail username; an alias may not be your login. Clear the optional SMTP host for the first read check.
Pear’s default is imap.fastmail.com on 993 with SSL/TLS. For optional sending, smtp.fastmail.com uses 465 with SSL/TLS; 587 with STARTTLS is an alternative.
Enter credentials only in Pear’s connection form. If the mailbox option is unavailable, the beta is not enabled for your setup; contact Pear support before changing provider settings.
2. Verify a read before doing more
Once connected, select this exact account in your AI client. Start with message metadata and a known email that contains no sensitive information.
Example requestUsing Pear, list the folders in my Fastmail account. Read the subjects and dates of the five newest Inbox messages. Show which account you used. Do not send, move, delete or mark any message.
Compare the account, subjects and dates with Fastmail. Ask for the account’s provider status to check available tools, and list its folders if an email is missing.
3. Decide whether you need sending
Leave the optional SMTP host blank if you do not need sending. This does not remove IMAP write permissions; your Pear key and approval policy still govern mailbox changes. If you enable SMTP, check the sender identity and prepare one message for review. Confirm recipients and content through the applicable approval flow. A provider accepting a message is not proof of delivery.
Fastmail’s native MCP server connects compatible AI clients directly to Fastmail mail, calendars and contacts, with access levels you select. Its OAuth setup does not need an app password. Consider Pear when you want Fastmail email alongside separately connected iCloud or Microsoft services in a workflow, such as a daily briefing. Pear’s Fastmail connection adds mail only; it does not add Fastmail calendars or contacts. Pear is optional for using Fastmail with MCP.
Troubleshooting
Fastmail rejects the password
Check the plan, full login username and Mail permission on the app password. A normal password or an alias in place of your login can fail even when webmail works.
Reading works but sending does not
An IMAP connection does not configure SMTP. If you choose to enable sending, check the SMTP username, app password, host, port and TLS mode separately. Provider and Pear permissions still apply.
A folder or email is missing
Ask Pear to list the folders for the selected account, then search a named folder and a narrow date range. Compare that folder in Fastmail before widening the request.
Permissions and next steps
Available tools depend on your connection, provider, plan, client and enabled features. The IMAP beta does not add a calendar or address book. Follow your organisation’s policy before connecting a work mailbox.
Fastmail official server guidanceProvider guidance checked 24 October 2026. Your provider’s current account settings take precedence over a preset.