Most AI email tools are built around Gmail. If you use Fastmail, you already know how that goes — the guides assume Gmail, the screenshots show Gmail, and the product either does not support your provider or treats it as an afterthought.
Connect My Email supports Fastmail. You can connect your Fastmail inbox to Claude and get the same search, sweep, simulation, and cleanup capabilities that Gmail users get — without switching providers or compromising on the reasons you chose Fastmail in the first place.
Why Fastmail Users Are Different
Fastmail users tend to be deliberate about their tools. They chose Fastmail for speed, reliability, custom domains, and a clean product philosophy. They are comfortable with app passwords, IMAP configuration, and the finer details of email setup. They do not need to be coddled — they need a tool that respects how they work.
The AI email tools that exist today largely ignore this audience. Gmail-first connectors do not reach Fastmail. Built-in provider connectors cover the big consumer services. Fastmail users are left without a clear path to AI-assisted inbox management.
CME is that path.
What Fastmail + Claude Looks Like in Practice
Once your Fastmail inbox is connected, Claude can run the full CME tool suite against your real mail. A few things that work well for power users:
Search with intent, not just keywords. Ask Claude to find messages from clients you have not replied to in the past 30 days, or surface vendor invoices from a specific year. The search is semantic and context-aware — not just string matching in a search bar.
Sweep reports. Run a sweep of your inbox and get a breakdown of message volume by sender category: newsletters, notifications, vendors, services, personal threads. Most users are surprised how much of their inbox is automated noise they never clean up. The report makes that visible.
Cleanup simulation. Before anything is moved or archived, CME shows you exactly what the cleanup action would do. Review the simulation, adjust the parameters, then run it if it looks right. Simulation-first is non-negotiable for inbox cleanup at scale.
Summarize and triage. Ask Claude to summarize unread messages from this week, flag threads that need a reply, or pull out action items from a long thread you have been avoiding.
Pattern-based rules. Once you have seen your sender analytics, you can ask Claude to suggest Fastmail rules based on what it found. CME surfaces the patterns; you decide which ones to act on.
How Fastmail Connection Works
Fastmail and similar providers use credential-based auth rather than OAuth. The setup involves generating an app password in Fastmail's settings and using those credentials when connecting your inbox in CME.
Once connected, add the CME MCP URL to Claude's connector settings. Your Fastmail inbox is then available to Claude as a set of tools. Check CME's provider setup documentation for current Fastmail-specific steps, as credential requirements can vary with provider updates.
What CME Does Not Replace
CME is not a replacement for Fastmail's native features. The filtering rules, custom domains, aliases, and calendar integrations that you use in Fastmail's interface still live there. CME adds an AI intelligence layer on top of your inbox — it does not restructure how Fastmail itself works.
Think of it this way: Fastmail handles delivery, storage, and your native workflows. Claude, via CME, handles understanding and cleanup at a scale and speed that manual processing cannot match.
Plans and Pricing
CME Free covers read, search, sweep, and simulation for up to 25k emails per scan, but does not execute cleanup actions — a reasonable starting point for seeing what the tool can do with your inbox before spending anything.
Pro is $9/month and adds write actions (draft, reply, send, move, delete, flag), recurring scans, and 25k cleanup actions across 3 inboxes. If you manage multiple Fastmail accounts or want to run scheduled sweeps, Pro is the right tier.
Power is $25/month for 10 inboxes and 150k cleanup actions per month.
If you want a single large cleanup without a subscription, the One-Time Sweep is $19 and covers up to 250k emails on one inbox.
FAQ
Does CME work with Fastmail specifically?
Yes. CME supports Fastmail and other IMAP-style providers alongside Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, ProtonMail, Zoho, and AOL.
Do I need to give CME my Fastmail password?
Fastmail uses app passwords for third-party integrations. You generate a dedicated app password in Fastmail's security settings — this is the standard pattern for IMAP-style accounts and means your main password is not shared.
Does connecting CME change how Fastmail works?
No. CME reads from your inbox (and writes on Pro+ with your authorization). Your Fastmail interface, rules, filters, aliases, and other features are unaffected.
Will AI replace my Fastmail filtering rules?
No. Fastmail's native rules handle automated routing at delivery time. CME handles analysis, search, and cleanup after the fact. They complement each other. CME can help you identify patterns that might be worth turning into a Fastmail rule, but it does not replace the rules you already have.
What should I do before enabling write actions?
Run a sweep and review the simulation first. The free plan lets you do this with no commitment. Once you have seen what the tool finds in your inbox, you can make an informed decision about whether to enable cleanup actions.
Keep Fastmail. Add AI where it actually helps. Start with the free inbox cleaner to see a sweep report, browse available tools, or review pricing to find the right plan.