# Use GMX and WEB.DE with an AI agent

> Forward a GMX or WEB.DE address to an inbox your AI agent can use: the activation link, keeping a copy, IMAP as an alternative, and why replies stay at GMX.

Updated: 2026-10-22 · Fact-checked: 2026-10-22 · Canonical: https://commandmail.app/en/guides/use-gmx-and-web-de-with-an-ai-agent · Deutsch: https://commandmail.app/de/anleitungen/gmx-web-de-mit-ki-agent-nutzen.md

To give an AI agent access to a GMX or WEB.DE address, forward that address to an inbox your agent is connected to. Both providers require you to click an activation link that arrives in the target inbox. Replies from the GMX address still go out from GMX or WEB.DE, because Command Mail cannot use a forwarded-only address as a sender.[^1][^2][^6]

Command Mail is our product. This guide covers the forwarding route through Command Mail and the IMAP alternative. The GMX and WEB.DE help pages used for this guide are in German, so menu labels below are given in German with a translation.[^1][^2] For Gmail and Outlook, see the separate guide to [putting all your addresses in one inbox](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/all-addresses-one-inbox).

## Is there an agent integration for GMX or WEB.DE?

On 2026-10-22 we found no interface for AI agents in the GMX or WEB.DE help pages: no MCP server and no documented API for Claude, ChatGPT or Codex. Both providers offer an "Intelligentes Postfach" (smart inbox) with categories and parcel tracking. That sorts mail inside their own webmail; it does not let an outside agent in.[^13][^12] Both offer FreeMail at no cost and paid plans from €3.99 per month (prices as of 2026-10-22); we found no agent integration on their plan pages.[^11][^12]

That leaves two documented routes. Forwarding sends new mail to another service and needs no GMX password outside GMX. IMAP gives a program access to the entire mailbox.[^1][^3]

| Route | What the agent sees | What you hand over | Where replies go out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forwarding to Command Mail | New mail from setup onward, as copies | No credentials | GMX or WEB.DE |
| IMAP with your own MCP server that connects over IMAP | The whole mailbox with folders | An app password for the MCP server | Depends on the server, via SMTP with your address |
| Desktop mail client, no agent | Everything, for you only | An app password in the client | The client |

## Before you start

You need browser access to the GMX or WEB.DE mailbox and a mailbox in Command Mail. Free covers one mailbox, the last 90 days and drafts, but no sending. Pro covers up to ten mailboxes. According to the pricing published on 2026-10-22, the first 100 paying Pro accounts pay €19 per month for as long as their subscription runs; later accounts pay €29.[^7]

Decide where you will work from now on. If the agent archives a message in Command Mail and you later handle the same message in GMX, you end up with two separate states. Forwarding copies mail; nothing syncs back.[^6]

## Step 1: Connect the address in Command Mail

Add the address in Command Mail first so the activation link has somewhere to land. Open `Settings → Connections`, find the field `Connect a mailbox` under `Addresses`, enter the full GMX or WEB.DE address and confirm with `Add`. That is how the settings page in the app code (`SettingsPage.svelte`) lays it out.[^6]

Command Mail then shows the private intake address for that mailbox. Only this intake address decides which account a forwarded message reaches; the code (`intake.ts`) routes on it alone. Treat it as an internal delivery address and keep it out of screenshots. With the signed-in CLI the same step looks like this:

~~~sh
commandmail mailboxes connect first.last@gmx.de
~~~

## Step 2a: Forward from GMX with a filter rule

GMX handles forwarding through filter rules. Sign in at gmx.net, click the icon with your initials at the top, then `E-Mail-Einstellungen` (email settings). Under `Postfach organisieren` (organize mailbox), open `Filterregeln` (filter rules) and click `Filterregeln erstellen` (create filter rule).[^1]

1. Set the condition to `Alle neuen E-Mails` (all new emails).
2. Choose the action `Weiterleiten an` (forward to) and enter the private intake address from step 1.
3. Save with `Filterregel einrichten` (set up filter rule).
4. In Command Mail, open the email from GMX in the mailbox you just connected and click the activation link. Forwarding only starts after that.[^1]

The option `Keine andere Filterregel auf diese E-Mails anwenden` (apply no other rule to these emails) stops further rules from acting on the same messages. Only tick it if you need no other GMX rules for them. While you set this up, keep any rule with the action `Lösche` (delete) away from the same messages: GMX says it deletes without going through the trash.[^14]

## Step 2b: Forward from WEB.DE

WEB.DE has a dedicated forwarding setting. Sign in at web.de, open `E-Mail-Einstellungen` through the initials icon, and choose `Weiterleitung` (forwarding) under `E-Mail empfangen` (receiving email).[^2]

Select `Dauerhaft weiterleiten` (forward permanently), enter the private intake address and tick `Kopie im Postfach behalten` (keep a copy in the mailbox). WEB.DE accepts up to two target addresses. After saving, an activation link arrives in the target inbox, and you need to click it here too. There is also `Weiterleiten von..bis..` for a fixed period such as a holiday; for an agent, permanent forwarding is the right fit.[^2]

To stop forwarding on WEB.DE, use the same menu and switch off the `Weiterleitung aktiv` toggle. On GMX you delete the filter rule.[^1][^2]

## Step 3: Check that mail arrives

Send a short test email from another address to your GMX or WEB.DE address. It should appear in the right mailbox in Command Mail and stay as a copy at GMX or WEB.DE. If it does not arrive, first check that the activation link was actually clicked.[^1][^2]

The help articles we checked do not mention any plan limit on forwarding at either provider. We have not tested every plan ourselves, so the test email is your real proof.

## Step 4: Connect your agent, without send permission at first

Connect your agent once delivery works. In Claude Code it takes one command; in other clients you add a custom connector with the URL `https://commandmail.app/mcp`, where your plan with that client allows it:[^7]

~~~sh
claude mcp add --transport http commandmail https://commandmail.app/mcp
~~~

When you approve the connection, grant only `mail:read` and, if needed, `mail:draft`. The agent can then read, search, sort within the mailbox autonomy level and write drafts, but it cannot send. Read access covers the whole account; the autonomy level per mailbox controls what the agent may change there, but it does not split reading access between mailboxes.[^8]

## Why replies still go out from GMX

Command Mail cannot use a forwarded-only GMX or WEB.DE address as a sender. In the code (`domains.ts`, `maySendFrom`), an address on a forwarded domain may only send when the domain owner has proved ownership with a DNS TXT record and sending is set up for the domain; the owner and team addresses the owner approved may then send. You cannot provide that proof for gmx.de, gmx.net or web.de, and `outbox.ts` checks exactly this permission before sending. A mail client using the GMX or WEB.DE SMTP access can send as your address; that is a separate route from Command Mail.[^6][^4][^16]

Delivery would be a problem as well. gmx.net, gmx.de and web.de publish a DMARC policy of `p=quarantine` (our own DNS lookup on 2026-10-22). Under that policy, receivers are asked to treat messages from these domains that fail the DMARC check as suspicious, which usually means the spam folder.

In practice, the agent writes a draft in Command Mail, you read it, and you send the reply from GMX, WEB.DE or your mail client. To reply directly from Command Mail you need Pro and a sender address that can send there, for example on your own domain that is verified and set up for sending. That is a change of address and worth planning.[^6][^7]

## Alternative: IMAP with an app password

If your agent should see the whole mailbox with every folder, IMAP is the route. GMX and WEB.DE switch IMAP off by default. Turn it on under `E-Mail-Einstellungen → POP3/IMAP` with `POP3- und IMAP-Zugriff erlauben` (allow POP3 and IMAP access).[^3][^9]

The servers are `imap.gmx.net` and `imap.web.de`, both on port 993 with SSL.[^4][^16] GMX and WEB.DE both require a separate app password for outside programs instead of your normal one, created under `Account verwalten → Login & Sicherheit → App-Passwörter verwalten` (manage account, login and security, manage app passwords).[^5][^17]

Two things to know. GMX and WEB.DE switch IMAP off again automatically if the program has not connected for a long time. And an MCP server that connects over IMAP needs the app password and gives the agent whatever access IMAP allows; where the password is kept depends on how that server is set up. Our comparison of [IMAP MCP and hosted MCP](https://commandmail.app/en/learn/imap-mcp-vs-hosted-mcp) explains what that means for permissions and security.[^3][^9]

## Bringing over older mail

Forwarding only covers mail that arrives after activation. To export stored mail, GMX points to desktop mail clients using IMAP.[^10] Save the folder you need there as MBOX or EML files and import it once into the mailbox you connected:[^6]

~~~sh
commandmail import gmx-export.mbox --mailbox first.last@gmx.de --state archive
~~~

Start with a small batch and check dates and senders. On Free you only see the last 90 days. The import is a one-time copy; later changes at GMX do not follow.[^6][^7]

## Troubleshooting

**The activation email never arrives.** Check that you connected the address in Command Mail before setting up forwarding, and that you copied the right private intake address. You can fix a typo in the GMX filter rule or in the WEB.DE forwarding setting.[^1][^2]

**Forwarding is on, but some messages are missing.** GMX runs filter rules in order of priority. Check whether a higher-priority rule deletes the same messages first, or uses `Keine andere Filterregel auf diese E-Mails anwenden` to stop later rules.[^15][^1]

**IMAP worked before and now fails.** GMX and WEB.DE turn IMAP off after a long pause. Switch it back on in the settings.[^3][^9]

**The agent wants to reply, but nothing goes out.** That is expected: the GMX address can only receive in Command Mail, and Free does not send at all. Let the agent write a draft and send it from GMX or WEB.DE.[^7]

## Next steps

Once mail arrives and the agent is connected, look at sorting next. The guide to [cleaning up your inbox with AI](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/clean-up-inbox-with-ai) shows how the agent starts with suggestions before it sorts anything itself. If you also have Gmail or Outlook addresses, connect them the same way; the [multiple accounts guide](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/multiple-email-accounts-ai-agent) explains how the agent keeps the mailboxes apart.

Start Command Mail for free with your address, then connect your agent.

## Sources and date

As of 2026-10-22. The GMX and WEB.DE help pages and the Command Mail documentation were retrieved on that date, the GMX and WEB.DE plan pages as well.[^1][^2][^11][^12] Statements about delivery through the private intake address and the sender check are based on the Command Mail code at commit `d6ad1ce` (`intake.ts`, `domains.ts`, `outbox.ts`, `SettingsPage.svelte`). The DMARC records come from our own DNS lookup; we did not run a delivery test for them.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do GMX or WEB.DE offer access for AI agents?

We found no documented access for AI agents in the GMX and WEB.DE help pages on 2026-10-22, such as an MCP server or an agent API. Two routes remain: forward mail to an inbox your agent is connected to, or use IMAP with an app password and run your own MCP server that connects over IMAP.

### Can a free GMX account forward email?

GMX help describes forwarding as a filter rule with the action Weiterleiten an (forward to) and names no plan restriction. It only takes effect after you click the activation link sent to the target address. We have not tested this on every GMX plan ourselves.

### Can I reply from my GMX address inside Command Mail?

No. For forwarded domains, Command Mail requires DNS proof from the domain owner and sending to be set up; then the owner and team addresses the owner approved may send. An ordinary connected GMX or WEB.DE address does not meet that. Reply from GMX or WEB.DE, from a mail client using their SMTP access, or use a sender address that can send in Command Mail.

### Does GMX mark mail as read when my agent handles it?

No. Forwarded messages are copies. Whatever the agent reads, archives or sorts in Command Mail stays there and does not change the GMX or WEB.DE mailbox.

### How do I bring older GMX mail into Command Mail?

Turn on IMAP at GMX, load the folder you need in a desktop mail client and save it as an MBOX or EML export. Import that once with the Command Mail CLI into the mailbox you connected first. This does not set up ongoing sync.

## Sources

1. [GMX help (German): Set up forwarding](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/kontakte-organisieren/weiterleitung-einrichten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
2. [WEB.DE help (German): Set up forwarding](https://hilfe.web.de/email/einstellungen/weiterleitung-einrichten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
3. [GMX help (German): Turn on POP3/IMAP](https://hilfe.gmx.net/pop-imap/einschalten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
4. [GMX help (German): IMAP and SMTP server settings](https://hilfe.gmx.net/pop-imap/imap/imap-serverdaten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
5. [GMX help (German): Create an app password](https://hilfe.gmx.net/account/logindaten/app-passwort.html), accessed 2026-10-22
6. [Command Mail: Forwarding, import and sending](https://commandmail.app/en/docs), accessed 2026-10-22
7. [Command Mail: Plans, mailboxes and agent permissions](https://commandmail.app/llms.txt), accessed 2026-10-22
8. [Command Mail: Permissions and autonomy](https://commandmail.app/en/docs/permissions-and-autonomy), accessed 2026-10-22
9. [WEB.DE help (German): Turn on POP3/IMAP](https://hilfe.web.de/pop-imap/einschalten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
10. [GMX help (German): Data portability and exporting email](https://hilfe.gmx.net/account/verwalten/daten-exportieren.html), accessed 2026-10-22
11. [GMX: FreeMail, ProMail and TopMail plans (German)](https://www.gmx.net/produkte/premium/), accessed 2026-10-22
12. [WEB.DE: FreeMail, MailPlus and Club plans (German)](https://web.de/email/), accessed 2026-10-22
13. [GMX help (German): Smart inbox](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/intelligentes-postfach/index.html), accessed 2026-10-22
14. [GMX help (German): Filter rule actions](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/filterregeln/aktionen.html), accessed 2026-10-22
15. [GMX help (German): Filter rule priority](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/filterregeln/prioritaet.html), accessed 2026-10-22
16. [WEB.DE help (German): IMAP and SMTP server settings](https://hilfe.web.de/pop-imap/imap/imap-serverdaten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
17. [WEB.DE help (German): Create an app password](https://hilfe.web.de/account/logindaten/app-passwort.html), accessed 2026-10-22

[^1]: [GMX help (German): Set up forwarding](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/kontakte-organisieren/weiterleitung-einrichten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^2]: [WEB.DE help (German): Set up forwarding](https://hilfe.web.de/email/einstellungen/weiterleitung-einrichten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^3]: [GMX help (German): Turn on POP3/IMAP](https://hilfe.gmx.net/pop-imap/einschalten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^4]: [GMX help (German): IMAP and SMTP server settings](https://hilfe.gmx.net/pop-imap/imap/imap-serverdaten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^5]: [GMX help (German): Create an app password](https://hilfe.gmx.net/account/logindaten/app-passwort.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^6]: [Command Mail: Forwarding, import and sending](https://commandmail.app/en/docs), accessed 2026-10-22
[^7]: [Command Mail: Plans, mailboxes and agent permissions](https://commandmail.app/llms.txt), accessed 2026-10-22
[^8]: [Command Mail: Permissions and autonomy](https://commandmail.app/en/docs/permissions-and-autonomy), accessed 2026-10-22
[^9]: [WEB.DE help (German): Turn on POP3/IMAP](https://hilfe.web.de/pop-imap/einschalten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^10]: [GMX help (German): Data portability and exporting email](https://hilfe.gmx.net/account/verwalten/daten-exportieren.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^11]: [GMX: FreeMail, ProMail and TopMail plans (German)](https://www.gmx.net/produkte/premium/), accessed 2026-10-22
[^12]: [WEB.DE: FreeMail, MailPlus and Club plans (German)](https://web.de/email/), accessed 2026-10-22
[^13]: [GMX help (German): Smart inbox](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/intelligentes-postfach/index.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^14]: [GMX help (German): Filter rule actions](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/filterregeln/aktionen.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^15]: [GMX help (German): Filter rule priority](https://hilfe.gmx.net/email/filterregeln/prioritaet.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^16]: [WEB.DE help (German): IMAP and SMTP server settings](https://hilfe.web.de/pop-imap/imap/imap-serverdaten.html), accessed 2026-10-22
[^17]: [WEB.DE help (German): Create an app password](https://hilfe.web.de/account/logindaten/app-passwort.html), accessed 2026-10-22

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Command Mail: one inbox for you and your AI agent. Start free: https://commandmail.app/login?signup=1 · Connect your agent: https://commandmail.app/en/agents · MCP: https://commandmail.app/mcp