Configure POP and IMAP settings with the Gmail API

This document explains how to manage POP and IMAP protocols using the Gmail API.

POP and IMAP are two ways to read your Gmail messages in other email clients. POP is an older technology that can only be used for a single computer. POP-based emails are downloaded and you decide how often you want to download new ones. IMAP can be used across multiple devices and emails are synced in real time.

You can use the settings resource of the Gmail API to configure how Gmail handles POP and IMAP protocols:

POP

You can manage POP settings for an account using the PopSettings object.

Enable and disable access

Control access with the accessWindow field. This field determines whether POP is enabled and which messages the API retrieves.

Value Effect
disabled No messages are accessible through POP
allMail All unfetched messages are accessible through POP
fromNowOn Only new messages are accessible through POP

Message disposition

Configure the disposition of messages that the API retrieves with the disposition field.

Value Effect
archive Move messages out of the INBOX
leaveInInbox Do nothing; leave messages unread in the INBOX
markRead Leave the message in the INBOX and mark it as read
trash Move the message to the TRASH

IMAP

You can manage IMAP settings for an account using the ImapSettings object.

Enable and disable access

Control access with the boolean enabled field. This field determines whether IMAP is enabled for the account.

Message disposition

Configure the disposition of a message when it is marked as deleted and expunged from the last visible IMAP folder with the expungeBehavior field.

Value Effect
archive Move messages marked as deleted out of the INBOX
deleteForever Permanently delete messages marked as deleted
trash Move messages marked as deleted to the TRASH

If the boolean autoExpunge field is true, Gmail immediately expunges a message when it is marked as deleted in IMAP. Otherwise, messages remain until the IMAP client explicitly requests their removal.