How to connect a custom domain email to ChatGPT (IMAP, OVH, IONOS, Fastmail)

Short answer: as of November 2026, ChatGPT cannot read a mailbox on your own domain with its built-in connectors. To connect one, add an IMAP MCP server such as Fezola: you enter the mailbox once in Fezola, then create a connector in ChatGPT with the URL https://api.fezola.com/mcp. It takes about five minutes and works with OVH, IONOS, Gandi, Fastmail and any host that offers IMAP.

Why ChatGPT does not see your domain mailbox

ChatGPT's built-in mail connectors are made for large providers like Gmail, which offer a sign-in with Google. A mailbox such as contact@yourcompany.com hosted at OVH, IONOS or your web host speaks a different language: IMAP to read mail, SMTP to write it. ChatGPT does not speak IMAP natively.

An IMAP MCP server translates between the two. It connects to your mailbox over IMAP and gives ChatGPT a set of tools (search, read, draft) through MCP, the open protocol ChatGPT uses for custom connectors. If you are new to the idea, what is an email MCP server explains it in two minutes.

What you need

• A paid ChatGPT plan, to turn on developer mode and add a custom connector.
• Your email address and password. Some providers, such as Fastmail, require an app password created in their settings.
• For hosts Fezola does not list, the IMAP and SMTP servers from your provider's help pages (usually under "IMAP / SMTP settings").

Step 1: add the mailbox to Fezola

1. Create a free Fezola account.
2. In Sources, add a mailbox and pick your provider:
   • OVH (MX Plan), IONOS, Gandi: the servers are filled in, enter your address and password.
   • OVH Email Pro, Fastmail or any other host: choose Other and enter the IMAP server (port 993 with TLS, or 143 with STARTTLS) and the SMTP server (465 or 587). For Fastmail: imap.fastmail.com and smtp.fastmail.com.
3. Give the mailbox a short name, like "Work" or "Shop". ChatGPT will use it to tell where each message comes from.
4. Click Test the connection. Fezola checks both incoming (IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) mail before you go further.

Step 2: add Fezola to ChatGPT

1. In ChatGPT, open Settings, Apps & Connectors, Advanced settings and turn on Developer mode.
2. Create a connector, name it Fezola, paste https://api.fezola.com/mcp and choose OAuth.
3. ChatGPT opens a Fezola sign-in and consent screen that lists the sources it will access. Accept, and the tools are ready in your conversations.

Step 3: ask your first question

Try prompts like these:

• "Search my work mailbox for the invoice from Dupont sent in October."
• "Summarize the emails I received on contact@ this week and list the ones that need an answer."
• "Draft a polite reply to the last email from my accountant."

Behind the scenes, ChatGPT calls tools such as search_messages, get_thread and reply_draft. Every result carries the account it comes from, so an answer that covers several mailboxes says which one each email is in. Attachments in PDF, Word, text or image format can be read too.

What ChatGPT can and cannot do with your mailbox

	With Fezola
Search and read emails	Yes, live, across all connected mailboxes
Read attachments	PDF, Word, text and images
Write replies	As drafts, in the mailbox that received the email
Send emails on its own	No, you send from your mail app
Keep a copy of your mail	No, messages are read when ChatGPT asks

One connector for every mailbox

Most people with a domain mailbox also have a personal Gmail or iCloud address. Fezola puts them all behind the same connector, so one question searches everything. You can add Google Chat and Telegram too, in read-only mode. The same URL works in Claude, which makes switching assistants painless. For the details by provider, see the IMAP MCP server guide and all your inboxes in one assistant.

Is it safe?

The mailbox password is encrypted before it is saved and never shown again. ChatGPT never receives it: it signs in to Fezola with OAuth, and you can revoke its access at any time. Nothing is sent without you, because every email ChatGPT writes is a draft. The security guide covers the rest, including prompt injection.