DEV Community: Qasim Muhammad

nylas init — Guided setup wizard for first-time Nylas CLI users

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:10:47 +0000

First time with the Nylas CLI? nylas init is where everything starts.

The nylas init command walks you through setting up the Nylas CLI in four steps: creating or logging into your Nylas account, selecting or creating an application, generating an API key, and syncing your connected email accounts. If you already have an API key, pass --api-key to skip the interactive wizard.

Syntax

nylas init [--api-key KEY] [--region us|eu] [--google|--microsoft|--github]

Examples

Interactive guided setup:

nylas init
# Follow the 4-step wizard:
#   Step 1: Create account or log in
#   Step 2: Select or create application
#   Step 3: Generate API key
#   Step 4: Sync email accounts

Quick setup with existing API key:

nylas init --api-key nyl_abc123

Quick setup for EU region:

nylas init --api-key nyl_abc123 --region eu

Start with Google SSO:

nylas init --google

How It Works

The setup wizard detects your environment and offers the fastest path to a working CLI installation. On macOS it uses Keychain for credential storage, on Linux it uses Secret Service, and in Docker/CI it falls back to encrypted file storage.

Key Flags

Run nylas init --help to see all available flags. Add --json for machine-readable output — useful when piping into jq or feeding data to scripts.

nylas init --help

Common Issues

Wizard fails with 'non-interactive mode requires --api-key'
The wizard needs a terminal (TTY). In CI/CD or scripts, pass --api-key directly.

SSO browser window doesn't open
Copy the URL printed in the terminal and open it manually in your browser.

API key verification fails
Check the key at dashboard-v3.nylas.com. Ensure no extra whitespace when pasting.

Full docs: nylas init reference — all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas — other install methods

Configure API credentials for the Nylas CLI — nylas auth config Guide

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:10:35 +0000

Authentication is the gate between your terminal and your mailbox. nylas auth config handles it.

The nylas auth config command stores your Nylas API key so the CLI can authenticate requests to Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, and IMAP providers. Run it interactively or pass --api-key for CI/CD pipelines and scripts.

Quick Start

brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas
nylas init
nylas auth config

Syntax

nylas auth config [--api-key KEY]

Examples

Interactive configuration:

nylas auth config
# Paste your API key when prompted

Non-interactive (CI/scripts):

export NYLAS_API_KEY=your_api_key
nylas auth config

How It Works

The CLI stores credentials securely in your system keychain (macOS Keychain, Linux Secret Service, or Windows Credential Manager). Tokens are refreshed automatically — you authenticate once and commands just work.

Common Issues

Invalid API key
Verify your key at dashboard-v3.nylas.com. Ensure no extra spaces when pasting.

Config not persisting
Check write permissions for ~/.config/nylas/ or the path in --config.

Full docs: nylas auth config reference — all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas — other install methods

nylas auth login in Practice: Authenticate with a provider to connect your mailbox

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:10:32 +0000

Every email, calendar, and contact operation requires auth. nylas auth login manages that layer.

The nylas auth login command connects your email account to the CLI via OAuth. It opens a browser window, walks you through the provider's consent flow, and stores the grant locally.

Syntax

nylas auth login

Examples

Connect Gmail or Outlook:

nylas auth login
# Opens browser for OAuth; follow prompts to connect

How It Works

When to Use This

Reach for nylas auth login during initial setup, in CI/CD pipelines, or when managing multiple connected accounts. Combine with --json to pipe output into other tools.

Tips

Pipe to jq: nylas auth login --json | jq '.' gives you structured data you can filter and transform.

Combine with other commands: Chain nylas auth login with other Nylas CLI commands using shell pipes and variables for complex workflows.

Full docs: nylas auth login reference — all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas — other install methods

A Practical Guide to nylas auth list

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:10:27 +0000

Need to list all connected accounts (grants)? One command.

The nylas auth list command shows every email account connected to the CLI â€” Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, and IMAP grants. Each entry displays the grant ID, email address, provider, and status.

How It Works

The CLI stores credentials securely in your system keychain (macOS Keychain, Linux Secret Service, or Windows Credential Manager). Tokens are refreshed automatically â€” you authenticate once and commands just work.

Syntax

nylas auth list

Examples

List connected accounts:

nylas auth list

Output as JSON:

nylas auth list --json

Full docs: nylas auth list reference â€” all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas â€” other install methods

Hands-On with nylas email send: Send an email. Supports scheduling, GPG signing/encryption, and tracking

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:10:24 +0000

Send an email. Supports scheduling, GPG signing/encryption, and tracking. Works across Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, and IMAP.

The nylas email send command sends an email through Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, or any IMAP server from your terminal. It supports scheduling with natural language expressions (e.

Syntax

nylas email send --to EMAIL --subject SUBJECT --body BODY [options]

How It Works

The Nylas CLI abstracts away the differences between Gmail's API, Microsoft Graph, Exchange Web Services, and raw IMAP. You write one command; it works across all providers. This matters for automation â€” your cron job or CI pipeline doesn't need provider-specific logic.

Examples

Basic send:

nylas email send --to user@example.com --subject "Quick note" --body "Hello!" --yes

Schedule for later:

nylas email send --to team@company.com --subject "Reminder" --body "..." --schedule 2h

GPG signed and encrypted:

nylas email send --to legal@partner.com --subject "Contract" --body "..." --sign --encrypt

Common Issues

Send fails with auth error
Run nylas auth config and nylas auth login to connect an account.

GPG encrypt fails
Ensure recipient has a public key. Use nylas email send --list-gpg-keys to verify your keys.

Tips

Pipe to jq: nylas email send --json | jq '.' gives you structured data you can filter and transform.

Combine with other commands: Chain nylas email send with other Nylas CLI commands using shell pipes and variables for complex workflows.

Full docs: nylas email send reference â€” all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas â€” other install methods

Install MCP configuration for AI assistants (Claude, Cursor, VS Code) â nylas mcp install Guide

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:09:38 +0000

Install MCP configuration for AI assistants (Claude, Cursor, VS Code). One command bridges the gap between your AI assistant and your communication data.

The nylas mcp install command gives AI assistants direct access to your email, calendar, and contacts via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It writes the JSON configuration for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code Copilot, or Windsurf so the assistant can send emails, read messages, create events, and manage contacts on your behalf.

The Problem

Your AI assistant is smart, but it can't read your email or check your calendar. Until now.

Quick Start

brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas
nylas init
nylas mcp install

Syntax

nylas mcp install [--assistant cursor]

Examples

Interactive setup:

nylas mcp install

Cursor only:

nylas mcp install --assistant cursor

How It Works

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard from Anthropic. It defines how AI assistants discover and call external tools. The Nylas MCP server registers email, calendar, and contact operations as tools â€” your assistant sees them in its tool palette automatically.

Common Issues

MCP not detected by assistant
Restart the assistant after install. Check config path for your assistant.

Full docs: nylas mcp install reference â€” all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas â€” other install methods

nylas timezone list in Practice: List all timezones. Works offline, no API key required

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:09:34 +0000

Timezone operations that work offline, with zero API calls. nylas timezone list runs entirely on your machine.

The nylas timezone list command displays all IANA timezone identifiers with current UTC offsets. Filter by region (America, Europe, Asia) to narrow results.

Syntax

nylas timezone list [--filter REGION]

Examples

List timezones:

nylas timezone list

Filter by region:

nylas timezone list --filter America

How It Works

These timezone commands use the IANA timezone database compiled into the binary. No network calls, no API keys, no rate limits. They work on airplanes.

When to Use This

Reach for nylas timezone list when scheduling meetings across time zones or converting times in scripts. Combine with --json to pipe output into other tools.

Tips

CI/CD ready: This command works in non-interactive mode. Set NYLAS_API_KEY as an environment variable and it picks up credentials automatically.

Pipe to jq: nylas timezone list --json | jq '.' gives you structured data you can filter and transform.

Full docs: nylas timezone list reference â€” all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas â€” other install methods

A Practical Guide to nylas timezone convert

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:09:29 +0000

Convert time between timezones. No internet connection or API key needed.

The nylas timezone convert command converts a time from one timezone to another. Works fully offline with no API key required.

How It Works

These timezone commands use the IANA timezone database compiled into the binary. No network calls, no API keys, no rate limits. They work on airplanes.

Syntax

nylas timezone convert --from PST --to EST

Examples

Convert current time:

nylas timezone convert --from PST --to EST

Key Flags

Run nylas timezone convert --help to see all available flags. Add --json for machine-readable output â€” useful when piping into jq or feeding data to scripts.

nylas timezone convert --help

Full docs: nylas timezone convert reference â€” all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas â€” other install methods

Hands-On with nylas webhook create: Create a webhook for real-time event notifications

Qasim Muhammad — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:08:41 +0000

Real-time event notifications keep your application responsive. nylas webhook create manages that plumbing.

The nylas webhook create command registers a URL to receive real-time notifications when email, calendar, or contact events occur. Specify trigger types like message.

Syntax

nylas webhook create --url URL --triggers TRIGGERS

How It Works

Webhooks replace polling. Instead of checking every 30 seconds whether new email arrived, the webhook pushes the event to your endpoint within seconds. This reduces API calls and improves latency for your application.

Example

nylas webhook create

Tips

Debug mode: Add --verbose to see the underlying API requests and responses â€” useful when something doesn't behave as expected.

Script-friendly: Add --json for machine-readable output and --yes (where supported) to skip confirmations in automated pipelines.

Full docs: nylas webhook create reference â€” all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas â€” other install methods

nylas calendar list — What It Does and How to Use It

Qasim Muhammad — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:19:32 +0000

List all calendars. No browser required.

The nylas calendar list command displays all calendars associated with your connected account — primary, shared, and subscribed calendars from Google Calendar, Outlook, or Exchange. Use --json for structured output in scripts and automation.

Quick Start

brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas
nylas init
nylas calendar list

Examples

List calendars:

nylas calendar list

JSON output:

nylas calendar list --json

How It Works

Calendar APIs are notoriously inconsistent across providers. Google Calendar uses RFC 5545 recurrence rules, Outlook uses its own format, and Exchange has yet another. The Nylas CLI normalizes all of this behind a consistent interface.

Syntax

nylas calendar list

Related Commands

nylas calendar events list — List upcoming calendar events
nylas calendar schedule ai — AI-powered natural language scheduling
nylas calendar ai conflicts — Detect scheduling conflicts with AI analysis
nylas calendar ai reschedule — AI-powered meeting rescheduling with alternative suggestions

Full docs: nylas calendar list reference — all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas — other install methods

Start web configuration UI with nylas ui

Qasim Muhammad — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:19:28 +0000

The nylas ui command launches a local web-based configuration interface in your browser. Manage connected accounts, view grants, configure settings, and explore CLI features through a graphical dashboard instead of the command line.

Usage

nylas ui

Quick Start

nylas ui

Full Reference

For the complete documentation with all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting tips, see the nylas ui reference.

Browse all commands at the Nylas CLI Command Reference.

Install the Nylas CLI

brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas

See the getting started guide for other install methods.

Configure AI provider from the Command Line

Qasim Muhammad — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:19:24 +0000

AI features in the CLI run through configurable providers — local or cloud. nylas ai config sets that up.

The nylas ai config command sets up which AI provider the CLI uses for smart compose, inbox analysis, and natural language scheduling. Choose between local models (Ollama, LM Studio) for privacy or cloud providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) for capability.

Syntax

nylas ai config

Examples

Interactive setup:

nylas ai config

Check current AI provider:

nylas ai config --json

When to Use This

Reach for nylas ai config when configuring which AI model the CLI uses for smart features. Combine with --json to pipe output into other tools.

How It Works

AI features in the CLI are provider-agnostic. Choose Ollama for local inference (your data never leaves your machine), or use OpenAI/Anthropic APIs for more capable models. The CLI handles the provider abstraction.

Full docs: nylas ai config reference — all flags, advanced examples, and troubleshooting.

All commands: Nylas CLI Command Reference

Get started: brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas — other install methods