Microsoft outlook

Drive Microsoft Graph for Outlook / Microsoft 365 — both mail and calendar — via curl + jq. The user's OAuth bearer token is in $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN; every call needs it as Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN. The token already carries the scopes the user agreed to at install: any of Mail.Read, Mail.ReadWrite, Mail.Send, MailboxSettings.Read, MailboxSettings.ReadWrite, Calendars.Read, Calendars.ReadWrite, plus *.Shared variants. Mail and calendar are unified into one connector (and one OAuth grant) because Microsoft Graph treats them as sibling features of the same mailbox — there is no value in splitting them at the skill layer.

The Graph API returns JSON; failures surface as {"error": {"code": "...", "message": "..."}} — show that error verbatim to the user.

Always start with /me to confirm the connection works AND learn which mailbox you're operating against. For calendar work, also fetch mailboxSettings.timeZone so dates render right.

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Mail — Recipes

Verify auth (always run first)

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me \
  | jq '{displayName, mail, userPrincipalName}'

List recent messages

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages?\$top=10&\$select=id,subject,from,receivedDateTime,isRead,hasAttachments&\$orderby=receivedDateTime desc" \
  | jq '.value[] | {subject, from: .from.emailAddress.address, received: .receivedDateTime, unread: (.isRead | not)}'

Filters: append to URL with & (URL-encode the spaces).

Want	Append
Unread only	&$filter=isRead eq false
With attachments	&$filter=hasAttachments eq true
From a specific sender	&$filter=from/emailAddress/address eq '[email protected]'
Date range	&$filter=receivedDateTime ge 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z and receivedDateTime lt 2026-05-01T00:00:00Z
Combine	Use and / or between filter clauses

Search messages (full-text on subject + body)

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  --data-urlencode '$search="quarterly report"' \
  --data-urlencode '$top=10' \
  --data-urlencode '$select=id,subject,from,receivedDateTime' \
  --get https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages

$search cannot be combined with $filter or $orderby in the same query — pick one. $search returns relevance-ranked results.

Read a message body

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}?\$select=subject,body,from,toRecipients,receivedDateTime" \
  | jq '{subject, from: .from.emailAddress.address, received: .receivedDateTime, body: .body.content}'

body.contentType is usually "HTML". Use jq -r .body.content if you want the raw HTML.

Send an email

⚠️ ALWAYS use draft → confirm → send. NEVER call /me/sendMail directly — it sends immediately with no undo.

# Step 1: create draft
DRAFT=$(curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "$(jq -nc \
        --arg subj "Project update" \
        --arg body "<p>Wanted to share the latest numbers.</p>" \
        --arg to "[email protected]" \
        '{subject:$subj, body:{contentType:"HTML", content:$body}, toRecipients:[{emailAddress:{address:$to}}]}')" \
  https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages)
DRAFT_ID=$(echo "$DRAFT" | jq -r .id)

# Step 2: present the draft to the user — subject, recipients, body preview
echo "$DRAFT" | jq '{subject, to: .toRecipients[0].emailAddress.address, body: .body.content}'

# Step 3: ONLY after user confirms — send (returns 202 No Content)
curl -sS -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${DRAFT_ID}/send" \
  -w "HTTP %{http_code}\n"

CC / BCC: include ccRecipients / bccRecipients arrays in the same shape as toRecipients.

Reply / reply-all / forward

⚠️ Show the user your draft text + recipients before sending.

# Quick reply (sends immediately on /reply — for explicit user-confirmed flow)
curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"comment":"Thanks for the update!"}' \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}/reply"

# Or: createReply → review → /send (preferred for non-trivial replies)
DRAFT=$(curl -sS -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}/createReply")
DRAFT_ID=$(echo "$DRAFT" | jq -r .id)
# PATCH body if needed, then /send

# Forward
curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "$(jq -nc --arg to "[email protected]" \
        '{comment:"FYI", toRecipients:[{emailAddress:{address:$to}}]}')" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}/forward"

Mark read / unread

curl -sS -X PATCH \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"isRead": true}' \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}"

List folders + read a specific folder

# Well-known folder names: Inbox, Drafts, SentItems, DeletedItems, Archive, JunkEmail
curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/mailFolders('SentItems')/messages?\$top=5&\$select=subject,toRecipients,sentDateTime" \
  | jq '.value[] | {subject, sent: .sentDateTime}'

List + download attachments

# Metadata
curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}/attachments?\$select=id,name,size,contentType" \
  | jq '.value[] | {id, name, size}'

# Download a single attachment
curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}/attachments/${ATT_ID}/\$value" \
  -o "$SKILL_DIR/tmp/attachment.bin"

Mailbox settings (timezone, signature, automatic replies)

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/mailboxSettings"

Set an out-of-office reply:

⚠️ Confirm with user before changing — auto-reply will fire on every incoming mail.

curl -sS -X PATCH \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"automaticRepliesSetting":{
        "status":"scheduled",
        "scheduledStartDateTime":{"dateTime":"2026-05-10T09:00:00","timeZone":"China Standard Time"},
        "scheduledEndDateTime":{"dateTime":"2026-05-15T18:00:00","timeZone":"China Standard Time"},
        "internalReplyMessage":"<p>I'm out this week, back Monday.</p>"}}' \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/mailboxSettings"

Requires MailboxSettings.ReadWrite scope.

Delete a message

⚠️ Always fetch the subject first and confirm with the user.

# 1) show what's about to be deleted
curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}?\$select=subject,from,receivedDateTime" \
  | jq '"Delete \"\(.subject)\" from \(.from.emailAddress.address) (\(.receivedDateTime))?"'

# 2) after user confirms (moves to Deleted Items, returns 204)
curl -sS -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/${MSG_ID}" \
  -w "HTTP %{http_code}\n"

---

Calendar — Recipes

Get user timezone (run once at start of any calendar work)

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/mailboxSettings" \
  | jq '.timeZone'
# → e.g. "China Standard Time"

Pass that timezone in the Prefer: outlook.timezone header on every calendar call so start.dateTime / end.dateTime come back rendered in the user's local time:

TZ_HEADER='Prefer: outlook.timezone="China Standard Time"'

Today's agenda (calendarView)

calendarView expands recurring series into individual occurrences within the window — exactly what you want for an agenda. Plain /events returns only the recurrence master.

START=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT00:00:00Z')
END=$(date -u -v+1d +'%Y-%m-%dT00:00:00Z')   # macOS; use -d on Linux
curl -sS \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Prefer: outlook.timezone=\"China Standard Time\"" \
  --data-urlencode "startDateTime=$START" \
  --data-urlencode "endDateTime=$END" \
  --data-urlencode '$select=id,subject,start,end,location,attendees,onlineMeeting,isCancelled' \
  --data-urlencode '$orderby=start/dateTime' \
  --get https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/calendarView \
  | jq '.value[] | {subject, start: .start.dateTime, end: .end.dateTime, location: .location.displayName, attendees: [.attendees[].emailAddress.address]}'

This week's events (Mon–Sun)

START=$(date -u -v-Mon +'%Y-%m-%dT00:00:00Z' 2>/dev/null || date -u -d 'last monday' +'%Y-%m-%dT00:00:00Z')
END=$(date -u -v+7d -v-Mon +'%Y-%m-%dT00:00:00Z' 2>/dev/null || date -u -d 'next monday' +'%Y-%m-%dT00:00:00Z')
curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Prefer: outlook.timezone=\"China Standard Time\"" \
  --data-urlencode "startDateTime=$START" \
  --data-urlencode "endDateTime=$END" \
  --data-urlencode '$select=subject,start,end' \
  --data-urlencode '$orderby=start/dateTime' \
  --get https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/calendarView

Find free / busy slots (getSchedule)

Best way to find a slot that works for multiple people. Returns 30-minute buckets of free / busy / tentative across the requested window.

curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "$(jq -nc '{
        schedules: ["me", "[email protected]", "[email protected]"],
        startTime: {dateTime: "2026-05-05T09:00:00", timeZone: "China Standard Time"},
        endTime:   {dateTime: "2026-05-05T18:00:00", timeZone: "China Standard Time"},
        availabilityViewInterval: 30
      }')" \
  https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/calendar/getSchedule \
  | jq '.value[] | {who: .scheduleId, view: .availabilityView}'
# availabilityView is a string of digits: 0=free 1=tentative 2=busy 3=oof 4=workingElsewhere

Read a single event (incl. attendees + body)

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Prefer: outlook.timezone=\"China Standard Time\"" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/events/${EVENT_ID}?\$select=subject,start,end,location,attendees,body,organizer,onlineMeeting" \
  | jq '{subject, start: .start.dateTime, attendees: [.attendees[] | {addr: .emailAddress.address, response: .status.response}], body: .body.content}'

Create an event

⚠️ ALWAYS show subject / time / attendees to the user before creating — invitations fire automatically the moment the event is POSTed.

PAYLOAD=$(jq -nc \
  --arg subj "Project sync" \
  --arg body "<p>Quarterly review.</p>" \
  --arg start "2026-05-06T10:00:00" \
  --arg end   "2026-05-06T10:30:00" \
  --arg tz    "China Standard Time" \
  --arg loc   "Meeting room 3F" \
  --arg a1    "[email protected]" \
  '{
    subject: $subj,
    body:    {contentType:"HTML", content:$body},
    start:   {dateTime:$start, timeZone:$tz},
    end:     {dateTime:$end,   timeZone:$tz},
    location:{displayName:$loc},
    attendees:[{emailAddress:{address:$a1}, type:"required"}],
    isOnlineMeeting: true,
    onlineMeetingProvider: "teamsForBusiness"
  }')
curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "$PAYLOAD" \
  https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/events \
  | jq '{id, subject, start: .start.dateTime, joinUrl: .onlineMeeting.joinUrl}'

isOnlineMeeting: true + onlineMeetingProvider: "teamsForBusiness" auto-generates a Teams meeting link. Drop both for an in-person event.

Update / reschedule (PATCH)

⚠️ Updating sends an "Updated" notice to all attendees. Confirm first.

curl -sS -X PATCH \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "$(jq -nc \
        --arg start "2026-05-06T14:00:00" \
        --arg end   "2026-05-06T14:30:00" \
        --arg tz    "China Standard Time" \
        '{start:{dateTime:$start, timeZone:$tz}, end:{dateTime:$end, timeZone:$tz}}')" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/events/${EVENT_ID}"

Cancel a meeting (sends cancellation notice)

⚠️ Confirm with the user — every attendee is notified.

curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"comment":"Need to reschedule, sorry."}' \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/events/${EVENT_ID}/cancel" \
  -w "HTTP %{http_code}\n"

Accept / decline / tentative an incoming invite

curl -sS -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"comment":"See you there", "sendResponse":true}' \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/events/${EVENT_ID}/accept"

# Or /decline, /tentativelyAccept

Read a shared calendar

Requires Calendars.Read.Shared.

curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $MICROSOFT_OUTLOOK_TOKEN" \
  "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/${USER_UPN}/calendarView?startDateTime=${START}&endDateTime=${END}&\$select=subject,start,end" \
  -G

Working with timezones

Field	Meaning
start.dateTime / end.dateTime	The local wall-clock time.
start.timeZone / end.timeZone	IANA-ish name ("Pacific Standard Time", "China Standard Time", "UTC").
Prefer: outlook.timezone="..." request header	Re-renders all returned dateTime values into this zone.

Always set Prefer: outlook.timezone on read calls so the JSON arrives in the user's expected timezone instead of UTC.

Recurrence

Use calendarView (it expands occurrences for you) — not ?$expand=. To create a recurring event, include recurrence:

{
  "recurrence": {
    "pattern":  {"type":"weekly", "interval":1, "daysOfWeek":["monday","wednesday"]},
    "range":    {"type":"endDate", "startDate":"2026-05-06", "endDate":"2026-08-06"}
  }
}

To modify a single occurrence of a series, PATCH that occurrence's id (returned by calendarView), NOT the series master.

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OData quick reference (mail + calendar)

Param	Mail example	Calendar example
$select	id,subject,from,receivedDateTime,isRead	subject,start,end,location,attendees
$filter	isRead eq false	start/dateTime ge '2026-05-01T00:00:00'
$orderby	receivedDateTime desc	start/dateTime
$top	10 browse, 25 search	10 browse
$search	"keyword" (mail only — cannot combine with $filter / $orderby)	n/a
$expand	attachments	attendees, attachments

Use --data-urlencode "$key=$value" --get with curl to avoid shell-quoting $ and spaces.

Rules

• Always pass $select — defaults return 30+ fields per item.
• $top=10 for browse, 25 for search. Don't paginate past 50 unless asked.
• HTML bodies only for mail. contentType: "Text" collapses whitespace.
• Use calendarView for any agenda / "what's on my calendar" question. /events returns recurrence masters only.
• Set Prefer: outlook.timezone on calendar read calls; otherwise dateTime comes back in UTC.
• URL-encode message / event / attachment IDs if using them in a path — IDs can contain +, /, =. Use jq -sRr @uri.
• Date math: date -u -v+1d works on macOS, date -u -d 'tomorrow' on Linux.

CRITICAL: User consent for destructive / notifying actions

Sent emails cannot be unsent. Calendar writes fan out emails to attendees. Deleted messages may be permanently lost. Pattern: prepare → present → execute.

Action	Prepare step	Show user
Send mail	POST /me/messages (draft)	subject, recipients, body preview
Reply / forward	createReply / createForward	quote snippet + your reply text
Delete mail	fetch subject first	"Delete '{subject}' from {sender}?"
Out-of-office	show current setting first	new schedule + message preview
Create event	build payload	subject, time, attendees, online-meeting on/off
Update event	diff with current	what's changing, attendee count being notified
Cancel event	fetch event first	subject, time, attendee count
Accept / decline invite	fetch event first	event subject + organizer
Bulk	list affected	count + sample

Never call /me/sendMail — it sends immediately with no undo. Always draft → confirm → /send.

Errors

• 401 InvalidAuthenticationToken → token expired; user must reinstall the connector.
• 403 ErrorAccessDenied → write scope missing (e.g. trying Mail.Send without it granted, or Calendars.ReadWrite for create / cancel); ask user to reinstall and tick the write scope.
• 429 TooManyRequests → respect Retry-After header.
• 404 ErrorItemNotFound → wrong message / event id (or it was already deleted / cancelled).

Reference

• Mail API: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/mail-api-overview
• Message resource: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/message
• Calendar resource: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/calendar
• Event resource: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/event
• calendarView: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/calendar-list-calendarview
• getSchedule: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/calendar-getschedule
• MailboxSettings: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/mailboxsettings