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RFC 9051: Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) - Version 4rev2

In plain English — editorial summary, not part of the RFC

The Internet Message Access Protocol Version 4rev2 (IMAP4rev2) allows a client to access and manipulate electronic mail messages on a server. IMAP4rev2 permits manipulation of mailboxes (remote message folders) in a way that is functionally equivalent to local folders. IMAP4rev2 also provides the capability for an offline client to resynchronize with the server. IMAP4rev2 includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes; checking for new messages; removing messages permanently; setting and clearing flags; parsing per RFCs 5322, 2045, and 2231; searching; and selective fetching of message attributes, texts, and portions thereof. Messages in IMAP4rev2 are accessed by the use of numbers. These numbers are either message sequence numbers or unique identifiers. IMAP4rev2 does not specify a means of posting mail; this function is handled by a mail submission protocol such as the one specified in RFC 6409.

Document record

Document ID
RFC9051
Published
August 2021
Authors
A. Melnikov; B. Leiba
Status
PROPOSED STANDARD
Stream
IETF
Area
art
Pages
163
Also known as
—
Obsoletes:
RFC 3501

Topics

Standards lineage

This document is one revision in a chain of 5 RFCs, each formally replacing the one before it.

  1. RFC 1730 (1994)
  2. RFC 2060 (1996)
  3. RFC 2061 (1996)
  4. RFC 3501 (2003)
  5. RFC 9051 (2021)

Read the full history of Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) - Version 4rev2 →

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The document record above — title, authors, date, status, stream, area, relationships, DOI and errata — is imported verbatim from the public RFC Editor index. The “in plain English” section is editorial: written by The metasystema editorial team, not part of the RFC. Where the two differ, the RFC text governs.

Last checked against the RFC Editor index on . RFCs are never revised after publication; changes are issued as new documents.

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canonical URL: /rfc/9051-internet-message-access-protocol-imap-version-4rev2