list-mail-folder-messages
Get all the messages in the specified user's mailbox, or those messages in a specified folder in the mailbox. 💡 TIP: List read search Outlook emails within a specific mail folder. CRITICAL: When searching emails, the $search parameter value MUST be wrapped in double quotes. Format: $search="your...
This record as markdown: /tools/jo3zik-ms-365-mcp-server/list-mail-folder-messages.md
What list-mail-folder-messages does on Ms 365
AI agents call list-mail-folder-messages to retrieve information from Ms 365 without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
top | number | — | Page size (Graph $top). Start small (e.g. 5–15) so responses fit the model context; raise only if needed. Use $select to return fewer fields per item. For more |
skip | number | — | Items to skip for pagination. Not supported with $search. |
count | boolean | — | Set true to enable advanced query mode (ConsistencyLevel: eventual). Required for complex $filter on flag/flagStatus or contains(). |
expand | array | — | Navigation properties to inline, e.g. attachments on a message or event. Only navigation properties can be expanded: expanding a non-navigation property such as |
filter | string | — | OData filter expression. Add $count=true for advanced filters (flag/flagStatus, contains()). Cannot combine with $search. |
search | string | — | KQL search query — wrap value in double quotes. Cannot combine with $filter. |
select | string | — | Comma-separated fields to return, e.g. id,subject,from,receivedDateTime |
orderby | string | — | Sort expression, e.g. receivedDateTime desc |
mailFolderId | string | Yes | Value for the 'mailFolderId' path segment. Pass it under the name 'mailFolderId', not as 'id'. Use the 'id' field of the mail folder object as returned by Micro |
fetchAllPages | boolean | — | Follow @odata.nextLink and merge up to 100 pages into one response. Can return enormous payloads—only when the user explicitly needs a full export. Prefer a sma |
includeHeaders | boolean | — | Include response headers (including ETag) in the response metadata |
excludeResponse | boolean | — | Exclude the full response body and only return success or failure indication |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why list-mail-folder-messages is rated Low
Even though list-mail-folder-messages only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Risk signalsHigh parameter count (12 properties)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs list-mail-folder-messages safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Ms 365, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For list-mail-folder-messages, this is the rule to start with:
list-mail-folder-messages is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Ms 365, apply this rule, and every list-mail-folder-messages call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about list-mail-folder-messages
Get all the messages in the specified user's mailbox, or those messages in a specified folder in the mailbox. 💡 TIP: List read search Outlook emails within a specific mail folder. CRITICAL: When searching emails, the $search parameter value MUST be wrapped in double quotes. Format: $search="your search query here". Use KQL (Keyword Query Language) syntax to search specific properties: 'from:', 'subject:', 'body:', 'to:', 'cc:', 'bcc:', 'attachment:', 'hasAttachments:', 'importance:', 'received:', 'sent:'. Examples: $search="from:john@example.com" | $search="subject:meeting AND hasAttachments:true" | $search="body:urgent AND received>=2024-01-01" | $search="from:alice AND importance:high". Remember: ALWAYS wrap the entire search expression in double quotes! Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/search-query-parameter IMPORTANT: Always use $select to limit returned fields and reduce response size. Recommended default: $select=id,subject,from,toRecipients,receivedDateTime,bodyPreview,isRead,hasAttachments. Use bodyPreview instead of body for listings. To read the full email body, use get-mail-message with the specific message id. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Ms 365 MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
list-mail-folder-messages accepts 12 parameters: top, skip, count, expand, filter, search, select, orderby, mailFolderId, fetchAllPages, includeHeaders, excludeResponse. Required: mailFolderId. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Ms 365 MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list-mail-folder-messages: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Ms 365. Nothing to install.
list-mail-folder-messages is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list-mail-folder-messages rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list-mail-folder-messages. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
list-mail-folder-messages is provided by the Ms 365 MCP server (@jo3zik/ms-365-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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