Microsoft Graph Email Search

When to use

• The user asks to find, export, or summarize emails (sent or received) using Microsoft Graph.

Preconditions

• Delegated auth is configured (see docs/​GRAPH_AUTH_REPLICATION_GUIDE.md).
• App permissions include Mail scopes:
  • Minimal read-only: Mail.Read
  • If you also need move/​label/​update: Mail.ReadWrite

Recommended approach (safe + repeatable)

• Prefer read-only endpoints first.
• Write exports to a run-local or ignored location:
  • Repo-root temp: tmp/​... (ignored)
  • Run-local: runs/<RUN_ID>/​exports/​...
• Use the repo utility:
  • python -m agent_tools.graph.export_sent_mail --to <RECIPIENT_EMAIL> --include-cc --out-dir tmp/​mail_exports_<slug>

Query strategy

Sent mail to a recipient

• Start with SentItems:
  • GET /​me/​mailFolders/​SentItems/​messages

Received mail (Inbox) — beware subfolders

• Do not assume mail lives in the top-level Inbox. Many mailboxes have rules that move messages into Inbox subfolders (e.g., “Addressed”).
• If a sender/​message is visible in Outlook but your Inbox query returns empty, use one of these patterns:
  • Mailbox-wide search (fast path):
    • GET /​me/​messages?$search="from:<[email protected]>"&$top=25
    • Add header: ConsistencyLevel: eventual
    • Note: Graph typically disallows combining $search with $orderby; fetch a small set and sort locally by receivedDateTime.
  • Inbox subtree scan (reliable fallback):
    • Enumerate Inbox children (and grandchildren) via GET /​me/​mailFolders/​inbox/​childFolders and recurse via each folder’s childFolders.
    • Then query messages within candidate folders: GET /​me/​mailFolders/<folderId>/​messages?$top=25.
    • Practical heuristic: if the user names a folder (e.g., “Addressed”), do a breadth-first search by displayName to find its folderId, then query it directly.

Filtering vs search

• Try $filter first (deterministic), but be ready for tenant-specific limitations.
• If Graph returns filter errors (e.g., ErrorInvalidUrlQueryFilter), fall back to $search:
  • Include header: ConsistencyLevel: eventual
  • Example: $search="recipients:<email>"

Creating draft emails (Drafts)

• To create a draft (without sending), use:
  • POST /​me/​messages
  • This creates a message in Drafts by default.
• Keep HITL for sending: do not send mail without explicit user confirmation.
• Recommended helper (repo utility):
  • python -m agent_tools.graph.create_draft_from_md --md <path/​to/​draft.md> --resolve-to-name "First Last"
  • If name resolution is ambiguous, the tool will list candidates and still create a draft with no recipient.

Evidence-led drafts with inline images (CID)

When the user wants a draft that “reads like a clear explanation supported by images”, prefer inline CID images placed immediately after the relevant paragraph, not a lumped “Evidence” section.

Structure (recommended)

• 1–3 sentence summary up top (scope + what was validated)
• For each claim:
  • 1–2 sentences explaining what the screenshot demonstrates
  • The screenshot directly beneath (inline <img src="cid:<contentId>">)
• Preserve the quoted thread below (reply-all drafts typically include it)

Implementation pattern (Graph)

• Create (or locate) the draft message.
• Fetch the current HTML body and split out the quoted thread tail (keep everything from the first From: block onward).
• Replace the top-of-email body with your narrative + inline images, then append the quoted tail.
• Attach images as inline file attachments with stable contentId values.
  • Keep the contentId stable even if you swap the image file (so the HTML <img src="cid:..."> continues to work).

Repo tool (starter)

• Update an existing draft with inline images (NOT SENT):
  • python scripts/​update_outlook_draft_inline_evidence.py --draft-id <DRAFT_MESSAGE_ID> --images-json <PATH> --preserve-quoted --body-html <OPTIONAL_HTML>

Common pitfalls

• If images don’t render:
  • Confirm the HTML uses cid:<contentId> (no filename suffix).
  • Confirm the attachment is isInline: true and contentId exactly matches.
• If the quoted thread disappears:
  • Make sure you append the preserved tail when patching the draft body.
• If whitespace-heavy screenshots make the email hard to read:
  • Crop to _clean.png first (see the browser automation skill’s screenshot trimming section).

Pagination

• Respect @odata.nextLink until exhausted.
• NextLink is typically an absolute URL; your HTTP client should accept absolute URLs directly.

Output hygiene

• The exported document may contain sensitive content.
• Do not commit exports to git.
• Avoid pasting large email bodies into chat unless explicitly requested.

Troubleshooting

• 401: token expired → retry once with a fresh token.
• 403: missing Mail scopes or missing admin consent.
• Empty results: confirm you’re searching SentItems vs Inbox and whether you included Cc.