Agent Email Setup#

Purpose#

Provide dedicated email accounts for AI agents with clear role separation and approval workflows. Prevents mixing of responsibilities (e.g., Ace shouldn't handle Contabo support tickets).

When to Use#

Set up email for agent when:

• Agent needs external communications (Lourens, Ace)
• Role separation is important
• Audit trail needed for communications
• Professional identity required

Do NOT set up email for:

• Internal-only agents (Bob, Scout)
• Agents without external communication needs
• Temporary/task-specific agents

Architecture#

Email Address Strategy#

text

@supplystoreafrica.com domain:
- lourens@      → SysAdmin (infrastructure, support tickets)
- ace@          → Competitions (entries, prize notifications)
- facet@        → CAD (manufacturer communications) - if needed

Forwarding Rules#

• All agent emails forward to: stef.personal@gmail.com
• CC on all sent emails: stef.personal@gmail.com
• Maintain separate sent folders per agent

Role Separation#

AgentEmailPurposeExternal CommsLourenslourens@Infrastructure, support tickets, system issues✅ RequiredAceace@Competition entries, prize notifications✅ RequiredFacetfacet@Manufacturer inquiries, technical specs⚠️ OptionalBob-Internal coordination only❌ Not neededScout-Research, no external comms❌ Not needed

Workflow#

1. Sandbox Testing (ALWAYS FIRST)#

bash

# Create sandbox environment
python3 /root/.openclaw/workspace/sandbox_lourens_email.py

# Test configuration
cd /tmp/lourens_email_sandbox_*/ && python3 test_email_workflow.py

2. Production Setup#

Step 1: Create Email Account

1. Log into hosting control panel
2. Create email account: agentname@supplystoreafrica.com
3. Set strong password (store in Bitwarden)
4. Configure forwarding to stef.personal@gmail.com

Step 2: Configure IMAP/SMTP

json

{
  "imap_server": "mail.supplystoreafrica.com",
  "imap_port": 993,
  "smtp_server": "mail.supplystoreafrica.com",
  "smtp_port": 587,
  "username": "agentname@supplystoreafrica.com",
  "password": "{{BITWARDEN_PASSWORD}}"
}

Step 3: Agent Configuration

Add to agent's workspace:

bash

# Create email config
mkdir -p /root/.openclaw/agents/{agent}/workspace/email/
cat > /root/.openclaw/agents/{agent}/workspace/email/config.json << 'EOF'
{{
  "email": "{agent}@supplystoreafrica.com",
  "display_name": "{Agent Name} {Role}",
  "signature": "Best regards,\\n\\n{Agent Name}\\n{Role} Agent\\nSupply Store Africa\\n{agent}@supplystoreafrica.com",
  "forward_to": ["stef.personal@gmail.com"],
  "auto_cc": ["stef.personal@gmail.com"]
}}
EOF

Step 4: Update OpenClaw Configuration

bash

# Add email tools to agent
openclaw config set agents.list[{index}].tools.allow+=email_send
openclaw config set agents.list[{index}].tools.allow+=email_check

3. Email Templates#

Generic Template

markdown

TO: {recipient}
FROM: {Agent Name} {Role} <{agent}@supplystoreafrica.com>
CC: Stef Ferreira <stef.personal@gmail.com>
SUBJECT: {subject}
DATE: {date}

{greeting},

{body}

{signature}

Contabo Support Template (Lourens)

markdown

TO: support@contabo.com
FROM: Lourens SysAdmin <lourens@supplystoreafrica.com>
CC: Stef Ferreira <stef.personal@gmail.com>
SUBJECT: {ticket_subject}
DATE: {date}

Dear {support_agent},

{content}

Current system status:
- VPS: 161.97.110.234
- Ticket: {ticket_number}
- Issue: {issue_description}

We appreciate your assistance.

Best regards,

Lourens
SysAdmin Agent
Supply Store Africa
lourens@supplystoreafrica.com

Competition Entry Template (Ace)

markdown

TO: competitions@company.com
FROM: Ace Competitions <ace@supplystoreafrica.com>
CC: Stef Ferreira <stef.personal@gmail.com>
SUBJECT: Entry: {competition_name}
DATE: {date}

Dear Competition Team,

Please accept my entry for {competition_name}.

{entry_details}

Thank you for this opportunity.

Best regards,

Ace
Competitions Agent
Supply Store Africa
ace@supplystoreafrica.com

4. Approval Workflow#

ALL external emails require approval:

1. Draft created in /root/.openclaw/workspace/drafts/
2. Presented to Stef in chat interface
3. Wait for explicit "approved" or "send it"
4. Send only after approval
5. Log sent email

Approval triggers:

• "Approved"
• "Send it"
• "Go ahead"
• "Yes, send that"

NOT approved by:

• "Looks good" (ambiguous)
• "OK" (ambiguous)
• Silence (never assume)

5. Migration Process#

When moving communications between agents:

1. Set up new agent email
2. Forward thread to new agent email
3. Send notification: "Future communications: newagent@supplystoreafrica.com"
4. Update contact information with external party
5. Archive old agent's involvement

Example: Contabo migration from Ace to Lourens

1. Create lourens@supplystoreafrica.com
2. Forward Contabo thread to Lourens
3. Email Contabo: "Future updates: lourens@supplystoreafrica.com"
4. Ace focuses only on competitions

Testing Checklist#

Sandbox Test#

• Configuration files created
• Templates work correctly
• Draft generation tested
• Approval workflow simulated
• No syntax errors

Production Test#

• Email account created
• IMAP/SMTP connectivity
• Send test email (to self)
• Receive test email
• Forwarding to stef.personal@gmail.com works
• CC on sent emails works

Integration Test#

• Agent can access email
• Draft creation works
• Approval workflow functional
• Sent emails logged
• Error handling works

Error Handling#

Common Issues#

1. IMAP connection failed: Check credentials, firewall, port
2. SMTP rejected: Check authentication, port 587 vs 465
3. Email not forwarding: Check hosting panel settings
4. CC not working: Check email client configuration

Recovery Procedures#

bash

# Test IMAP
openssl s_client -connect mail.supplystoreafrica.com:993 -crlf

# Test SMTP
openssl s_client -connect mail.supplystoreafrica.com:587 -starttls smtp

# Check logs
tail -f /var/log/mail.log

Security#

Credential Management#

• Store passwords in Bitwarden
• Never hardcode in scripts
• Use environment variables
• Rotate passwords periodically

Access Control#

• Agents only access their own email
• No cross-agent email access
• All emails CC'd to human oversight
• Sent items archived for audit

Monitoring#

• Failed login attempts logged
• Unusual sending patterns flagged
• Regular access review
• Password rotation schedule

Maintenance#

Daily#

• Check sent items logged
• Verify forwarding working
• Monitor for failed sends

Weekly#

• Review email logs
• Check storage quotas
• Update templates if needed

Monthly#

• Password rotation
• Audit access logs
• Review security settings

Related Skills#

• email-approval-workflow - Draft and approval process
• gmail-gog-setup - Alternative email configuration
• secure-secret-sharing - For credential sharing if needed
• agent-lourens - Lourens-specific configuration
• ace-competitions - Ace-specific configuration

Critical: Agent Knowledge Transfer Protocol#

Issue Discovered (March 31, 2026): Facet reported "I have no skills, haven't learned anything yet"

Root Cause: Agents configured but had empty workspaces - no knowledge transfer

What MUST Be Transferred When Creating Agents#

1. Identity - Who they are (IDENTITY.md, SOUL.md)
2. User Context - Who Stef is (USER.md)
3. System Knowledge - What we've built (MEMORY.md, AGENTS.md)
4. Skills & Learning - What they can do (skill-specific docs)
5. Memory & History - What we've learned (memory/ files)
6. Tool Access - read tool required to access workspace

Knowledge Transfer Procedure#

bash

# Run knowledge transfer script
python3 /root/.openclaw/workspace/setup_agent_knowledge.py --agent {agent_name}

# Verify transfer
ls -la /root/.openclaw/agents/{agent}/workspace/
cat /root/.openclaw/agents/{agent}/workspace/IDENTITY.md

Protocol Document#

• AGENT_TRANSFORMATION_PROTOCOL.md - Complete transfer procedure
• setup_agent_knowledge.py - Automation script

Result: All agents (Lourens, Ace, Scout, Facet) now have complete knowledge and are proper assistants.

Lessons Learned#

From Contabo Experience:#

1. Role confusion: Ace shouldn't handle infrastructure emails
2. Email identity: Professional email addresses matter
3. Approval workflow: Essential for external communications
4. Migration planning: Need clear handover process

From Knowledge Transfer Issue:#

1. Empty workspaces: Agents need complete knowledge transfer
2. Identity files: Must include IDENTITY.md, SOUL.md, USER.md
3. System context: MEMORY.md and AGENTS.md essential
4. Tool access: read tool required to access workspace files

Best Practices:#

1. Always sandbox test first
2. Document configuration thoroughly
3. Maintain role separation
4. Human oversight on all external comms
5. Regular security reviews
6. Complete knowledge transfer for new agents