Automate Email with Manus AI: Beginner Guide

What is Manus AI?

Manus is an autonomous AI agent that can browse the web, write and run code, manage files, and execute multi-step tasks on your behalf. Unlike a chatbot that only generates text, Manus takes action — it plans, executes, and delivers results.

Manus runs everything inside a sandboxed cloud environment. You give it a task in plain English, and it figures out the tools, commands, and steps needed to complete it. That makes it a natural fit for automating repetitive work like email.

What is Nylas CLI?

Nylas CLI is a command-line tool that lets you send, read, search, and manage email, calendar events, and contacts from your terminal. It works with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Exchange, iCloud, and any standard IMAP provider — all through a single, consistent interface. See the full command reference for details.

When you pair Nylas CLI with Manus, you get an AI agent that can handle your email tasks. You type a natural language prompt like "send a follow-up to Alice" and Manus translates that into the right CLI command, runs it, and reports back.

Step 1: Create accounts

You need two free accounts before you start:

1. Manus account — sign up at manus.im. The free plan includes enough credits to follow this tutorial.
2. Nylas account — sign up at dashboard-v3.nylas.com. The free tier supports development and testing.

Once you have both accounts, grab your Nylas API key from the Nylas dashboard. You'll need it in Step 3.

Step 2: Add the Nylas CLI Skill

Manus uses Skills to learn new capabilities. The Nylas CLI Skill teaches Manus how to install, configure, and use every Nylas CLI command.

1. Open your Manus dashboard and go to the Skills tab.
2. Upload the nylas-cli Skill folder (which contains a SKILL.md file and helper scripts).

For the full Skill file, setup scripts, and configuration details, see the Manus AI Skills guide.

Step 3: Activate and set up

Open a new Manus chat and type /nylas-cli to activate the Skill. Then ask Manus to run the setup script:

Run bash scripts/setup.sh

Manus will install the Nylas CLI binary inside its sandbox. When it asks for your API key, paste the key you copied from the Nylas dashboard. Manus stores it securely in the sandbox environment.

Verify the setup by asking Manus to confirm authentication:

nylas auth whoami

You should see your connected email address and grant ID. If you see an error, ask Manus to re-run the setup script.

Step 4: Send your first email

Type this prompt into the Manus chat:

Send an email to test@example.com with subject "Hello from Manus" and body "This is my first automated email."

Manus translates your prompt into a CLI command and runs it:

nylas email send --to "test@example.com" --subject "Hello from Manus" --body "This is my first automated email." --yes

The --yes flag skips the confirmation prompt, which is required inside the Manus sandbox where interactive input is not available.

Step 5: Read your inbox

Ask Manus to show your recent messages:

Show me my last 10 emails.

Manus runs:

nylas email list --limit 10 --json

The --json flag gives Manus structured output it can parse and summarize for you. Manus will typically present the results as a clean table with sender, subject, and date.

Step 6: Search for emails

Try a search prompt:

Find emails about the quarterly report.

Manus runs:

nylas email search "quarterly report" --limit 10 --json

Search works across subject lines, message bodies, and sender names. You can be as specific or broad as you like — Manus will pick the right query terms.

What to try next

Now that you have the basics working, explore the rest of the Manus + Nylas CLI series:

• Manus AI Inbox Zero — triage, categorize, and draft replies for your entire inbox.
• Manus AI Meeting Scheduler — schedule meetings with natural language.
• Draft Personalized Emails — batch-draft outbound emails with AI.
• Mail Manus Email Automation — supercharge Mail Manus with multi-provider access.
• Manus AI vs Claude Code — compare Skills and MCP for email automation.
• Create a Manus Skill for Email and Calendar — build and customize the Skill file from scratch.
• Nylas CLI Command Reference — every command, flag, and option.

Frequently asked questions

Is Manus AI free?

Manus has a free plan with limited monthly credits. Paid plans start at $20/month. The Nylas API also has a free tier for development and testing, so you can try everything in this guide at no cost.

Which email providers work?

Nylas CLI works with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Exchange, iCloud, and any standard IMAP provider. You connect your account once during setup and every command works across all providers.

Do I need coding skills?

No. Manus translates your natural language prompts into CLI commands automatically. You type plain English like "send an email to Alice" and Manus handles the rest.