Send, reply, and forward

icloud uses the same compose model for new messages, replies, forwards, and drafts. You can provide text, HTML, files, CC/BCC recipients, a sender identity, a signature, and optional S/MIME protection.

Send a new message

Start with a preview:

icloud mail send \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject 'Project update' \
  --body-file update.txt \
  --dry-run

Then send the reviewed request:

icloud mail send \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject 'Project update' \
  --body-file update.txt \
  --idempotency-key project-update-01 \
  --yes

In an interactive terminal you may omit --yes and answer the confirmation prompt. Scripts and agents should use --dry-run for review and --yes only when a real send is intended.

Why use an idempotency key?

An idempotency key makes retries much safer. Repeating the same normalized send with the same key returns the original operation rather than submitting another copy.

--idempotency-key project-update-01

If you change the message, use a new key. The CLI refuses to silently reuse one key for different content.

Provide the message body

Inline text:

icloud mail send \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject Hello \
  --body 'Thanks for the update.' \
  --dry-run

From a file:

icloud mail send \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject Hello \
  --body-file message.txt \
  --dry-run

From stdin:

printf '%s\n' 'Thanks for the update.' | \
  icloud mail send \
    --to client@example.com \
    --subject Hello \
    --body-file - \
    --dry-run

HTML uses --html-body or --html-body-file. You can provide both text and HTML when you want a multipart message.

Add recipients

Repeat recipient flags or provide comma-separated addresses:

icloud mail send \
  --to primary@example.com \
  --cc reviewer@example.com \
  --bcc private-copy@example.com \
  --reply-to replies@example.com \
  --subject 'Project update' \
  --body-file update.txt \
  --dry-run

BCC is shown in an explicit dry-run review, but is not added as a normal Bcc header to the delivered message.

Attach files

icloud mail send \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject 'Project files' \
  --body 'See attached.' \
  --attach report.pdf \
  --attach data.csv \
  --dry-run

The preview inspects the selected files before a real send. The files are checked again when you actually send so a changed attachment is not silently substituted after review.

For inline images and attachment metadata overrides, see the exact flags in icloud mail send.

Choose a sender identity

If you have configured aliases or custom-domain addresses:

icloud mail send \
  --from alias@icloud.com \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject 'Project update' \
  --body-file update.txt \
  --dry-run

See Sender identities.

Use a signature

Once signatures are configured, normal compose commands can use their defaults automatically. Override one message with:

icloud mail send ... --signature sig_… --dry-run

Or suppress the configured signature:

icloud mail send ... --signature none --dry-run

See Signatures.

Reply to an exact message

Start from a local msg_… ID:

icloud mail reply msg_… --body-file reply.txt --dry-run

Then send:

icloud mail reply msg_… \
  --body-file reply.txt \
  --idempotency-key client-reply-01 \
  --yes

If the same logical message has copies in several folders, use --folder when the CLI asks you to choose the exact copy:

icloud mail reply msg_… \
  --folder inbox \
  --body-file reply.txt \
  --dry-run

Reply all

icloud mail reply-all msg_… \
  --body 'Thanks, everyone.' \
  --dry-run

Review the resolved recipient list before sending. The command avoids re-adding your configured sender identities as recipients.

Forward a message

icloud mail forward msg_… \
  --to teammate@example.com \
  --body 'For context:' \
  --dry-run

The normal forward includes a readable quoted representation. If you need the original message as an exact EML attachment:

icloud mail forward msg_… \
  --to teammate@example.com \
  --original eml \
  --dry-run

Original attachments are opt-in. List them first, then choose the ones to include:

icloud mail attachments list msg_…

icloud mail forward msg_… \
  --to teammate@example.com \
  --include-attachment att_… \
  --dry-run

Use ordinary --attach for new local files you want to add to the forward.

Sign or encrypt with S/MIME

If S/MIME is configured:

icloud mail send \
  --to client@example.com \
  --subject 'Protected update' \
  --body-file update.txt \
  --smime sign-encrypt \
  --dry-run

See S/MIME for certificate and private-key setup.

If the send result is uncertain

Do not immediately create a new send. Keep the returned send_… ID and inspect the outbound operation:

icloud mail operations outbound show send_…
icloud mail sync --reconcile-outbound

A connection failure can occur after iCloud may already have accepted the message. Outbox and send recovery explains the difference between a safe retry and a duplicate-risk retry.

Draft first instead

For mail you want to revise before sending, use Drafts.