Question 1

How do I send an email with attachments using MailKit in C#?

Accepted Answer

Create a MimeMessage with a Multipart object that includes TextPart for the body and MimePart for each attachment, then use SmtpClient to connect and send. The README provides examples for constructing such messages, but you'll need to handle MIME types manually.

Question 2

Does MailKit support OAuth2 for Gmail IMAP access?

Accepted Answer

Yes, MailKit supports XOAUTH2 and OAUTHBEARER SASL mechanisms, which are required for OAuth2 with Gmail. However, you must manage token acquisition and refresh externally, as it only handles the protocol layer.

Question 3

MailKit vs System.Net.Mail: which is better for .NET email sending?

Accepted Answer

MailKit excels in cross-platform support, RFC compliance, and advanced features like async operations and proxy support. System.Net.Mail is simpler for Windows-only basic SMTP but lacks IMAP/POP3 and has known limitations in older .NET versions.

Question 4

Is MailKit thread-safe for concurrent email operations?

Accepted Answer

Clients like SmtpClient and ImapClient are designed for thread-safe use when instances are not shared across threads without synchronization. However, the library documentation recommends careful management to avoid issues in high-concurrency scenarios.

Question 5

What are common pitfalls when using MailKit with IMAP servers?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the server supports the extensions you need; while MailKit handles many, some may require fallback heuristics. Always enable protocol logs for debugging, as the FAQ emphasizes for bug reports with unsupported servers.

Question 6

How to handle IMAP special folders like Sent or Drafts without the SPECIAL-USE extension?

Accepted Answer

Implement custom logic by iterating through folder names using common heuristics, as shown in the README example with arrays like CommonSentFolderNames, since MailKit doesn't abstract this for all servers.

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