Python script to download all gmail attachments.

dlAttachments.py

# Something in lines of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/348630/how-can-i-download-all-emails-with-attachments-from-gmail
# Make sure you have IMAP enabled in your gmail settings.
# Right now it won't download same file name twice even if their contents are different.

import email
import getpass, imaplib
import os
import sys

detach_dir = '.'
if 'attachments' not in os.listdir(detach_dir):
    os.mkdir('attachments')

userName = raw_input('Enter your GMail username:')
passwd = getpass.getpass('Enter your password: ')

try:
    imapSession = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL('imap.gmail.com')
    typ, accountDetails = imapSession.login(userName, passwd)
    if typ != 'OK':
        print 'Not able to sign in!'
        raise
    
    imapSession.select('[Gmail]/All Mail')
    typ, data = imapSession.search(None, 'ALL')
    if typ != 'OK':
        print 'Error searching Inbox.'
        raise
    
    # Iterating over all emails
    for msgId in data[0].split():
        typ, messageParts = imapSession.fetch(msgId, '(RFC822)')
        if typ != 'OK':
            print 'Error fetching mail.'
            raise

        emailBody = messageParts[0][1]
        mail = email.message_from_string(emailBody)
        for part in mail.walk():
            if part.get_content_maintype() == 'multipart':
                # print part.as_string()
                continue
            if part.get('Content-Disposition') is None:
                # print part.as_string()
                continue
            fileName = part.get_filename()

            if bool(fileName):
                filePath = os.path.join(detach_dir, 'attachments', fileName)
                if not os.path.isfile(filePath) :
                    print fileName
                    fp = open(filePath, 'wb')
                    fp.write(part.get_payload(decode=True))
                    fp.close()
    imapSession.close()
    imapSession.logout()
except :
    print 'Not able to download all attachments.'

This is awesome! Thank you

Hi,
Does anyone find this repo working? I think I am stuck with the login that throws me exception

typ, accountDetails = imapSession.login(userName, passed)

can anyone help?

thank you

Hi @chaohuichen,

Have you tried this? https://gist.github.com/kngeno/5337e543eb72174a6ac95e028b3b6456

Also from @x011on flagging particular emails
https://gist.github.com/x011/d6c346debe22f5fec9e4499643ae1050

Hi,
Does anyone find this repo working? I think I am stuck with the login that throws me exception

typ, accountDetails = imapSession.login(userName, passed)

can anyone help?

thank you

Hi @chaohuichen,

Have you tried this? https://gist.github.com/kngeno/5337e543eb72174a6ac95e028b3b6456

Also from @x011on flagging particular emails
https://gist.github.com/x011/d6c346debe22f5fec9e4499643ae1050

Hi,
Does anyone find this repo working? I think I am stuck with the login that throws me exception
typ, accountDetails = imapSession.login(userName, passed)
can anyone help?
thank you

Thank you @kngeno. the second gist link works!

Trying this in 2022 and always getting the 'Not able to download all attachments.' error. I read that in May 2022 google does not give the options to allow access to less secure apps, which fixed the problem for other users here. Does anyone know how to make this work in 2022?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

Trying this in 2022 and always getting the 'Not able to download all attachments.' error. I read that in May 2022 google does not give the options to allow access to less secure apps, which fixed the problem for other users here. Does anyone know how to make this work in 2022?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

If mail is something like test@test.com
Less secured app option is still available

For mails like anything@gmail.com you should use "app password"

Thanks for the reply! For App password, would I just use it in place of the regular password in the script above?

I tried that but am still getting the same issue.