> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.freecustom.email/free-custom-email-api/v-1/inboxes/inbox/messages/list-messages/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.freecustom.email/_mcp/server.

# List messages

GET https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/{inbox}/messages

Returns a paginated list of messages received in the specified inbox, ordered newest first.

**Path parameters:**
- `:inbox` — URL-encoded inbox address (e.g., `test%40domain.com`)

**Query parameters:**
- `limit` *(optional)* — Number of messages to return per page. Default: `20`. Max: `100`.
- `before` *(optional)* — Cursor for pagination. Pass the `id` of the last message from the previous page to fetch the next page.

**Response fields (per message):**
- `id` — Unique message identifier
- `from` — Sender address
- `subject` — Email subject line
- `receivedAt` — ISO 8601 timestamp
- `otp` — `"__DETECTED__"` if an OTP was found but plan is below Growth; full value on Growth+

**Behaviour:**
- Returns an empty array `[]` if no messages have been received.
- Use the `before` cursor with the last `id` in the response to paginate through older messages.

**Plan:** All plans (Free and above). Full OTP value in listing requires Growth plan or higher.

Reference: https://docs.freecustom.email/free-custom-email-api/v-1/inboxes/inbox/messages/list-messages

## Authentication

- `Authorization` header (bearer token, required) — Bearer authentication of the form `Bearer <token>`, where token is your auth token.

## Request

### Path parameters

- `inbox` (string, required)

### Query parameters

- `limit` (integer, optional)
- `before` (string, optional) — Message ID — returns messages older than this

## Response

### 200

OK

- `success` (boolean, required)
- `data` (V1InboxesInboxMessagesGetResponsesContentApplicationJsonSchemaData, required)

## Errors

### 401 Unauthorized Error

Unauthorized

- `success` (boolean, required)
- `error` (string, required)
- `message` (string, required)

### 403 Forbidden Error

Forbidden

- `success` (boolean, required)
- `error` (string, required)
- `message` (string, required)

### 429 Too Many Requests Error

Too Many Requests

- `success` (boolean, required)
- `error` (string, required)
- `message` (string, required)
- `upgrade_url` (string, required)
- `credits_url` (string, required)
- `hint` (string, required)

## Types

### V1InboxesInboxMessagesGetResponsesContentApplicationJsonSchemaData

- `inbox` (string, required)
- `messages` (list of V1InboxesInboxMessagesGetResponsesContentApplicationJsonSchemaDataMessagesItems, required)
- `count` (integer, required)
- `has_more` (boolean, required)

### V1InboxesInboxMessagesGetResponsesContentApplicationJsonSchemaDataMessagesItems

- `id` (string, required)
- `from` (string, required)
- `subject` (string, required)
- `date` (datetime, required)
- `has_attachment` (boolean, required)
- `otp` (string, required)
- `verification_link` (string, required)

## Examples

**Response**

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "inbox": "string",
    "messages": [
      {
        "id": "string",
        "from": "string",
        "subject": "string",
        "date": "2025-01-04T10:08:40.720Z",
        "has_attachment": false,
        "otp": "string",
        "verification_link": "string"
      },
      {
        "id": "string",
        "from": "string",
        "subject": "string",
        "date": "1955-01-15T16:03:05.610Z",
        "has_attachment": false,
        "otp": "string",
        "verification_link": "string"
      }
    ],
    "count": 3338,
    "has_more": false
  }
}
```

**SDK Code**

```python v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
import requests

url = "https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages"

querystring = {"limit":"20","before":"string"}

headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer <token>"}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=querystring)

print(response.json())
```

```javascript v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
const url = 'https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string';
const options = {method: 'GET', headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>'}};

try {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}
```

```go v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string"

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)

	req.Header.Add("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}
```

```ruby v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url)
request["Authorization"] = 'Bearer <token>'

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body
```

```java v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
import com.mashape.unirest.http.HttpResponse;
import com.mashape.unirest.http.Unirest;

HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.get("https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string")
  .header("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
  .asString();
```

```php v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
<?php
require_once('vendor/autoload.php');

$client = new \GuzzleHttp\Client();

$response = $client->request('GET', 'https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string', [
  'headers' => [
    'Authorization' => 'Bearer <token>',
  ],
]);

echo $response->getBody();
```

```csharp v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.GET);
request.AddHeader("Authorization", "Bearer <token>");
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);
```

```swift v1_inboxes_{inbox}_messages_List messages_example
import Foundation

let headers = ["Authorization": "Bearer <token>"]

let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: NSURL(string: "https://api2.freecustom.email/v1/inboxes/%7B%7Bmailbox%7D%7D/messages?limit=20&before=string")! as URL,
                                        cachePolicy: .useProtocolCachePolicy,
                                    timeoutInterval: 10.0)
request.httpMethod = "GET"
request.allHTTPHeaderFields = headers

let session = URLSession.shared
let dataTask = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in
  if (error != nil) {
    print(error as Any)
  } else {
    let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse
    print(httpResponse)
  }
})

dataTask.resume()
```