HowTo: Retrieve Email from a POP3 Server using the Command Line -

The POP3 (Post Office Protocol Version 3) is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local Email clients to retrieve Email from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection.

This tutorial shows how to connect to POP3 mail server and manage incoming Email using the ‘telnet’ command.

Step 1: Open a connection from your computer to a POP3 mail server

$ telnet pop.domain.ext 110
Trying ???.???.???.???...
Connected to pop.domain.ext.
Escape character is '^]'.
+OK ready

pop.domain.ext – Your mail server;
110 – Default port for POP3.

Step 2: Type your Login

> USER username
+OK Password required for UserName.

Step 3: Type your Password

> PASS password
+OK username has ? visible messages (? hidden) in ????? octets.

POP3 Commands with Description

Here are the basic POP3 commands, that you can use to manage your incoming Email.

Command	Description	Example
USER [username]	1st login command	USER Stan +OK Please enter a password
PASS [password]	2nd login command	PASS SeCrEt +OK valid logon
QUIT	Logs out and saves any changes	QUIT +OK Bye-bye.
STAT	Returns total number of messages and total size	STAT +OK 2 320
LIST	Lists all messages	LIST +OK 2 messages (320 octets) 1 120 2 200 … LIST 2 +OK 2 200
RETR [message]	Retrieves the whole message	RETR 1 +OK 120 octets follow. ***
DELE [message]	Deletes the specified message	DELE 2 +OK message deleted
NOOP	The POP3 server does nothing, it merely replies with a positive response.	NOOP +OK
RSET	Undelete the message if any marked for deletion	RSET +OK maildrop has 2 messages (320 octets)
TOP [message] [number]	Returns the headers and number of lines from the message	TOP 1 10 +OK ***