Do I need a Claude API key, or is ChatGPT Plus / Claude Pro enough?

You need an API key from the Anthropic Console. A Claude Pro chat subscription covers the claude.ai website only — Airbox connects through the API, which is billed separately as pay-as-you-go.

Which Claude model does it use?

By default a current Claude Sonnet model. You can override the model per inbox or per email if you want a different one.

How much does it cost?

Airbox has a free plan to get started. You bring your own AI provider API key, so you pay the provider directly for the tokens you use — there is no AI markup from Airbox.

Is it safe to point Airbox at my real email?

Yes — that's exactly what Airbox is designed for. Airbox only acts on mail from senders you allow, and it only treats the subject and first body line (or a (* … *) block) as instructions. Everything else in a forwarded email is quarantined as untrusted content and never obeyed for your own security and privacy. Your API keys stay fully encrypted.

How to email Claude AI

The short version

To email Claude, sign up for Airbox to get a private email address, connect your Anthropic (Claude) API key once, then forward or BCC any email to that address. Airbox passes the message to Claude and emails the answer straight back into your inbox — no app, no copy-paste, no code.

What you need

A free Airbox account
An Anthropic API key for Claude — we link you straight to it, and it stays encrypted

1. Get your Airbox address

Create a free account and open the dashboard to make an inbox. You get an unguessable address like c4f8xxxx@airbox.fyi. Save it as a contact or BCC it on outgoing mail. See the quick start for the full walkthrough.

2. Connect Claude AI

Airbox uses your own Claude API key, so you stay in control of the model and your usage. You paste it in just once.

Open the Anthropic Console and create an API key — it looks like sk-ant-…
In your Airbox dashboard, go to Connections → + AI & LLM provider → Claude and paste the key.
Open your inbox routing and set Claude as the default, then Save.

Open the Claude AI key page →

Full step-by-step: Claude AI connection guide

3. Send your first email

Forward or BCC any email to your Airbox address. To ask for something specific, put a short instruction on the trusted surface — the subject, the first body line, or a (* … *) block at the top:

Subject: Fwd: Q3 planning thread

(* @claude summarize this and list every deadline *)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
...the email you forwarded...

A plain send or forward with no instruction works too — Airbox summarizes the email and pulls out action items by default.

Anything else in a forwarded email is treated as content to read, never as a command. More in the command syntax and forwarding guides.

What you can do

Summarize a long email thread and list the action items
Draft a reply in your voice, ready to edit and send
Extract dates, amounts, or names from a forwarded message
Translate an email into another language

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Claude API key, or is ChatGPT Plus / Claude Pro enough?: You need an API key from the Anthropic Console. A Claude Pro chat subscription covers the claude.ai website only — Airbox connects through the API, which is billed separately as pay-as-you-go.
Which Claude model does it use?: By default a current Claude Sonnet model. You can override the model per inbox or per email if you want a different one.
How much does it cost?: Airbox has a free plan to get started. You bring your own AI provider API key, so you pay the provider directly for the tokens you use — there is no AI markup from Airbox.
Is it safe to point Airbox at my real email?: Yes — that's exactly what Airbox is designed for. Airbox only acts on mail from senders you allow, and it only treats the subject and first body line (or a (* … *) block) as instructions. Everything else in a forwarded email is quarantined as untrusted content and never obeyed for your own security and privacy. Your API keys stay fully encrypted.

Ready to try it?

Get your private Airbox address and send your first AI-routed email in minutes. Free to start — bring your own AI.