Set Up Address Book Integration

Prerequisites

1. Confirm NeoMutt is working and you can open a mailbox.

2. Decide which address source you want to use: aliases, abook, khard, LDAP, or a custom query script.

Using NeoMutt’s Built-In Alias System

1. Add aliases to a config file that is sourced:

alias alan   Alan Jones <alan@example.com>      # tags:friends
alias briony Briony Williams <bw@example.com>   # tags:friends

2. (Optional) Store aliases in a separate file and source it:

source ~/.mail_aliases
set alias_file=~/.mail_aliases

3. At an address prompt, press Tab to expand an alias or list matches.

Expected result: aliases expand at To: and Cc: prompts, and the alias menu appears if there are multiple matches.

Integrating with abook

1. Install and configure abook (see its documentation).

2. Configure NeoMutt to query abook:

set query_command = "abook --mutt-query %s"

3. In the index menu, press Q to query addresses.

Expected result: the query menu lists contacts returned by abook.

References: abook man page and project docs.

Integrating with khard (CardDAV)

1. Install and configure khard and its address book backend (see khard docs).

2. Configure NeoMutt to query khard:

set query_command = "khard email --parsable %s"

3. Press Q in the index menu or Ctrl-T at an address prompt to query.

Expected result: the query menu lists khard results and address completion works.

References: khard scripting docs.

Using query_command for External Lookups

1. Create or install a query wrapper script.

2. Point NeoMutt at it:

set query_command = "mutt_ldap_query.pl %s"

3. Use Q in the index menu to run a query.

Expected result: a query menu with matching results and selectable addresses.

See How to Use External Address Queries.

Using LDAP for Address Lookups

1. Install or configure an LDAP query wrapper script (for example mutt_ldap_query.pl).

2. Set query_command to that script.

3. Use Q to search and select results.

Expected result: LDAP results appear in the query menu and can be inserted into address fields.

Auto-Saving Addresses from Received Mail

1. Decide where you want to store new contacts.

2. Add a macro to pipe a message to your address tool:

macro index,pager A "<pipe-message>abook --add-email-quiet<Enter>" "Save sender to abook"

3. Open a message and press A.

Expected result: the sender is added to your address book.

Adjust the command to match your tool (abook, khard, or a custom script).

Configuring Tab Completion for Addresses

1. Use aliases or an external query source.

2. At any address prompt, press Tab to expand or list matches.

3. Use Ctrl-T to query external address sources if configured.

Expected result: you can complete addresses quickly without leaving the prompt.