PST to AI Converter

A local CLI tool that converts Microsoft Outlook .pst files into AI-friendly formats (Markdown, JSON, or CSV).

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• libpst (install via Homebrew on macOS)

Installation

brew install libpst

No Python packages needed (stdlib only).

Usage

# Metadata-only export (default) - compact, token-efficient
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst

# Full export with email bodies
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst --full

# Different formats
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst -f json
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst -f csv
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst -f all   # md + json + csv

# Include thread linking info (message IDs, references)
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst --include-threading

# Preserve folder structure (separate files per folder)
python -m pst_converter.cli your_archive.pst --folders

Options

Option	Description	Default
-f, --format	markdown, json, csv, both, or all	markdown
--metadata-only	Headers only, no body content (token efficient)	On
--full	Include full email bodies	Off
--include-threading	Include message_id, in_reply_to, references	Off
--folders	Separate files per folder	Off
-o, --output	Output directory	./output
--limit N	Limit emails (for testing)	None
-v, --verbose	Verbose logging	Off

Format Comparison (5,937 emails)

Format	Size	Best For
Markdown	668KB	Chat-based AI (most compact)
CSV	1.0MB	Spreadsheets, SQL queries
JSON	1.8MB	Programmatic analysis, structured queries

Recommendation: Use markdown for pasting into AI chat, JSON for tool-based analysis.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Agent Skill Usage

You can use this as an Agent Skill by copying the pst_converter folder as a skill. This enables AI agents like Claude Code to autonomously convert and analyze PST files.

The pst_converter/ directory contains:

• SKILL.md: Instructions that teach Claude how and when to use the tool.
• cli.py: The main entry point script.
• Core logic for extraction and formatting.

Installation

To install the PST Converter as a Personal Skill (available everywhere):

Option 1: Symlink (Best for development) Link the folder to your global skills directory:

ln -s "$(pwd)/pst_converter" ~/.claude/skills/pst-converter

Option 2: Copy Folder Copy the package into your global skills directory:

cp -r pst_converter ~/.claude/skills/

Verification & Usage

1. Verify: In Claude Code, ask: "What skills do you have available?" or "List my skills". You should see pst-converter in the list.
2. Use: Simply ask Claude to process a PST file. For example:
   • "Convert this archive.pst to markdown"
   • "Show me a summary of the emails in backup.pst"
   • "Extract the metadata from archive.pst to a JSON file"

Claude will autonomously recognize the task, trigger the skill, and handle the command-line execution for you.

Note: Ensure libpst is installed on your system, as the skill relies on the readpst command.