WordPress Plugin Development - Email Checker

## WordPress Plugin Developer Needed – Incoming Email Checker

I need a developer to build a small custom WordPress plugin that can connect to an email account and check incoming emails.

The project is small in size, but it requires proper handling of email connections and background checks.

### Main Requirements

* Connect an email account using IMAP
* Support Gmail or standard IMAP mailboxes
* Check for new incoming emails automatically
* Display recent incoming emails inside the WordPress admin panel
* Show sender, subject, received date/time, and read/unread status
* Allow manual "Check Mail" refresh
* Avoid downloading the same email multiple times
* Store only necessary email information in the WordPress database
* Use WordPress Cron for automatic checking
* Basic connection settings inside the plugin admin page

### Small Technical Challenge

The plugin should correctly detect only newly received emails even if WordPress Cron runs several times.

It should also handle:

* Failed IMAP connections
* Authentication errors
* Duplicate emails
* Connection timeouts
* Large mailboxes without scanning the full inbox every time

The plugin should be lightweight and should not depend on any paid email service or external API.

### Deliverables

Working WordPress plugin, source code, installation instructions, and a short explanation of how the mail-checking process works.

This is a small project, so I am looking for someone who can keep the solution simple while handling the email logic properly.