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Filters in Thunderbird do not work.

  • 4 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 60 views
  • Last reply by bobbyb37

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My version of Thunderbird is the latest version. Always kept up to date. Filters simply don't work. I create a filter titled Spam. I add an entry as follows. From contains displayed sender name or subject title. Save filter with no errors, click run selected filter and nothing happens either manually or automatically.

How do I them to work? I am drowning in spam that I have to manually delete.

Also Thunderbird identifies emails as potential Junk. I select that email as junk. Yet the next day I get another copy of that exact email. When tagging an email as junk, why doesn't it automatically block that email in future? What is the point to tagging an email as Junk if it doesn't stop them from being sent again?

My version of Thunderbird is the latest version. Always kept up to date. Filters simply don't work. I create a filter titled Spam. I add an entry as follows. From contains displayed sender name or subject title. Save filter with no errors, click run selected filter and nothing happens either manually or automatically. How do I them to work? I am drowning in spam that I have to manually delete. Also Thunderbird identifies emails as potential Junk. I select that email as junk. Yet the next day I get another copy of that exact email. When tagging an email as junk, why doesn't it automatically block that email in future? What is the point to tagging an email as Junk if it doesn't stop them from being sent again?

All Replies (4)

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Okay, I feel your pain. On filters, I suggest creating one and testing it against current mail to confirm that it works properly before saving for future use. Filters can be tricky, so some testing may be helpful.

On junk controls, this is a process that takes time for the junk controls to 'learn' patterns of what you call junk. It is not a blacklist system that catalogs all email ids of junk senders, so it's possible for an email from a sender to be marked junk and another to not be. There are some well done tutorials on this if you use a search engine and search for thunderbird junk controls . For example, one supportive step is to periodically mark what messages are good in addition to marking which are junk.

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Thanks. I have used filters in past. I have dozens of them set up. However in releases of late they do not really seem to work at all. I created a new one, did everything the right way and they still don't work at all. I need to know how to get them to work or I'll have to find a different mail client that has filters that do work.

As for the junk setting I would think after about 20 messages marked as junk, I wouldn't get them any more. But again, nada.

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The most usual error I make creating filters is that, if I have several rules in single filter i forgot to change from Match all to Match Any.

For some reason it is not easy to notice that.

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I've spent hours and hours trying all suggestions.

The filters (forwarding incoming to a specific folder) simply refuse to work.

I've never had problems with Thunderbird at all before my latest automatic update.