We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

When I delete amessage from my web-mail it automatically is deleted from Thunderbird. How do I stop this.

more options

I regularly delete messages from my web-mail, that is the server for my Thunderbird account. I do this to keep too many messages from building up in my web-mail that I seldom use. For some reason when I do this it deletes those messages in my inbox on Thunderbird, too. How can I stop this.

I regularly delete messages from my web-mail, that is the server for my Thunderbird account. I do this to keep too many messages from building up in my web-mail that I seldom use. For some reason when I do this it deletes those messages in my inbox on Thunderbird, too. How can I stop this.

All Replies (3)

more options

If you are using IMAP email this is how it works. IMAP is server based and you just view messages remotely. You delete the message and its gone. You need to move a message to folders under Local Folders before deleting it if you want to keep a local copy.

more options

My Thunderbird didn't use to work this way, so I must not have been using IMAP email. Before when I used an email service, the messages had to be erased from both inboxes. So what type of server or Thunderbird changes can I make so that messages delivered to my Thunderbird from Cox, stay in my inbox until I delete them from Thunderbird even if I delete them from Cox web-mail? Until I find the right settings I am doing as you say and saving them.

more options

You should educate yourself on the difference between POP and IMAP. Then decide what works for you.