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I'd like to know how to prevent Sent messages from being saved on the SMTP server

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  • Last reply by James-A

James-A
James-A
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Currently, my Thunderbird client saves a copy of all sent message to its Sent folder as expected. All sent messages are also retained on the SMTP server (G-Mail in this case). To prevent having to manually remove them, I'd like to prevent the outgoing message from being stored on the SMTP server in the first place. Currently, my Thunderbird Account settings for Copies and Folders has a tick beside the "Other" option with a destination option of the Sent Folder in Thunderbird. I see no other settings that could control how the SMTP server handles sent mail. I use POP services only with the G-Mail Server. What settings should be in place to prevent sent messages from collecting in the Sent folder on the SMTP server account?

Currently, my Thunderbird client saves a copy of all sent message to its Sent folder as expected. All sent messages are also retained on the SMTP server (G-Mail in this case). To prevent having to manually remove them, I'd like to prevent the outgoing message from being stored on the SMTP server in the first place. Currently, my Thunderbird Account settings for Copies and Folders has a tick beside the "Other" option with a destination option of the Sent Folder in Thunderbird. I see no other settings that could control how the SMTP server handles sent mail. I use POP services only with the G-Mail Server. What settings should be in place to prevent sent messages from collecting in the Sent folder on the SMTP server account?

Modified by James-A

Chosen solution

I think I can now answer my own question! The issue turns out to be a g-mail issue not a Thunderbird-controlled factor.

Apparently g-mail automatically retains a copy of all mail sent through an account's SMTP service. It's a "feature" that can't be turned off! A work-around seems to be to set up a filter in the g-mail account settings for all mail with a FROM address equal to your own e-mail address and send all such messages to the Trash folder. Items in the Trash folder are deleted automatically in 30 days. Google prevents the 30 days rule from being altered as a safety feature, but at least trashed messages to get irrevocably deleted in a month.

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James-A
James-A Question owner
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Chosen Solution

I think I can now answer my own question! The issue turns out to be a g-mail issue not a Thunderbird-controlled factor.

Apparently g-mail automatically retains a copy of all mail sent through an account's SMTP service. It's a "feature" that can't be turned off! A work-around seems to be to set up a filter in the g-mail account settings for all mail with a FROM address equal to your own e-mail address and send all such messages to the Trash folder. Items in the Trash folder are deleted automatically in 30 days. Google prevents the 30 days rule from being altered as a safety feature, but at least trashed messages to get irrevocably deleted in a month.