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Archive/Delete integration with Gmail via IMAP

  • 2 replies
  • 0 have this problem
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  • Last reply by carln

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I want to be able to use the archive and delete functions in Thunderbird for a Gmail account that will have the following results:

I want to be able to archive email in TB with the following results: (a) the email is moved to an archive folder in TB (b) the email is de-labelled in Gmail, i.e. it ends up in All Mail only.

I want a Delete in TB to delete the email on TB and send to the Bin on Gmail.

I don't want to have to sync the "All Mail" label from Gmail to TB.

Currently, I have a set up as follows: I have archive switched off on TB. I have Delete set to mark as deleted and I have auto-expunge on in Gmail. This way "deleting" an email from the inbox in TB actually archives it in Gmail. I then have a separate account in TB set to download all emails from gmail by POP3 which serves as the TB archive. To delete emails: I have created a folder in TB called "to delete" and I move any emails I want to delete to that. Then from time to time I log into Gmail and bin everything in that folder.

My workaround achieves everything except that the local archive still contains everything that I have actually deleted.

I have tried to change this. I turned on Archive in TB and set it to keep an archive of the email in Local Folders. I left Delete as is and in Gmail I turned off auto-expunge and set it to Bin emails on expunge. The plan will then be to discontinue the POP3 download. BUT I have found that if I archive or delete an email in TB the email is struck through to show it is marked as deleted, but even if I move out of the inbox and back in or force a send/receive or I close TB completely and log back in the emails are still sitting there. And in neither case does the email leave the Inbox in Gmail. I do wonder if the fact that I have Gmail on my phone is causing a problem because the emails are showing there too and therefore the "expunged from the last visible IMAP folder" means that Gmail is not yet acting on the deletion.

Any advice welcome.

I want to be able to use the archive and delete functions in Thunderbird for a Gmail account that will have the following results: I want to be able to archive email in TB with the following results: (a) the email is moved to an archive folder in TB (b) the email is de-labelled in Gmail, i.e. it ends up in All Mail only. I want a Delete in TB to delete the email on TB and send to the Bin on Gmail. I don't want to have to sync the "All Mail" label from Gmail to TB. Currently, I have a set up as follows: I have archive switched off on TB. I have Delete set to mark as deleted and I have auto-expunge on in Gmail. This way "deleting" an email from the inbox in TB actually archives it in Gmail. I then have a separate account in TB set to download all emails from gmail by POP3 which serves as the TB archive. To delete emails: I have created a folder in TB called "to delete" and I move any emails I want to delete to that. Then from time to time I log into Gmail and bin everything in that folder. My workaround achieves everything except that the local archive still contains everything that I have actually deleted. I have tried to change this. I turned on Archive in TB and set it to keep an archive of the email in Local Folders. I left Delete as is and in Gmail I turned off auto-expunge and set it to Bin emails on expunge. The plan will then be to discontinue the POP3 download. BUT I have found that if I archive or delete an email in TB the email is struck through to show it is marked as deleted, but even if I move out of the inbox and back in or force a send/receive or I close TB completely and log back in the emails are still sitting there. And in neither case does the email leave the Inbox in Gmail. I do wonder if the fact that I have Gmail on my phone is causing a problem because the emails are showing there too and therefore the "expunged from the last visible IMAP folder" means that Gmail is not yet acting on the deletion. Any advice welcome.

Modified by carln

Chosen solution

Thinking about this further, a solution might be:

Leave auto-expunge on. I think archiving in TB will then cause the relevant email to also be archived (kept in All Mail) in Gmail.

Set delete in TB to move it to the Trash/Bin folder (whatever syncs with Gmails bin) rather than just mark as deleted.

Let me try that and report back.

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Chosen Solution

Thinking about this further, a solution might be:

Leave auto-expunge on. I think archiving in TB will then cause the relevant email to also be archived (kept in All Mail) in Gmail.

Set delete in TB to move it to the Trash/Bin folder (whatever syncs with Gmails bin) rather than just mark as deleted.

Let me try that and report back.

more options

So that works. Easy when you think about it.