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.

Avatar for Username

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

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

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

  • 1 பதிலளி
  • 1 இந்த பிரச்சனை உள்ளது
  • 6 views
  • Last reply by James-A

James-A
James-A
more options

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?

James-A மூலமாக திருத்தப்பட்டது

தீர்வு தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டது

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.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (1)

James-A
James-A கேள்வியின் உரிமையாளர்
more options

தீர்வு தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டது

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.