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

Using message filter to move email to local folder doesn't delete from server

  • 2 iimpendulo
  • 1 inayo le ngxaki
  • 1 view
  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu nsolot

more options

Every month or so, I try to move emails to a local folder using message filter. I'm using a few GMail accounts with TB. The filter does move the emails from my GMail inbox to the local folder, but doesn't delete them from the GMail server, so the next time I reboot and start TB, it re-synchs to the GMail server and downloads the emails again. The only solution I have come up with is to open GMail via browser and delete the emails in that manner.

Is there a way to move emails from GMail inbox to local folder AND delete them from Gmail server so they don't download again? TIA

Every month or so, I try to move emails to a local folder using message filter. I'm using a few GMail accounts with TB. The filter does move the emails from my GMail inbox to the local folder, but doesn't delete them from the GMail server, so the next time I reboot and start TB, it re-synchs to the GMail server and downloads the emails again. The only solution I have come up with is to open GMail via browser and delete the emails in that manner. Is there a way to move emails from GMail inbox to local folder AND delete them from Gmail server so they don't download again? TIA

Isisombulu esikhethiweyo

Perhaps try copy and delete, that is what happens in the background on a lot of IMAP servers anyway.

Gmail is however an odd fish, their IMAP is not really IMAP, they even call it GIMAP because they have no intention of making it IMAP. So what works and does not work is really anyone's guess until you try it. GMail only has one copy of mail, in the all mail folder. anything else is an illusion created by adding tags with folder names to the original mail. It is for this reason I suggest you try the copy delete instead. Perhaps that will work better with the GIMAP.

Funda le mpendulo kwimeko leyo 👍 0

All Replies (2)

more options

Isisombululo esiKhethiweyo

Perhaps try copy and delete, that is what happens in the background on a lot of IMAP servers anyway.

Gmail is however an odd fish, their IMAP is not really IMAP, they even call it GIMAP because they have no intention of making it IMAP. So what works and does not work is really anyone's guess until you try it. GMail only has one copy of mail, in the all mail folder. anything else is an illusion created by adding tags with folder names to the original mail. It is for this reason I suggest you try the copy delete instead. Perhaps that will work better with the GIMAP.

more options

Thanks! That seems to work well. Appreciate the help