Thunderbird Filters and Wrap

January 8, 2008 12:13 PM

Two quick Thunderbird questions: 1. Outgoing mail filters (work-arounds). 2. Incoming mail line breaks.

Why would an elaborate and fairly solid email application be developed that doesn't include the ability to set up a filter for OUTGOING email? I desperately need this function due to the huge amount of email that moves through my office. Do any hardcore TB users have a work-around or is their an add-on that I've missed? Yes, I'm aware that email sent as a RESPONSE will go into the same folder as the INCOMING filter routed it, but I need to have all originally generated email go into various folders, etc.

Also, I have several regular correspondents that send email that does not WRAP. Reading their missives is impossible as the line lenghth will stretch two feet across the email template. Any suggestions to remedy this?

posted by zenpop to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Yes, I'm aware that email sent as a RESPONSE will go into the same folder as the INCOMING filter routed it, but I need to have all originally generated email go into various folders, etc.

I honestly have no idea what that means. Incoming mail can be sorted into different folders based on filters. Outgoing mail goes into the sent folder. Do you want it to go into different folders based on filters?
posted by special-k at 12:19 PM on January 8, 2008

Re the outgoing mail, you need a nifty little add-on called 'copy sent to current'.
posted by essexjan at 12:20 PM on January 8, 2008

OK, I think I kinda get it. Short answer is no way to directly filter mail as it gets sent out, but there is a solution. It's called virtual folders. So all your originally generated email will still go into the sent folder, but you can create a set of virtual folders, that will display email from your sent folder based on filters you create. So email location will still be in sent, but you can have it displayed in different folders.

Unfortunately virtual folders cannot be merged with physical folders. Your solution might have to be:

Folder for project A
Sent mail for project A (which would be a virtual folder)

To create virtual folder, do a search from within sent (in the search bar on the right), then click drop down box and save Search as folder.
posted by special-k at 12:25 PM on January 8, 2008

Looks like essexjan's solution would work just fine, as long as you don't mind choosing the folder from the drop down box in the compose window each time (doesn't look like it takes filters).
posted by special-k at 12:28 PM on January 8, 2008

I have all my mail for various email lists set to sort incoming mail into folders, and it's really easy to use the 'copy to current' add-on to direct outgoing mail into the right folder too. It takes a few goes to get used to but once you start using it, it'll become second nature.

Also remember to set it up so that if you accidentally hit the key for 'no copy' that 'no copy' means a copy is sent to the 'deleted' folder so you can retrieve it if necessary.
posted by essexjan at 12:50 PM on January 8, 2008

Thanks essexjan, that'll work for now. I hope the next version of TB includes outgoing filter options.
posted by zenpop at 2:07 PM on January 8, 2008