Better email sorting and foldering -- hacks / solutions?

[geedee]

Hi --
Longtime Fastmail user here. So long that I get email from....basically everywhere for more than a decade. The result is a messy inbox and tons of folders created over time.

Is there a good way to wrangle this process?

Is there a process or "hack" that would make selecting a given email, then selecting all emails "like it" to go into an existing folder and/or to a new folder created right at that time? Maybe it would also be possible to simultaneously create a standing rule for same?

Something like this would make cleaning up and organizing in realtime much better. I don't want to revert to hooking up Outlook or Thunderbird to better visualize and/or deal with rules.

Thank you for any/all ideas.

[n5bb]

Some of that is available in the current web interface.

• When reading a message, choose More ... Add Rule from Message ...
• You will then see a screen with shows suggestions for conditions based on that one message and associated actions. If you save your choices they will be added to your sieve rules and will affect future messages.
• You can create or edit your folders using the link at the bottom of the folder tree at the left of the main mail screen.

Bill

[geedee]

hi, bill. thanks a lot. yes, i have been using the rule button quite a bit.

I was hoping that someone would have a workaround for doing things in bigger chunks. For example, if you filter inbox by "mailing lists", you can get a pretty accurate chunk of email that can be set aside. I'd like to be able to select all of these messages, and then create a rule for them en masse (say, send to "mailing lists folder). That sort of thing.

[somdcomputerguy]

Originally Posted by geedee

I was hoping that someone would have a workaround for doing things in bigger chunks.

You select all the messages (with the check box) and then move them (either drag/drop or use more|move) to a particular folder. I don't know if you can create a rule this way though.

- bruce

[BritTim]

In some cases, saving the result of a search can be helpful. It is only useful if you restrict it to, say, 10 searches you need on a frequent basis. Any more, and the list of saved searches becomes itself confusing.

I have a very messy structure. I have been on Fastmail quite a bit longer than 10 years. I often need to rely on search to find what I am looking for. I have found it necessary to become quite proficient in my use of the search features.

[geedee]

Thanks, folks.

Yes, Brit, it's the same for me. There is SO much history in there that I was hoping new features or tools would bring more automated intelligence to the process.

[gardenweed]

Originally Posted by geedee

hi, bill. thanks a lot. yes, i have been using the rule button quite a bit.

I was hoping that someone would have a workaround for doing things in bigger chunks. For example, if you filter inbox by "mailing lists", you can get a pretty accurate chunk of email that can be set aside. I'd like to be able to select all of these messages, and then create a rule for them en masse (say, send to "mailing lists folder). That sort of thing.

You can create a rule starting "mailing list ID"
I'm wondering if

 "mailing list ID" "contains" "list-id"

will pick up all mailing lists, and allow them to be filed in a specific folder?
I'll try this myself & see if it works.

[n5bb]

Originally Posted by gardenweed

...I'm wondering if

 "mailing list ID" "contains" "list-id"

will pick up all mailing lists, and allow them to be filed in a specific folder?...

You have the right idea, but that specific rule won't work.

To file all messages from any mailing list into a specific folder, use this rule:

• The mailing list ID
• matches glob pattern
• *
• (action, such as: move the message to foldername)

Bill

[gardenweed]

Originally Posted by n5bb

You have the right idea, but that specific rule won't work.

To file all messages from any mailing list into a specific folder, use this rule:

• The mailing list ID
• matches glob pattern
• *
• (action, such as: move the message to foldername)

Bill

Thanks for the clarification Bill.
I'll modify my catchall.

On a related note - do you know whether mailing list ID's are unique in terms of a subscription?
I'm trying to understand the usage of mailing list ID's and whether they are useful for Rules.
Eg if I subscribe to weekly newsletter "ACME Roadrunner Traps" and the sender uses a mailing list ID, is that unique mailing list ID used for all the weekly newsletters?;
And therefore could I apply a Rule on that list ID for filing the weekly newsletter into my "Roadrunner Traps" folder?
(Or is a mail list ID a single-use-only identifier, which is of no future use after a mail out?)

I've looked around but I've not found a good resource explaining mailing list ID usage and protocol.

[n5bb]

Originally Posted by gardenweed

... On a related note - do you know whether mailing list ID's are unique in terms of a subscription? ...

All messages coming to you from that list will have the same List-ID header. That's how the "Add Rule from Message" feature works for mailing list messages. Try it and you will see.

Bill

[janusz]

Originally Posted by n5bb

All messages coming to you from that list will have the same List-ID header.

Strictly speaking this is true only for messages send from a well-behaved dedicated mailing list software.
There are various "do it yourself" lists which put the destination addresses in the Bcc: . These lists to not have the List-ID header.