Excluding a folder's messages from conversations in a search?

[equaeghe]

Is it possible to exclude the messages from a specific folder from conversations in a search?

[n5bb]

Yes, you can exclude certain folders in a search.

• The Spam (actually named Junk Mail on the IMAP server) and Trash folders are not by default included in a search, but all other folders are searched by default. But if you are currently viewing the Spam or Trash folder, only that folder is searched by default.
• If the search string does not specify a folder, a folder selector appears at the top of the results which allows a specific folder to only be searched.
• To exclude folders you must use the search syntax as follows:
  • In the Search mail box, enter search terms which use the following syntax. Case is ignored for most search terms (except that folder names except for inbox are case sensitive and logical operators such as OR and NOT must be all uppercase).
  • Select folders using:
    • in:<foldername>
    • The foldername is case sensitive. If it includes a space (such as Sent Items), it must be enclosed within quotes.
  • Search phrases use stemming (plurals and tenses are included), and they are searched for in:
    • Subject
    • Any delivery header (From, To, Cc), But the delivery address is ignored by default if it was in the original BCC field.
    • Message body
  • Search terms are assumed by default to include AND between each term. So if you search for jim mond, you are searching for message which have both jim and mond in the subject, delivery header, or message body.
  • You can easily search for these portions of a message by using the indicated search type:
    • from:<phrase>
    • to:<phrase> (searches To, Cc, and Bcc)
    • subject:<phrase>
    • body:<phrase>
    • list:<phrase> (searches the List-Id header)
    • header:"<headername>: <phrase>"
    • substr:(<other search terms>)
  • You can use these logical operators: AND, OR, NOT, () grouping
• So to search for messages with a subject which contains solar (case ignored) and ignore the Archive and Sent (actually named Sent Items) folders, use this search string:

  subject:solar NOT (in:Archive OR in:"Sent Items")

Bill

[equaeghe]

Originally Posted by n5bb

Yes, you can exclude certain folders in a search. […] Bill

Thanks for your response, Bill.

I already tried adding NOT (in:<folder>) and (temporarily) make <folder> a subfolder of Trash, but in both cases in the conversations that are the result of the search, messages from <folder> still appear.

To make my original question more explicit:

Is it possible to exclude the messages from a specific folder from conversations in a search?

[BritTim]

Originally Posted by equaeghe

Thanks for your response, Bill.

I already tried adding NOT (in:<folder>) and (temporarily) make <folder> a subfolder of Trash, but in both cases in the conversations that are the result of the search, messages from <folder> still appear.

To make my original question more explicit:

Is it possible to exclude the messages from a specific folder from conversations in a search?

I think you will need to turn off conversations to achieve what you want. In conversation mode, FastMail first finds the relevant messages, then constructs the conversations related to each of those messages.

[equaeghe]

Originally Posted by BritTim

I think you will need to turn off conversations to achieve what you want. In conversation mode, FastMail first finds the relevant messages, then constructs the conversations related to each of those messages.

Thanks. The problem is, for my specific use case (checking duplicates flagged by the mass duplicate finding tool), I want to have the conversations, just without the messages from that one folder (which I know contains duplicates).

[BritTim]

Originally Posted by equaeghe

Thanks. The problem is, for my specific use case (checking duplicates flagged by the mass duplicate finding tool), I want to have the conversations, just without the messages from that one folder (which I know contains duplicates).

My recollection is that you can make a folder (temporarily) a subfolder of Deleted Items to prevent its messages being included in conversations. No time to retest right now.

[equaeghe]

Originally Posted by BritTim

My recollection is that you can make a folder (temporarily) a subfolder of Deleted Items to prevent its messages being included in conversations. No time to retest right now.

I tested that already… didn't work. :-(

[n5bb]

Not meaning to be too picky, but for the benefit of others reading this thread there is no Fastmail system folder named "Deleted Items". Deleted messages are placed in the "Trash" folder.

I'm still confused about what you want to achieve. If you want conversation mode, then you will always see all messages in the conversation (in all folders except for Spam and Trash) which are found by the search. That is a different issue than blocking certain folders from a search.

• So if you have messages which match a search term which are only in one folder and you ignore that folder using the search terms I described, you will not see those conversations in a search.
• If you have messages which match a search term which are in multiple folders and you ignore all of those folders using the search terms I described, you will not see those conversations in a search.
• But if you have messages which match a search term which are in multiple folders and you ignore some but not all of those folders using the search terms I described, you will see those conversations in a search, since you have not blocked one of the folders containing messages which are part of the conversation. If you read the conservation, as normal you will see all messages in the conversation in all folders (even those blocked during the search) except Spam and Trash.

What I'm guessing you want is not directly related to search, but is to block display of messages which are in certain folders when using conversation mode. This is only possible if the messages you don't want to see are in the Spam or Trash folders, I believe. Making a subfolder of Trash doesn't seem to work in my tests either.

Bill

[equaeghe]

Originally Posted by n5bb

What I'm guessing you want is not directly related to search, but is to block display of messages which are in certain folders when using conservation mode.

Indeed, but it must be compatible with a search, meaning that it must persist also for search results. I've opened a support ticket, which as been escalated a notch. I'll report back.