Kmail/Using Folders

Using KMail Folders

Kmail Folders

Message Folders are used to organize your email messages. When you first start KMail the Local Folders containing inbox, outbox, sent-mail, trash, drafts and templates folders are created. These folders each have special functions:

• inbox:

Where KMail by default puts your new messages when you ask it to check your mail.

Note

IMAP accounts will not use this inbox. The inbox is located on the IMAP server.

• outbox:

Where messages are put while they are waiting to be delivered. Note that you should not drag and drop messages here to send them, use the Send icon in the composer window instead.

• sent-mail:

By default copies of all messages that you have sent are put into this folder.

• trash:

By default all messages that you have moved to trash are moved into this folder.

• drafts:

Contains messages you started to edit but then saved to this folder through Message → Save as Draft.

• templates:

This folder holds your templates created via Message → Save as Template in the composer window. Please see New Composer Templates for details.

Change special folders for IMAP synchronisation

• The trash folder can be configured for each IMAP from the Receiving accounts tab in the Accounts configuration panel.

Receiving accounts → Select the account → Click on "Modify" → select the Advanced tab 

• The sent, drafts and templates folders can be configured for each identity from the Identities tab in the Accounts configuration panel.

Identities → Select the identity → Click on "Modify" → select the Advanced tab 

Creating and Using Folders

Organize your emails, e.g. by mailing lists, bill receipts etc., by creating new folders. To create a new folder, select Folder → Add Folder... or Add Folder... from the right mouse button context menu. A dialog will pop up, enter the name of the new folder in the text box. You can fully customize each folder e.g. views, replies, etc. in the properties for a folder by selecting the folder you wish to modify in the folders pane and select Folder Properties from the right mouse button context menu. Please see Folder Properties for details.

To move messages from one folder into another, select the message(s) you want to move and press the M key or select Message → Move Messages To. A list of folders will appear; select the folder from the list that you want to move the messages to. Messages can also be moved by dragging them from the Message list to a folder in the Folder list.

If you have folders that are frequently accessed, you can add them to your favorite folders pane in the upper left corner. Add them through the right mouse button context menu Add to Favorite Folders.

You can create a virtual folder with search parameters by going to either Edit → Find Messages..., Tools → Find Messages..., or Keyboard shortcut S. Enter your search parameters into the dialog. Name your search at the bottom Search folder name: textbox, e.g. emails with the word Blog. Click the Search button. Now select the Open Search Folder button. Your results folder will be at the bottom of the Folder pane.

Creating filters to automatically move messages to specified folders is a great way to organize messages by mailing list, sender, subject etc. Please see Filters... for details.

In the case that you receive emails from a trusted source, e.g. a Blog you signed up for, that is formatted in HTML and you would like to enable HTML view for just those emails. You can achieve this by doing the following: Create a new folder, set up a filter to place those emails in the new folder, select the folder and select Folder → Prefer HTML to Plain Text.

Some common folder actions are:

• Folder → Move All Messages to Trash

Moves all your messages in the selected folder to the trash folder.

• Folder → Archive Folder

Create an archive of the folder. See Archive Folder... for details.

• Folder → Delete Folder

Remove a folder with all its messages and sub-folders.

• Folder → Remove Duplicate Messages

This will search the currently selected folder for duplicates and delete them.