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Question about auto saving of emails in subfolders in Thunderbird

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kevinfgillespie
kevinfgillespie
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I have a small law office. We are heavy email users. Whenever we send or receive emails, we go through a naming/storing process, something like this: ClientFolder/ClientSubfolder/NAMEOFPERSONyyyymmdd This saving to the appropriate folder and renaming takes a lot of time given the number of emails we send and receive. There are 3 different computers and 2 phones that this needs to be done for. Someone suggested that I check out Thunderbird. Does this application automatically store the emails in an appropriate subfolder so that we wouldn’t have to go through this renaming/saving process? When all is said and done, the client folder should have all of the emails sent and received on a matter in the appropriate folder regardless of what device they were sent from. They also need to be searchable by all the 3 users on the system from any device.

A second question is on security. Can Thunderbird read my mail? Does it get copies of my emails?

A third question is about transport of data if Thunderbird doesn't work out for me and I need to cancel. Do I need to do anything to convert data or just remove the app? Will I still be able to retain and search what I did while I was a user?

Thanks.

I have a small law office. We are heavy email users. Whenever we send or receive emails, we go through a naming/storing process, something like this: ClientFolder/ClientSubfolder/NAMEOFPERSONyyyymmdd This saving to the appropriate folder and renaming takes a lot of time given the number of emails we send and receive. There are 3 different computers and 2 phones that this needs to be done for. Someone suggested that I check out Thunderbird. Does this application automatically store the emails in an appropriate subfolder so that we wouldn’t have to go through this renaming/saving process? When all is said and done, the client folder should have all of the emails sent and received on a matter in the appropriate folder regardless of what device they were sent from. They also need to be searchable by all the 3 users on the system from any device. A second question is on security. Can Thunderbird read my mail? Does it get copies of my emails? A third question is about transport of data if Thunderbird doesn't work out for me and I need to cancel. Do I need to do anything to convert data or just remove the app? Will I still be able to retain and search what I did while I was a user? Thanks.

All Replies (1)

Zenos
Zenos
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I don't see any easy way to automate the creation of folders compliant with your in-house system. You'd need a reasonably competent macro/script system to make this work automatically. Thunderbird doesn't have this capability and I don't know of a mail client that does.

If you can accept a manual one-off creation of the folder system for each new case as it arises, then a filter could be used thereafter to automate sorting into its folder. Thunderbird has a couple of options to automate the copying of sent messages into the relevant folder. One is already built in, in that filters can be run when sending and so move sent messages for you. Other tools (e.g. the CopyToSent add-on) can ask the user what to do with a sent message or perform a default move for you. Three other add-ons come to mind:

  1. QuickFilter allows filters to be created in a manner reminiscent of a keystroke recording macro, where you drag the message to the appropriate folder, while it's in "learning mode" and you complete the details about the criteria (sender, subject etc) that govern where the message goes.
  2. QuickFolders allows frequently used folders to be shown as tabs in the Thunderbird interface, so these can be used for current and active cases.
  3. QuickFolderMove has some overlap with QuickFolders but provide s afast and efficient way to move the selected message(s) to a specific folder, where you search for it by name. (personally I prefer searching by name or some other typed-in text, rather than visually searching lists.)

Thunderbird is an email client on your computer(s). Your second question is something of a non-sequitur.

Your third question is always something of a trial, as there are few well-recognized standards for exchange of data between email clients. The cleanest way to shift email stores between email clients is not to store them in the client, but to use IMAP where the messages are stored on the server. Then whichever client you use to work with them is somewhat irrelevant. This is also germane to the point you raise about working on multiple machines.

I think you need something better than a regular email service and personal email client. CRM software, for instance. Maybe an in-house server?

However, Thunderbird is unusually adaptable and configurable. I have mentioned three add-ons already and there are many more, some of which may provide better solutions than I can come up with. I don't think you'll find another email ciient with so many add-ons, and this may well be why it was recommended to you.