We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Mulongo oyo etiyamaki na archive. Tuna motuna mosusu soki osengeli na lisalisi

Message Filters

  • 4 biyano
  • 1 eza na nkokoso oyo
  • 10 views
  • Eyano yasuka ya Lucster

more options

Two major issues with the way Thunderbird handles Message Filters:

  1. 1: Is there a way for Message Filters to apply globally to all mail accounts? It seems highly ineffective to protect myself from spam and phishing in one mailbox only to have the same attacks remain in other folders. If a global filtering list is not possible, is it at least possible to have a "Copy filter to..." function to save having to manually (and tediously) recreate them?
  1. 2: Until recently, the spam and fishing emails that were correctly managed in my main mailbox were deleted (as requested in the message filter I had created). Suddenly, about 3 or 4 months ago, they started being sent as "New" into the Spam folder of my Local Inbox. Refer back to #1 above and you see my frustration because now I've got spam and phishing emails that were properly dealt with in my main mailbox but now are circumventing the protection and now sitting there waiting for me to fully recreate all my filters again.
Two major issues with the way Thunderbird handles Message Filters: #1: Is there a way for Message Filters to apply globally to all mail accounts? It seems highly ineffective to protect myself from spam and phishing in one mailbox only to have the same attacks remain in other folders. If a global filtering list is not possible, is it at least possible to have a "Copy filter to..." function to save having to manually (and tediously) recreate them? #2: Until recently, the spam and fishing emails that were correctly managed in my main mailbox were deleted (as requested in the message filter I had created). Suddenly, about 3 or 4 months ago, they started being sent as "New" into the Spam folder of my Local Inbox. Refer back to #1 above and you see my frustration because now I've got spam and phishing emails that were properly dealt with in my main mailbox but now are circumventing the protection and now sitting there waiting for me to fully recreate all my filters again.

Solution eye eponami

Filters are defined for each account, but they can be copied between accounts or profiles by copying the msgFilterRules.dat file that is in every account subfolder of Mail (POP) or ImapMail in the profile.

Help/Troubleshooting, Profile Folder, Open Folder. Close TB before editing any files.

Tanga eyano oyo ndenge esengeli 👍 1

All Replies (4)

more options

Solution eye oponami

Filters are defined for each account, but they can be copied between accounts or profiles by copying the msgFilterRules.dat file that is in every account subfolder of Mail (POP) or ImapMail in the profile.

Help/Troubleshooting, Profile Folder, Open Folder. Close TB before editing any files.

more options

Thank you sfhowes. I've successfully followed your instructions and will try to get in the habit of doing these steps every time I modify one of my filters. Still not 100% sure about my 2nd part so I'll hold off a bit before flagging this as solved.

more options

Any attempt to manage spam using filters is destined for failure. They are professionals making a living and getting around spam filters. SO unless you want a full time job you really do not stand a chance.

Once you actually get to using the learning spam / Junk filter in Thunderbird your life will get easier and the need to copy filters to multiple accounts will basically cease to exist.

more options

Sorry to say, Matt, but since I turned OFF the "learning" spam filter and applied sfhowes' solution, everything is working perfectly. I'm actually receiving my non-spam mail in my Inbox (crazy, right?) and my filters are successful at actually nuking the spam before it even gets anywhere. I believe these AI learning features will be the death of Thunderbird which is quite sad because it's the nonsensical AI of Google Mail that drove me to Thunderbird in the first place.