Archiving currently only works for mail providers that offer a default archive folder.
If a custom folder could be set, then the archive button could function as ‘move to folder’, which is just how most people use it.
Many of us asked for this feature but I wouldn’t hold my breath to get this one ever.
Although the current basic archiving feature does not really appeal me. Many missing features including folder naming templates, different archiving settings pro account any many more…
I’ve been testing eM Client and decided that I cannot purchase it. The lack of being able to create an archive folder, just as i created on my mail provider is a deal breaker for me. It seems that this has been an on-going issue, and, the lack of the developers’ willingness to incorporate it is another deal breaker for me. Other than this, I would send them my money.
BTW, I realize that I can “create” an archive folder, but it won’t be synchronized with my email provider.
Hello,
the Archive button is currently for Gmail accounts where ‘Archiving’ means removing all labels and leaving this message in All Mail folder.
The Automatic Archiving as can be setup in Settings is to create a Local archive where you can move your messages to free up space on your server.
If you wish to have an archive on your server, you can just setup a Folder with that name and drag and drop your messages into it.
Since there is a work-around for this, this feature is not currently planned.
Regards,
Olivia
Olivia, thank you for your response. However, I disagree on the work-a-round being an effective solution.
In Thunderbird, I have three separate email providers and, let’s say I have two email accounts with each provider. A total of six email accounts. Each provider allows me to configure/add an archive folder for each email account. TB then lets me map each providers’ archive folders to its respective TB archive folder.
If I’m at my TB desktop, I may send several emails to their archive folders. Later, I may be using my mobile phone and decide that I need to see one of those emails. Since TB and my phone all function as true IMAP clients, I can view the email, as it has already synced with the provider’s archive folder.
Now, if I want to permanently archive emails, say those earlier than the past week, I use third party archiving software. This lets me archive directly from all the providers’ servers into one place, in a non-proprietary format, that is speed indexed.
eM Client does not allow this type of email management. In a way, its almost like a cross between a POP3 and an IMAP client. It will sync folders, but only certain folders on the providers’ servers. You cannot create and sync any old folder that you want. It’s limited, more like a POP3 client but with limited IMAP functions. Basically, the eM software functionality is dated and fails to do what other IMAP client are capable of doing.
The work-around of archiving on the providers’ servers does not work efficiently if you have multiple email providers. Why would anyone want multiple separate archive folders. The archive feature of eM is not efficient since it cannot sync with the email provider, and it only permits automatic archiving. One cannot simply choose to archive as one goes. This is pretty basic to the concept of “zero inbox.” View an email and either delete, archive, or delay it. eM simply does not do this, as do more up to date clients, and, it does not do what the free TB client does, for free.
Let me take this a step further. The free vs. paid pricing scheme for eM is pointless. Let’s say I have 6 email accounts across three providers. All I have to do is designate one email account as a catch-all and then have the providers forward all of the other 5 email account to the one catch-all account. I now receive email from six separate accounts and the two account limit of the free version is not breached.
So, eM wants to charge $50 +/- to exceed the two account limit, and its easy to do so for free. Call it a work-a-round. Consumers do not need to pay for this feature; hence, having a paid and free version is pointless. Financially, let’s say eM has 10,000 users, and, of those, 9,000 use the free version and 1,000 use the paid version. Would it not make more sense to simply have only a paid version at a lower price and have all 10,000 users be motivated to buy the full version.
1,000 users at $50 totals $50,000
10,000 users at $15 totals $150,000
If you want to make eM Client competitive, you need full IMAP synchronization, eliminate the free version, charge less for the full (only) version, incorporate on-the-fly archiving, and make it more enticing than using TB; because, right now, TB wins – and its free.
I totally agree, THIS IS NOT A WORKAROUND - IT’S COMPLETE NONSENSE! At the end this means there is no way to get this feature any time soon.
I’ve asked many times for better archiving features but they are yet ignored.
I’ve switched back to Thunderbird some weeks ago and so far I do not regret it! It has way better support for rules (e.g. incoming and outgoing inside a single rule, I can use RegExes (via an add on), rules are executed nevertheless I’ve read my messages on my Android devices before and much more).
Archiving can be set up for any account, subfolder structure is preserved and I even can set up an archiving folder for each year.
And best: unread messages within (local or provider) subfolders are propagated to their respective root or parent folder.
We were told for many of those missing and requested features that they are not technically realizable or missing ressources on the programmers side…
Michael
Hello Jerry,
I changed this thread to Idea thread so our developers can consider it.
Forwarding your messages from 6 different mail accounts and setting them as Alias is indeed completly fine and sound solution for a FREE account.
Thank you for your opinion on our pricing, though our Sales department would disagree with you.
I’d like to hear what you’re missing from full IMAP synchronization though, if you are interested in providing the feedback.
Regards,
Olivia
“I’d like to hear what you’re missing from full IMAP synchronization though, if you are interested in providing the feedback.”
Sure. IMAP is “a standard email protocol that stores email messages on a mail server, but allows the end user to view and manipulate the messages as though they were stored locally on the end user’s computing device(s).”
eM Client does not do this for any folder created by the user on the email provider’s server.
Example: I create an archive folder with my email provider. I use an IMAP mail client on my phone to view mail and then delete, delay, or archive the item. Later, on my tablet, I want to see the items I just archived. Since I’m using a fully functional IMAP client, I can pull up that archived email from the email provider’s server, review it, and either keep it in the archive folder, or delete it, or pull it back into the inbox and delay it. I can fully control that email.
Back on a desktop pc with eM client, I again decide I want to see that archived email, which is still on the email provider’s server. I cannot. eM’s archive folder cannot sync with the provider’s archive folder that I created. I will only sync, presumably, if the provider has predefined a designated archive folder. eM Client does not allow “…the end user to view and manipulate the messages as though they were stored locally on the end user’s computing device(s).” eM Client simply fails to meet the basic requirement of a functional IMAP client.
BTW, the sales department may disagree, but that does not mean that they are correct. A question to ask them, if you are so inclined, is how they developed their marketing plan; i.e. surveys, focus groups, interviewing end users, conversion rates, etc. I’m still baffled as to a marketing strategy where an end user can get the same product for free by simply working around the two account limitation; or, get a a more robust product (TB) that is a true IMAP client, again, for free. Really, the question is not how much money eM Client is bringing in, but how much money eM Client is losing by its development/marketing strategy.
Jerry
Hello Jerry,
thank you for adding more detail about the IMAP situation with your account.
If there are folders from your server missing in eM Client that is definitely a bug and not a designed feature.
If you set up logging for your account we’ll investigate the issue further.
Go to Menu>Tools>Settings>Advanced and check IMAP logs for your account.
Restart eM Client.
Run repair on your account (right-click, properties, repair)
When the synchronization finishes, go back to Advanced setting and send us the logs. If you could attach a screenshot of your folders in eM Client and on your server that would be very helpful.
I am a technical support worker. It is not within my power to share details (or make judgements, as I am not an expert on this subject) on our company’s marketing strategy.
Our team does go through Idea threads periodically, so they will see your points here.
Regards,
Olivia