How to Use IMAP Folder Subscriptions
When using an email client, your computer connects to a remote email server to download your messages. One of the protocols your email server may use, Internet Message Access Protocol, works by synchronizing remote folders of messages with local copies on your computer. If your email contains only the "Inbox" folder this process works seamlessly. Adding additional folders, however, may require subscribing to them in order to keep your local copies synchronized properly.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Microsoft Outlook
-
1
Click on "Inbox" on the navigation pane under the IMAP account with the folders you want to subscribe to.
-
2
Press the "IMAP Folders" button on the "Tools" menu.
-
-
3
Click "Query" to display the folder list. Hold down the "Ctrl" key while clicking on folder titles to select all the folders to subscribe to.
-
4
Push "Subscribe" to complete the process.
Mozilla Thunderbird
-
5
Right-click on your mail account name in the left panel. Click on "Subscribe."
-
6
Type your password if prompted and click "Ok."
-
7
Hold "Ctrl" and click all IMAP folders you want to subscribe to. Once you select them all, press the "Subscribe" button.
-
8
Click "Ok" to return to the main window. The new folders now appear under your account.
Windows Live Mail
-
9
Click on your IMAP server in the "Folders" list and press the "IMAP Folders" button.
-
10
Click each folder displayed in the dialog box and press either "Show" to subscribe to it or "Hide" to prevent it from downloading.
-
11
Close the dialog box and verify the selected folders appear under your IMAP account.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Unlike other email clients, Windows Live Mail automatically subscribes to all available IMAP folders when first synchronizing, so you will not have to edit the settings unless you want to unsubscribe to some of the folders.
References
- Stanford Computer Graphics Laboratory: IMAP
- Microsoft Office: Subscribe to or Unsubscribe From an IMAP Folder
- Michigan State University: Configuring Mozilla Thunderbird IMAP
- SiteGround Knowledge Base: How to Subscribe to an IMAP Folder With Thunderbird?
- Microsoft Windows: Get e-mail From Specific IMAP Folders
