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Can I create nested address lists?

  • 3 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 8 views
  • Last reply by Matt

VMFails
VMFails

I want to create a set of nested address lists so that I can manage a largish group of contacts in a voluntary organisation with a hierarchy, rather like the way I manage contacts in Work using MS Outlook (sorry for mentioing the competition!). I tried adding an existing list (call it List1) to a new list (call it List2) which also has to carry some additional individual contacts. When I do this, "List2" shows the individual contacts and "List1" as well; when I select it for the "To:" line in a new email, "List2" appears OK, however when I send the email it is only sent to the individuals and does not go to the members of "List1". Am I doing something wrong or does Thunderbird not support this?

I want to create a set of nested address lists so that I can manage a largish group of contacts in a voluntary organisation with a hierarchy, rather like the way I manage contacts in Work using MS Outlook (sorry for mentioing the competition!). I tried adding an existing list (call it List1) to a new list (call it List2) which also has to carry some additional individual contacts. When I do this, "List2" shows the individual contacts and "List1" as well; when I select it for the "To:" line in a new email, "List2" appears OK, however when I send the email it is only sent to the individuals and does not go to the members of "List1". Am I doing something wrong or does Thunderbird not support this?

Chosen solution

There is a bug requesting nested lists, but it is 15 years old, filed when it was still Netscape. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=40301

More importantly it is in the feature list for ensemble. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=841598 And the important blog posts to explain it. http://mikeconley.ca/blog/tag/ensemble/

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All Replies (3)

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor

Basic info on 'Address Book'. There are two default address books which you cannot delete. 'Personal Address Book' and 'Collected Addresses'.

You can add further 'address books'. File > New > Address Book. Enter a name and click on OK

Address books can be created to hold specific contacts eg: Family, Clients or if you have a lot of people you can sub divide them. eg: A - M in one and N-Z in another

You can also create 'Mailing Lists'. Mailing Lists are sub groups to an address book. Mailing lists are designed to allow selected contacts that are already in the address book be grouped together so that you can send one email to that group of people in your address book. So, a person in a 'Mailing List' must also be in the associated address book and must have a valid email address. More info on Mailing Lists here:

VMFails
VMFails Question owner

Thanks for the information. From what you say about an entry in a mailing list

"So, a person in a 'Mailing List' must also be in the associated address book and must have a valid email address."

might be the stumbling block as a List referred to in another List would be in the address book but would not have its own email address. This may mean I can't do what I want to. I'll leave the question open for another day or so in case anyone else wants to contribute.

Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor

Chosen Solution

There is a bug requesting nested lists, but it is 15 years old, filed when it was still Netscape. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=40301

More importantly it is in the feature list for ensemble. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=841598 And the important blog posts to explain it. http://mikeconley.ca/blog/tag/ensemble/