Pasting list of email addresses into groups
I depend on being able to post large lists of email addresses into an email client in order to create an email group without creating individual contacts for each address. This is useful for managing classes, workshops, and conferences, among other things. For years I've been using Mulberry, which supports this feature, but my university is moving to a server that won't allow me to continue to use Mulberry.
Is it possible to do this in Thunderbird? My attempts so far haven't been successful, but I'm hoping there's a trick to make this happen.
Thanks! Steve
All Replies (5)
It depends how the list is formatted. If you have a list like this:
contact1@example.org,contact2@domain.net,contact3@domain.com
and paste it into the To: or Cc: box of a new message, each address forms a 'pill'. The same thing works if the format is:
C1 <contact1@example.org>,C2 <contact2@domain.net>,C3 <contact3@domain.com>
Note there is a limit for this kind of mass addressing, which can be avoided through the use of mailing lists:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Limits_(Thunderbird)#E-mail_addresses
Okay, thanks. This went part way - I was able to create a mailing list by pasting a list of email addresses. But it apparently created individual contacts in my address book for each of them. When I deleted the list those contacts weren't deleted. While this is survivable, it means that my address book will fill up with thousands of email contacts that I don't need. I guess maybe I could create a new address book for each class/conference so that after I'm done and delete the mailing list, I could then delete the address book.
I gather it would be a big deal to add this feature to Thunderbird - apparently the linkage between lists/groups and the address book(s) is embedded in a different way than in Mulberry.
Thanks again! Steve
In addition to good info from sfhowes... for a 'Mailing List' in thunderbird to work... All contacts would be in a selected address book. Any address book can have several 'Mailing Lists'. A single contact in that address book can appear in more than one of that address books Mailing Lists. 'Mailing Lists' are like a virtual list where the contact is actually stored in the address book. You can delete a 'Mailing List' but still retain all contacts in the address book.
'Mailing Lists' can be exported as .csv files and other types eg: LDIF
They can be also imported back as address books in their own right.
The addon 'Mail Merge' can work with *.csv files stored on your computer and also address books (not Mailing Lists) that are in the Thunderbird 'Address Book'. This involves using a template which can be previously created and stored in the 'Templates' folder and then modified each time it used. This method means you using one email that is used to create x number of individual emails. It offeres a more personal touch to emails. If interested please read info here: https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/mail-merge/
If you do not have the contacts in any Thunderbird Address Book, but you enter them in a 'Write' window in a eg: TO field and send emails, it is possible for all of those contacts to be auto added to a specific address book. This is a setting you can choose to switch off or leave on and choose an address book. Usually, it is switched on by default and the 'Collected Addresses' address book receives them automatically. This is where those settings are located: Menu app icon > Options > Composition scroll down to 'Addressing' section There is a checkbox which if selected will enable: 'Automatically add outgoing email address to my' and there is a drop down selection of all address books to choose.
This is very helpful! I just confirmed that I can create a list in a temporary address book by pasting addresses, and can then delete the list and contacts in it by deleting the temporary book. It's no elegant, but it will do the job! Thanks!
Toad-Hall said
If you do not have the contacts in any Thunderbird Address Book, but you enter them in a 'Write' window in a eg: TO field and send emails, it is possible for all of those contacts to be auto added to a specific address book. This is a setting you can choose to switch off or leave on and choose an address book. Usually, it is switched on by default and the 'Collected Addresses' address book receives them automatically. This is where those settings are located: Menu app icon > Options > Composition scroll down to 'Addressing' section There is a checkbox which if selected will enable: 'Automatically add outgoing email address to my' and there is a drop down selection of all address books to choose.
Just to be clear the option being discussed is
Removing the tick turns the whole thing off. Nothing is added to any address book.
