Email and messaging

Thunderbird and Junk / Spam Messages

This article explains how Thunderbird's adaptive filter learns to identify junk mail ("spam").

Keyboard shortcuts - perform common Thunderbird tasks quickly

Keyboard shortcuts are quick key combinations that replace mouse navigation. This is a list of commonly used keyboard shortcuts in Thunderbird.

Profiles - Where Thunderbird stores your messages and other user data

Thunderbird saves personal information such as messages, passwords and user preferences in a set of files called a "profile".

Filelink for Large Attachments

Messages with large attachments are often rejected by mail servers. Thunderbird can use web-based storage services to send large file attachments.

Export your Thunderbird Profile

Thunderbird's export tool lets you create a backup of your Thunderbird profile including accounts, messages, address books, and settings.

Blocking a sender

This article explains how to block a particular sender in Thunderbird.

Thunderbird and Gmail

Thunderbird can be set up to work seamlessly with Google's Gmail. Messages will be synchronized between your local version of Thunderbird and web-based Gmail.

Import settings and data into Thunderbird

With Thunderbird's import tool, you can import settings and data from a variety of sources including Thunderbird profiles, other applications or files.

Using Thunderbird with Google Calendar

This article describes how to use Google calendars together with Thunderbird.

The difference between IMAP and POP3

Thunderbird gives users the choice between using IMAP or POP3. This documentation will explain the major differences between these protocols.

Message threading in Thunderbird - keep messages grouped by conversation

Threading is a useful way of displaying message list in Thunderbird with your messages grouped in tree structures by conversations. Here's how to enable it.

How to create and use mailing lists on Thunderbird

A mailing list is used to send one email to a group of contacts. This article explains how to create and use mailing lists in Thunderbird.

Import settings and data into Thunderbird for Android

How to import email settings from K-9 and Thunderbird for Android

Automatic Account Configuration

Setting up a new account with Thunderbird is fast! Setup is quick for most e-mail providers with only your username and password required.

Rebuilding the Global Database

Rebuilding the Global Database will initiate a re-indexing of emails and address book cards (newsgroup messages are not indexed).

Archived Messages

This article explains how the "archive" feature of Thunderbird works.

Cannot send messages

If you cannot send messages with Thunderbird, this page provides a series of steps you can follow to check for common problems.

Profile Manager - Create and remove Thunderbird profiles

Thunderbird stores your personal information and settings in a profile folder. Learn to work with different profiles on Thunderbird.

Getting Started with the Thunderbird main window (Supernova and newer)

For Supernova TB115 & newer, an overview of the Thunderbird Mail window, explaining the Folder Pane, Message List Pane, Header Pane, Message Pane, & Today Pane.

Cannot receive messages

If you cannot receive messages, this page provides a series of steps you can use to check for common problems.

Switch from POP to IMAP account

This article explains how to switch from a POP to an IMAP account in Thunderbird.

Manual Account Configuration

This article will show you how to manually configure the basic settings you need to send and receive emails with Thunderbird.

Make Thunderbird the Default Mail Client

If Thunderbird is specified as your system's default email application, it will integrate with other applications (such as word processors and web browsers).

Sending and Receiving Messages on Thunderbird

How to send and receive email messages using Thunderbird.

Ignoring threads

The Ignore Thread (or Subthread) feature is very useful for mailing lists. It lets you skip reading the rest of a conversation you're not really interested in.

Adding a holiday calendar

Learn how to add a list of holidays to your calendar in Thunderbird.

What is the winmail.dat attachment?

When sending messages from email clients that use the Microsoft Exchange server, a file attachment called winmail.dat may be added. Learn how to prevent this.

Get started with Thunderbird

Get started with Thunderbird for webmail users

IMAP Synchronization

IMAP stands for the Internet Message Access Protocol. It enables a mail client (such as Thunderbird) to access messages stored on a mail server. It is more modern and fully featured than POP (Post Office Protocol), which is the other major protocol for accessing mail messages. Most email providers now support IMAP. To see whether your account uses IMAP or POP, check the Server Settings page in the Account Settings.

Maildir in Thunderbird

Optional support for Maildir allows you to store email as individual files, unlike the default single file format. Learn about Maildir in Thunderbird.

Thunderbird Accessibility Features

Find out about all of the Accessibility features available in Thunderbird.

FAQ Changing IMAP to POP

If your mail server supports both IMAP and POP, Thunderbird will use IMAP by default. Use these instructions to manually configure a POP account.

Changing IMAP to POP

As of Thunderbird 3, the new Automatic Account Configuration Wizard can help you configure your connection to your email provider, but only if your provider is in Mozilla's database of Internet Service Providers or recognized by Thunderbird. While most of the large providers are included, many smaller ones are not yet in the account configuration database.

Hyperlinks in Messages Not Working

When clicking hyperlinks in email, your default web browser should open and display their content. Learn why that may fail and why links may not be clickable.

Glossary of Terms including types of Accounts

This article describes the types of accounts (IMAP, POP, RSS, NNTP) supported by Thunderbird.

Cannot delete messages

This article explains how to fix issues with message deletion caused by a missing or corrupted trash folder.

Dangerous directories

Some system folders are not allowed when setting Thunderbird storage location as they cause issues.

Tables - Format messages with rows and columns

How to create Tables in emails. Tables use columns and rows to create cells which can contain text or images.

Unify your POP email accounts with a global inbox

We'll show you how to merge inboxes from various POP accounts to make what is called a global inbox, where all of the mail can be displayed in one place.

Thunderbird 78 FAQ

This document answers questions for new users of Thunderbird 78, in particular users who have upgraded from a previous version.

New in Thunderbird 102

Detailed introduction to the most interesting new features, improvements, and changes visible to users in Thunderbird 102.0.

Prerequisite for sending an encrypted email message

This article explains why Thunderbird may report that it cannot encrypt an email that you attempt to send.

Thunderbird and OpenPGP Alias Keys

How to use the OpenPGP Alias Keys feature to bypass Thunderbird's usual requirement that an OpenPGP public key must contain the recipient's email address.

OpenPGP keys might be authentic or counterfeit

How to avoid accepting a counterfeit OpenPGP key when Thunderbird asks you to accept the public key of a correspondent.

Thunderbird Matrix Chat FAQ

FAQ for the Matrix Chat feature in Thunderbird

Instructions for obtaining a personal S/MIME certificate by creating a CSR

Description of the manual process of obtaining an S/MIME certificate for email security, using a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) generated by Thunderbird.

Configure an account

Inbox or Other Folder Full

Rebuilding Global Database

Thunderbird and Logjam

Thunderbird no longer supports 512 bit (so called US export) keys for TLS connections.

Thunderbird end of Support for XP and Vista

Support for Windows XP and Vista has ended.

Getting started with the Thunderbird main window

An overview of the Thunderbird Mail and Newsgroups window, explaining the Folder pane, Message List pane, Header pane, Message pane, and Today pane.

Keyboard Shortcuts TB