{"id":"6ae52c68b3e4d6d590813492","title":"2026 10 30 Mail Application Folders","path":"how-to/technical-articles/2026-10-30-mail-application-folders","contentMarkdown":"# 30-Oct-2026 — Mail application folders stay in step with the inbox\n\n_____\n\nCommittee mail opened in Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird uses the same folders as the NGX inbox. The [iPhone and Android app](https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/how-to/technical-articles/2026-10-12-mobile-app-architecture-and-releases) shows that same inbox too: it is the website's inbox screen, with an Inbox item in the phone menu for committee members. A folder you add, rename or remove in the mail app is the same folder on the website and in the phone app, and a drag files the conversation that is already there.\n\n```mermaid\nflowchart LR\n  app@{ icon: \"ngx:user\", label: \"Mail app\", pos: \"b\", h: 48 }\n  phone@{ icon: \"ngx:ramblers\", label: \"iPhone and Android app\", pos: \"b\", h: 48 }\n  imap@{ icon: \"ngx:express\", label: \"NGX mail connection\", pos: \"b\", h: 48 }\n  folders@{ icon: \"ngx:file\", label: \"Inbox folders\", pos: \"b\", h: 48 }\n  store@{ icon: \"ngx:mongodb\", label: \"Conversations\", pos: \"b\", h: 48 }\n  app -->|\"Create, rename, delete, drag\"| imap\n  phone -->|\"Same inbox screen\"| folders\n  phone --> store\n  imap --> folders\n  imap --> store\n  style phone fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style app fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style imap fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style folders fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style store fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n```\n\n## Creating and renaming\n\nCreating a folder in the mail app adds that folder to the inbox. A name written as `INBOX/Meetings` is stored as Meetings. Renaming it in the mail app renames the website folder, and the conversations stay in it.\n\nInbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk and Deleted cannot be renamed or deleted from the mail app. Outlook's own Archive, Conversation History, Outbox and Snoozed folders stay in Outlook and are not stored on the site.\n\nA rename or a new folder made in the NGX inbox is available the next time the mail app asks for its folder list. Thunderbird usually does that when the account is collapsed and expanded. Outlook may keep the old list until it is quit and opened again.\n\n## Deleting a folder\n\nDeleting a folder removes it from the website and files those conversations in Deleted. Thunderbird does not send a delete. It renames the folder to `Deleted/Name`, and NGX treats that rename as a delete.\n\n```mermaid\nflowchart TB\n  subgraph thunderbird[\"Thunderbird\"]\n    del[\"Delete Meetings\"]\n  end\n  subgraph ngx[\"NGX inbox\"]\n    check{\"Name starts with Deleted/?\"}\n    gone[\"Folder removed\"]\n    filed[\"Conversations filed in Deleted\"]\n  end\n  del -->|\"Rename to Deleted/Meetings\"| check\n  check -->|Yes| gone\n  check -->|Yes| filed\n  style thunderbird fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n  style ngx fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n```\n\n## Dragging a message\n\nDragging messages into a folder files the existing conversation there. It does not create a second copy. Dragging a conversation to Deleted records the deletion, so a later import does not put the same mail back in Inbox. Dragging it back to Inbox, or into another folder, brings that conversation back.\n\n```mermaid\nflowchart LR\n  subgraph drag[\"Where you drop it\"]\n    inbox[\"Inbox or a folder you made\"]\n    deleted[\"Deleted\"]\n  end\n  subgraph result[\"What the inbox does\"]\n    same[\"Same conversation, new folder\"]\n    record[\"Deletion recorded\"]\n  end\n  inbox --> same\n  deleted --> record\n  record -->|\"Drag back\"| same\n  style drag fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n  style result fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n```\n\n## Messages with attachments\n\nMessages that have attachments are rebuilt for the mail app. The boundary that separates those parts is kept short enough to fit on one header line, so Outlook shows the message text and the pictures rather than the raw encoding. Thunderbird was already happy with the longer form.\n","contentHtml":"<h1>30-Oct-2026 — Mail application folders stay in step with the inbox</h1>\n<hr>\n<p>Committee mail opened in Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird uses the same folders as the NGX inbox. The <a href=\"https://ngx-ramblers.org.uk/how-to/technical-articles/2026-10-12-mobile-app-architecture-and-releases\">iPhone and Android app</a> shows that same inbox too: it is the website&#39;s inbox screen, with an Inbox item in the phone menu for committee members. A folder you add, rename or remove in the mail app is the same folder on the website and in the phone app, and a drag files the conversation that is already there.</p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-mermaid\">flowchart LR\n  app@{ icon: &quot;ngx:user&quot;, label: &quot;Mail app&quot;, pos: &quot;b&quot;, h: 48 }\n  phone@{ icon: &quot;ngx:ramblers&quot;, label: &quot;iPhone and Android app&quot;, pos: &quot;b&quot;, h: 48 }\n  imap@{ icon: &quot;ngx:express&quot;, label: &quot;NGX mail connection&quot;, pos: &quot;b&quot;, h: 48 }\n  folders@{ icon: &quot;ngx:file&quot;, label: &quot;Inbox folders&quot;, pos: &quot;b&quot;, h: 48 }\n  store@{ icon: &quot;ngx:mongodb&quot;, label: &quot;Conversations&quot;, pos: &quot;b&quot;, h: 48 }\n  app --&gt;|&quot;Create, rename, delete, drag&quot;| imap\n  phone --&gt;|&quot;Same inbox screen&quot;| folders\n  phone --&gt; store\n  imap --&gt; folders\n  imap --&gt; store\n  style phone fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style app fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style imap fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style folders fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n  style store fill:#fff,stroke:#9BC8AB,color:#404143\n</code></pre>\n<h2>Creating and renaming</h2>\n<p>Creating a folder in the mail app adds that folder to the inbox. A name written as <code>INBOX/Meetings</code> is stored as Meetings. Renaming it in the mail app renames the website folder, and the conversations stay in it.</p>\n<p>Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk and Deleted cannot be renamed or deleted from the mail app. Outlook&#39;s own Archive, Conversation History, Outbox and Snoozed folders stay in Outlook and are not stored on the site.</p>\n<p>A rename or a new folder made in the NGX inbox is available the next time the mail app asks for its folder list. Thunderbird usually does that when the account is collapsed and expanded. Outlook may keep the old list until it is quit and opened again.</p>\n<h2>Deleting a folder</h2>\n<p>Deleting a folder removes it from the website and files those conversations in Deleted. Thunderbird does not send a delete. It renames the folder to <code>Deleted/Name</code>, and NGX treats that rename as a delete.</p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-mermaid\">flowchart TB\n  subgraph thunderbird[&quot;Thunderbird&quot;]\n    del[&quot;Delete Meetings&quot;]\n  end\n  subgraph ngx[&quot;NGX inbox&quot;]\n    check{&quot;Name starts with Deleted/?&quot;}\n    gone[&quot;Folder removed&quot;]\n    filed[&quot;Conversations filed in Deleted&quot;]\n  end\n  del --&gt;|&quot;Rename to Deleted/Meetings&quot;| check\n  check --&gt;|Yes| gone\n  check --&gt;|Yes| filed\n  style thunderbird fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n  style ngx fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n</code></pre>\n<h2>Dragging a message</h2>\n<p>Dragging messages into a folder files the existing conversation there. It does not create a second copy. Dragging a conversation to Deleted records the deletion, so a later import does not put the same mail back in Inbox. Dragging it back to Inbox, or into another folder, brings that conversation back.</p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-mermaid\">flowchart LR\n  subgraph drag[&quot;Where you drop it&quot;]\n    inbox[&quot;Inbox or a folder you made&quot;]\n    deleted[&quot;Deleted&quot;]\n  end\n  subgraph result[&quot;What the inbox does&quot;]\n    same[&quot;Same conversation, new folder&quot;]\n    record[&quot;Deletion recorded&quot;]\n  end\n  inbox --&gt; same\n  deleted --&gt; record\n  record --&gt;|&quot;Drag back&quot;| same\n  style drag fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n  style result fill:#E8F5EE,stroke:#9BC8AB,stroke-width:2px,rx:12,ry:12,color:#404143\n</code></pre>\n<h2>Messages with attachments</h2>\n<p>Messages that have attachments are rebuilt for the mail app. The boundary that separates those parts is kept short enough to fit on one header line, so Outlook shows the message text and the pictures rather than the raw encoding. Thunderbird was already happy with the longer form.</p>\n"}