Setting Up and Using Folders

Setting Up Folders

The goal of this tutorial is to explain how to create new folders using FastMail.FM's Web interface.

  1. Log in to your FastMail.FM account.

  2. In the top navigation bar, click "Options".

  3. Click the option "Folders" (in the Preferences area).

  4. The folders screen has two main sections; "Create new folder" at the top and "Edit existing folders" underneath.

  5. Let's add a folder. In the "Create new folder" section, enter the name you want the folder to have in the "Name" section. If you want the folder to be a sub-folder of an existing folder, select that in the "As a Sub-folder of" section.

  6. Check your data one last time, and click the 'Create' button.

  7. The screen should refresh, and your folder is added.

  8. Repeat the above steps to create as many folders as you may need.

Filing and Managing Email

Before we get started, use the above steps to create a new folder called "test" in your account. (no capitals! And no quotes either!)

There are two methods of filtering to mail folders that are commonly used. The first is filtering based on the "TO"-address. This employs either "SubDomain" or "PlusAddressing". The second method is by using Sieve filtering (more about that on the SieveExamples page)

Method 1: Recommended for mailing lists and other automated emails

When giving out your email address use one of the following formats.

  • bigolduser@fastmail.fm (this is the standard, it will filter into your Inbox)

  • bigolduser+test@fastmail.fm (this is PlusAddressing, it files the incoming mail into the folder after the plus)

  • test@bigolduser.fastmail.fm (this is SubDomain addressing. Only available to paid accounts!)

Now, if http://www.somesuspicioussite.com asks you for your email address you can fill in "suspicious@bigolduser.fastmail.fm" (assuming you're a member) and all mail from Some Suspicious Site will end up in your suspicious folder. Of course you can also do this with PlusAddressing, if you want to.

Method 2: Recommended for regular correspondents, friends, family, coworkers

This method is preferred when dealing with "Real Humans" - The people you put up with each and every day... just let them send you an email so that you know their email address and go to "Options" - "Define Rules". This page allows you to set a whole range of rules. For example, you want to block all those nasty attachments consuming your precious disk space? Just fill in a relatively high number (350 KB is a recommended choice) and click Save Rules. Now all emails larger than 350 KB will be blocked. (For reference: This is over 350000 characters...).