messages

The messages API first appeared in Thunderbird 66.

Note

When the term messageId is used in these documents, it doesn’t refer to the Message-ID email header. It is an internal tracking number that does not remain after a restart. Nor does it follow an email that has been moved to a different folder.

Warning

Some functions in this API potentially return a lot of messages. Be careful what you wish for! See Working with Message Lists for more information.

Permissions

messagesMove
Move, copy, or delete your email messages
messagesRead
Read your email messages and mark or tag them

Note

The permission messagesRead is required to use messages.

Functions

list(folder)

Gets all messages in a folder.

Parameters
folder
(MailFolder)
Return type (Promise)
MessageList
Required permissions
  • messagesRead
  • accountsRead

continueList(messageListId)

Returns the next chunk of messages in a list. See Working with Message Lists for more information.

Parameters
messageListId
(string)
Return type (Promise)
MessageList
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

get(messageId)

Returns a specified message.

Parameters
messageId
(integer)
Return type (Promise)
MessageHeader
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

getFull(messageId)

Returns a specified message, including all headers and MIME parts.

Parameters
messageId
(integer)
Return type (Promise)
MessagePart
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

getRaw(messageId)

– [Added in TB 68.7]

Returns the unmodified source of a message.

Parameters
messageId
(integer)
Return type (Promise)
string
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

query(queryInfo)

– [Added in TB 68.2]

Gets all messages that have the specified properties, or all messages if no properties are specified.

Parameters
queryInfo
(object)
[author]
(string)
Returns only messages with this value matching the author.
[body]
(string)
Returns only messages with this value in the body of the mail.
[flagged]
(boolean)
Returns only flagged (or unflagged if false) messages.
[folder]
(MailFolder)
Returns only messages from the specified folder. The accountsRead permission is required.
[fromDate]
(Date)
Returns only messages with a date after this value.
[fromMe]
(boolean)
Returns only messages with the author matching any configured identity.
[fullText]
(string)
Returns only messages with this value somewhere in the mail (subject, body or author).
[recipients]
(string)
Returns only messages with this value matching one or more recipients.
[subject]
(string)
Returns only messages with this value matching the subject.
[toDate]
(Date)
Returns only messages with a date before this value.
[toMe]
(boolean)
Returns only messages with one or more recipients matching any configured identity.
[unread]
(boolean)
Returns only unread (or read if false) messages.
Return type (Promise)
MessageList
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

update(messageId, newProperties)

Marks or unmarks a message as read, flagged, or tagged.

Parameters
messageId
(integer)
newProperties
(object)
[flagged]
(boolean)
Marks the message as flagged or unflagged.
[junk]
(boolean)
– [Added in TB 68.7]
Marks the message as junk or not junk.
[read]
(boolean)
Marks the message as read or unread.
[tags]
(array of string)
Sets the tags on the message. For a list of available tags, call the listTags method.
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

move(messageIds, destination)

Moves messages to a specified folder.

Parameters
messageIds
(array of integer)
The IDs of the messages to move.
destination
(MailFolder)
The folder to move the messages to.
Required permissions
  • messagesRead
  • accountsRead
  • messagesMove

copy(messageIds, destination)

Copies messages to a specified folder.

Parameters
messageIds
(array of integer)
The IDs of the messages to copy.
destination
(MailFolder)
The folder to copy the messages to.
Required permissions
  • messagesRead
  • accountsRead
  • messagesMove

delete(messageIds, [skipTrash])

Deletes messages, or moves them to the trash folder.

Parameters
messageIds
(array of integer)
The IDs of the messages to delete.
[skipTrash]
(boolean)
If true, the message will be permanently deleted without warning the user. If false or not specified, it will be moved to the trash folder.
Required permissions
  • messagesRead
  • messagesMove

archive(messageIds)

Archives messages using the current settings.

Parameters
messageIds
(array of integer)
The IDs of the messages to archive.
Required permissions
  • messagesRead
  • messagesMove

listTags()

Returns a list of tags that can be set on messages, and their human-friendly name, colour, and sort order.

Return type (Promise)
array of MessageTag
Required permissions
  • messagesRead

Types

MessageHeader

object
author
(string)
bccList
(array of string)
ccList
(array of string)
date
(date)
flagged
(boolean)
folder
(MailFolder)
The accountsRead permission is required.
id
(integer)
read
(boolean)
recipients
(array of string)
subject
(string)
tags
(array of string)

MessageList

See Working with Message Lists for more information.

object
id
(string)
messages
(array of MessageHeader)

MessagePart

Represents an email message “part”, which could be the whole message

object
[body]
(string)
The content of the part
[contentType]
(string)
[headers]
(object)
An object of part headers, with the header name as key, and an array of header values as value
[name]
(string)
Name of the part, if it is a file
[partName]
(string)
[parts]
(array of MessagePart)
Any sub-parts of this part
[size]
(integer)

MessageTag

object
color
(string)
Tag color
key
(string)
Distinct tag identifier – use this string when referring to a tag
ordinal
(string)
Custom sort string (usually empty)
tag
(string)
Human-readable tag name