How to Fix Missing Sent Folder in Mozilla Thunderbird

Overview

When setting up Purelymail accounts in Mozilla Thunderbird you may notice that the Sent folder does not appear in the folder pane for one or more of your accounts.

This guide explains why this occurs and provides step-by-step instructions to make your Sent folder visible and ensure sent messages are properly saved to the server.

Why This Happens

When you create a mailbox on Purelymail, standard mailboxes (INBOX, Drafts, Sent, Junk, Trash, and Archive) are automatically generated on the server.

However, Thunderbird enables a setting called "Show only subscribed folders" by default. Because Purelymail initializes mailboxes with an empty subscription list, Thunderbird will hide folders (including Sent) until Thunderbird either:

• Explicitly subscribes to the folder via the IMAP subscription manager.
• Has sent an email from the account and saved a copy.
• Disables the "Show only subscribed folders" filter.

Solution 1: Subscribe to the Sent Folder (Recommended)

In most cases, the folder exists on Purelymail's servers and simply needs to be subscribed to within Thunderbird:

1. In Thunderbird's left folder pane, right-click your email account name (or your email address).
2. Select Subscribe... from the menu.
3. In the folder list that appears, locate Sent. (If needed, click the arrow next to your account to expand the tree, or click Refresh).
4. Check the box next to Sent.
5. Click OK.

Solution 2: Configure "Copies & Folders" Settings

Ensure Thunderbird knows to save outgoing messages to your Purelymail Sent folder:

1. Right-click your email account in Thunderbird and select Settings (or click the Gear icon ⚙️ > Account Settings).
2. In the left menu under your email account, click Copies & Folders.
3. Under the When sending messages, automatically:section:
   • Ensure Place a copy in: is checked.
   • Select "Sent" Folder on: and choose your specific Purelymail email account from the dropdown list.
4. If "Sent" is grayed out or not working: Select Other > navigate to your email address > select Sent.
5. Close the Settings tab.

Solution 3: Disable "Show Only Subscribed Folders"

If the Sent folder still does not appear, configure Thunderbird to show all mailboxes that exist on the server:

1. Go to Account Settings (Right-click your account > Settings).
2. Under your account, click Server Settings.
3. In the lower-right area of Server Settings, click the Advanced... button.
4. Uncheck the box for Show only subscribed folders.
5. Click OK, then restart Mozilla Thunderbird.

Solution 4: Send a Test Message

Sending a message triggers Thunderbird to initialize the local folder mapping:

1. Compose a new message and send it to yourself.
2. Thunderbird will automatically synchronize and display the Sent folder with its dedicated sent-mail icon.

Server Technical Details Reference

• Sent Folder Name: Sent (Purelymail folder names are case-sensitive: INBOX, Drafts, Sent, Junk, Trash, Archive)
• Incoming Server (IMAP): imap.purelymail.com | Port: 993 | Encryption: SSL/TLS
• Outgoing Server (SMTP): smtp.purelymail.com | Port: 465 (SSL/TLS) or 587 (STARTTLS)
• Webmail: You can also confirm your folders by logging into Purelymail Webmail, which automatically subscribes to all standard folders.