How to Archive IMAP Email in Thunderbird? A Complete Guide

  

Rollins Duke   
Published: August 13th, 2025 • 6 Min Read

Do you want to archive IMAP email in Thunderbird to keep them secure for future use? If your answer is yes, then this guide for you. Here we have explained the best manual and automated methods to add IMAP account to Thunderbird. Whether you want to free up server space, create a permanent local backup or simply want to organize your mailbox, the idea to save IMAP email locally Thunderbird is a smart choice.

By archiving IMAP email in Thunderbird you can ensure that your important business and personal messages are stored safely on your own system. Through this guide, you will explore every detail on how to archive IMAP email in Thunderbird. So, be with us till the end.

Why Archive IMAP Email in Thunderbird?

There could be multiple reasons why users prefer to save IMAP email locally in Thunderbird. Let’s read some of the major ones.

• To free up storage space as overload can slow down things or prevent new messages from archiving.
• If a user wants to keep a backup of important emails then archiving IMAP email in Thunderbird gives a reliable backup control.
• You can open and access your emails in offline mode once you have successfully stored them. A perfect choice in poor connectivity areas.
• Storing IMAP emails in Thunderbird helps to protect emails from accidental deletion and server outage issues.

How to Archive IMAP Email in Thunderbird Manually?

1. Open Thunderbird and set your IMAP account.
2. Once done, go to File > New > Folder and choose a local folder to archive IMAP emails.
3. Select emails that you want to save.
4. After that, drag and drop those IMAP emails into the local folder.
5. That’s it. You have archived IMAP email in Thunderbird.

Drawbacks of Manual Method

• Users need to select single IMAP emails and migrate them which is a time-consuming process.
• A slow process for users handling large IMAP mailboxes.
• There is a high chance of accidental deletion or formatting issues while moving emails from Thunderbird to the system.
• Thunderbird does not offer filter options as it makes it difficult for users to locate required emails from the heap of files.
• You need to repeat the same process on a regular basis to keep your archive updated with new messages.

Automated Solution to Archive IMAP Email in Thunderbird Effortlessly

If you want a reliable and easy way to save IMAP email locally Thunderbird then download BitRecover IMAP Mail Backup Tool. It is an ideal solution for bulk and selective archiving without losing any data and avoiding one-by-one migration. This professional utility works smoothly with all IMAP enabled email services like Gmail, Yahoo, Thunderbird, Office 365 and more. Additionally, it directly migrate IMAP email to new server or archive IMAP email in Thunderbird. Using this tool, you can archive an entire IMAP mailbox at once without wasting effort and time. Download the tool and enjoy a seamless experience.

Following the user guide will enable you to easily archive IMAP email in Thunderbird. Let’s start.

Complete Method to Save IMAP Emails in Thunderbird

1. Download and install the above software on any of your Windows or Mac machine.
2. Now, enter the email address and password of your IMAP account. Also, fill in IMAP host and port no. Tap login to continue.
   
3. Once logged in, you will see a list of all email folders so choose the necessary emails which you want to save in Thunderbird.
   
4. Thereafter, choose Thunderbird from the saving options list.
   
5. Lastly, browse a particular location and click backup to begin the process to archive IMAP email in Thunderbird.
   
6. Go to the resultant folder to check the saved email messages from IMAP server. Also, navigate to your Thunderbird account to view all emails.

Benefits of Using the Tool to Archive IMAP Email in Thunderbird

• Bulk Email Transfer: By using this software, the users can easily bulk archive IMAP email in Thunderbird. In this way, one can save multiple emails from IMAP server to Thunderbird at once within few seconds.
• Preserves Email Elements: With this tool, you don’t need to worry about the email components of IMAP account messages. It keeps intact all attachments, inline images, attachments, hyperlinks, signature, formatting of email text, etc.
• Save Emails from Multiple IMAP Accounts: A prime advantage of this application is that you can export multiple IMAP account emails to Thunderbird. Let’s say you have three or four or more than that IMAP account and you intend to save IMAP emails in Thunderbird from all these accounts. Then, the batch mode option enables you to do so. It will ask the login credentials of your IMAP account, store it in a CSV file and lastly upload it into the software panel.
• Secures User’s Data Privacy: The too never disturbs the integrity of data. It performs the whole process to archive IMAP emails in Thunderbird without any data loss.
• Maintains the Folder Structure: During the task to save IMAP account to Mozilla Thunderbird, this utility preserves the on-disk folder structure. It keeps the original folder hierarchy throughout the archiving of IMAP emails into Thunderbird.
• Windows and Mac Compatible Tool: Users can download this application on any version of Windows OS such as Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012, etc. Also, it supports Mac 10.15 Catalina, 10.14 Mojave, 10.13 High Sierra, 10.12 Sierra, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, 10.10 Yosemite, 10.9 Mavericks, 10.8 Mountain Lion, etc.

Concluding Words

The choice to archive IMAP email in Thunderbird is efficient when you have massive number of emails and you particularly want to store them on a local email client. It safeguards your IMAP emails, attachments from any sort of virus or malware attacks.

You can even take a free trial of the IMAP to Thunderbird backup tool for evaluating the features and benefits. It enables to convert top 25 email items from IMAP server to Mozilla Thunderbird. In order to perform unlimited migration, you need to upgrade the license keys of the product.

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