It is straightforward to configure a Gmail account being accessed through Apple Mail to Archive messages when you "delete" them from the mail client. With generic IMAP accounts, however, the only options for deleting messages are:
- Move deleted messages to the Trash mailbox (which, when unchecked, leaves them in the Inbox)
- Store deleted messages on the server (which, when unchecked, stores them in the local mailbox only, I suppose)
- Permanently erase deleted messages when
<time interval>…
Is there a way, through a combination of server configuration and, perhaps, Apple Mail rules, to move messages to an IMAP "archive" folder when I Trash them?
(I note that there seems to exist no condition in Apple Mail's rules to take action when a message is deleted…)
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Best Answer
Mail does have an action called "Archive" in the Message menu that moves the current message in to a directory called "Archive." I use it all day every day on my work IMAP account just like in Gmail. I stash everything in there and just rely on search to find what I need. It works great.
I don't think there's a way to remap the Delete key to perform an Archive action instead, but Archive does have a keyboard shortcut: control-command-A. If you find that as clunky as I do, you can remap it in System Preferences' Keyboard pane.
You can also add Archive to your toolbar if that's more your thing.