Message folders help to organize your messages. By default, they are located in the directory ~/Mail. When starting KMail for the first time, the program creates the folders inbox, outbox, sent-mail, and trash automatically. The function of these folders is as follows:

If you want additional folders to organize your messages, create them by selecting ‘Folder’+‘New Folder…’. This opens a window in which to specify options for the folder under the General tab. See Figure 12.3. “Creating New Folders”. Enter a name for the folder and select a parent folder (in ‘Belongs to:’) if the new folder should be created as a subfolder.

Figure 12.3. Creating New Folders

Under the tab Old Message Expiry, specify the expiration date for read and unread messages and what should happen with them after expiration. If you intend to use the folder to store messages from a mailing list, set the necessary options under the Associated Mailing List tab.

To move one or several messages from one folder to another, highlight the messages to move then press M or select ‘Message’+‘Move to…’. In the list of folders that appears, select the folder to which to move your messages. Messages can also be moved by dragging them from the upper window and dropping them into the appropriate folder in the left window.

To remove all the messages from a folder, click ‘Folder’+‘Empty’. All messages located in the folder are then moved to the trash.

	Important
Messages are not deleted permanently until you empty the trash.