Lori Kozey

Q: Unable to paste multiple addresses into Mail to: field

Before upgrading to Mavericks, I was able to copy multiple names and email addresses on separate lines (say, from a Word document) and paste them into the to: field in a Mail message, where they would show up as separate addresses. Now, when I do that, it grabs only the first address and gives is a mashup name of all of the contact names.

 

This seems to be a bug, but I cannot find anywhere within support to report this. If anyone has a workaround (other than individually copying and pasting each individual address — that's obvious) or can let me know where to report this bug, I would appreciate it.

 

ETA: I have no idea why this forum won't let me update the information on my OS, but I am running Mavericks, not 10.5.2.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Oct 30, 2013 7:41 AM

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Q: Unable to paste multiple addresses into Mail to: field

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  • by Mick Burrell,

    Mick Burrell Mick Burrell Nov 4, 2013 8:55 AM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 3 (940 points)
    Nov 4, 2013 8:55 AM in response to Lori Kozey

    I've discovered this too. I've also discovered what I think is causing it and a workround.

     

    If you have anyone anywhere in the list whose address is in the format Mick Burrell<mick@****,com>, then you get this issue, You need to remove all but the email address so it's in the form just mick@****. There's one more thing. Mail requires multiple addresses to be separated by a comma then a space. Pasting your list will insert the space but not the comma so each email address has to be in the format mick@****, (note the comma after the address. Also, note that here, the small envelope icon is inserted by the forum and is not part of what you have to type).

     


  • by Jerry Freilich,

    Jerry Freilich Jerry Freilich Nov 5, 2013 9:01 AM in response to Mick Burrell
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 5, 2013 9:01 AM in response to Mick Burrell

    More on this issue....

     

    I've been pasting lists of e-mail addresses into Mail and sending them for 10 years.... i.e., since Mail was first released. This has always worked easily and painlessly. Suddenly with Mavericks and the current build of Mail, it no longer works. Apparently either Mail, Mavericks, or the clipboard transfer process .... strips whatever delimiter was previously in place that made this work. I find the situation exists whether copying names from Numbers or Excel. I imagine the problem also exists transferring from Word as reported above.

     

    This is a simple "Functionality" issue that Apple engineers ought to SEE and REMEDY quickly. Colleagues have suggested numerous ways that I could insert commas after each e-mail address so that they will parse correctly when moved to Mail. This is crazy and should not be needed!!!  The Mail application should be smart enough to parse pasted in e-mail addresses. Alternately, the clipboard or OS should be smart enough to "understand" this most simple and commonplace of actions.

     

    One of the things we all agree makes the Magic of the Macintosh is that "it just works." This is a simple feature that worked perfectly for 10 years. Fix it, please, so we can get back to work.

     

    I've been a Mac user and Evangelist since the 128 K Mac in 1984. I've also posted this issue on Macintouch.

  • by tbirdvet,

    tbirdvet tbirdvet Nov 5, 2013 12:55 PM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 4 (3,008 points)
    Nov 5, 2013 12:55 PM in response to Lori Kozey

    I agree.  The Mavericks version of mail is a downgrade!

  • by shellzj,

    shellzj shellzj Nov 8, 2013 8:46 AM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 8, 2013 8:46 AM in response to Lori Kozey

    I too have this problem after the upgrade to Mavericks.  I used to copy and paste rows of my employee's e-mail addresses from Google Spreadsheets into the BCC field but now it's not possible for group messages.  I was hoping that the update to Mail recently would fix it but still no good.

     

    Fortunately, I am still able to copy and paste the addresses directly into G-Mail, which is my workaround for the moment.

     

    Apple - please fix ASAP.

  • by Tony T1,

    Tony T1 Tony T1 Nov 8, 2013 8:56 AM in response to shellzj
    Level 6 (9,249 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 8, 2013 8:56 AM in response to shellzj
  • by Tony T1,

    Tony T1 Tony T1 Nov 8, 2013 9:00 AM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 6 (9,249 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 8, 2013 9:00 AM in response to Lori Kozey

    Lori Kozey wrote:

     

    If anyone has a workaround (other than individually copying and pasting each individual address — that's obvious)

     

    In excel, you can:

    In the cel next to the email adddress, enter =A1&","

    ...and then paste that col into mail

     

    If the email addesses are plain text, copy, and in Terminal run:

         pbpaste | sed 's/$/,/' | pbcopy

  • by shellzj,

    shellzj shellzj Nov 8, 2013 8:59 AM in response to Tony T1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 8, 2013 8:59 AM in response to Tony T1

    Thanks Tony!  I just did that for my spreadsheet in Google and it worked.  It's not pretty, but it's sufficient until hopefully Apple releases a fix.

  • by Lori Kozey,

    Lori Kozey Lori Kozey Nov 8, 2013 10:07 AM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 8, 2013 10:07 AM in response to Lori Kozey

    Thank you all for confirming that it's not just me. :-)

     

    I'm actually working off a list created in Word. I handle the birthday greetings for a mailing list I'm on, and the list has headings for the date and then each name and email address on its own line under that. I'm using TextExpander, so all I have to do is copy the names and addresses and invoke the shortcut once I had so new mail message open to complete the message.

     

    It used to be that I could just paste the paragraph-delimited names and email addresses into the cc: field, and Bob's yer uncle. It was nice. But it seems like the only realistic solution for me will be another series of copy and paste when there are multiple names on a given day.

     

    I hope they fix this bug soon.

  • by jds3998,

    jds3998 jds3998 Nov 19, 2013 4:52 PM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2013 4:52 PM in response to Lori Kozey

    I almost lost it when I realized I couldn't paste multiple addresses anymore!  There is a fairly easy fix, although, we should'nt have to do it.  The problem is that the email program can no longer make the distinction between addresses when there is more than one. 

     

    In order for it to work the way it used to, you need to add a comma between each address.  If you are working in excel and each address has it's own cell, you can add a comma in the cell to the right of the first address, then use the 'fill down' tool to take you to the the cell right of your last address.  Now you have a list of 2 columns, column A with email addresses and column B with commas.  Just copy and paste into the macmail address bar and they will instantly turn into proper addresses. I don't this Mavericks thing...too many bugs....

  • by Jerry Freilich,

    Jerry Freilich Jerry Freilich Nov 20, 2013 9:40 AM in response to jds3998
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 20, 2013 9:40 AM in response to jds3998

    I continue to be amazed that Apple has broken something so simple and so basic to thousands of users. Moreover, they have done this without any notice or any warning to people who use their software. Thanks to several of you who have posted work-arounds here. But the simple truth is that this is a clumsy, backwards way to handle software engineering.

     

    Is it not THE MOST BASIC idea of inter-operability that a user would want to store names in a database or spreadsheet and then move them quickly and seamlessly into a Mail program?  Obviously it WAS considered a basic and simple matter when Mail and Pages were under development ... because it worked quickly and easily for 10 years. Now to BREAK IT  and not even notice the break???   Come on, Apple, you can do MUCH better.

  • by gidgea,

    gidgea gidgea Jan 31, 2014 4:38 PM in response to jds3998
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 31, 2014 4:38 PM in response to jds3998

    Worked for me, thanks.

  • by golfbravo56,

    golfbravo56 golfbravo56 Feb 1, 2014 3:32 AM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 1, 2014 3:32 AM in response to Lori Kozey

    Today, I discovered the same problem: not being able to copy and paste a number of e-mail adresses out of Excel into Mail. I was told to add a comma to each address.

    I do it this simply: select the whole column of e-mail addresses, go in Excel to the function Replace, and have every address ending e.g. ".com" replaced by ".com,". Do it for all other possible endings. Then copy and paste into Mail end it works. 

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Feb 1, 2014 12:56 PM in response to Lori Kozey
    Level 9 (71,588 points)
    iTunes
    Feb 1, 2014 12:56 PM in response to Lori Kozey

    Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

     

    Mail/Provide Mail Feedback

  • by Lori Kozey,

    Lori Kozey Lori Kozey Feb 2, 2014 5:50 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 2, 2014 5:50 PM in response to Eric Root

    Thanks for the tip on sending feedback — I never realized that that would let you give specific feedback about a specific problem. It looks like it only sends your stats, but apparently that's wrong.

     

    Thanks, everyone, for the suggestion of adding the comma, but that doesn't help in my specific situation. It would solve the problem of copying and pasting the multiple addresses, but then that would mean having to futz with what I copied and pasted in another part of my process that is currently completely automated and formatted the way I want it to be in the text of my email.

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