Forwarding mail through rules doesn't include html

Question

Level 1

4 points

Forwarding mail through rules doesn't include html

Messages that are automatically forwarded using one of my rules do not seem to keep their original formatting.

e.g. I have received a new email, in html format, which my rule then picks up on and automatically forwards to my friend. However, when my friend receives this message it is no longer in html format - it is simply in plain text. Practically speaking this means that any pictures in that original message is lost and my friend cannot see them.

Weirdly, manually forwarding the same message keeps the html formatting, and my friend receives all the pretty formatting and pictures.

Is this the same for everybody? Or is it just me? Most importantly, is there any way to fix this?

iMac 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.2), Mail 3.2/ No Mail plugins or add ons/ Apple software completely up to date

Posted on Mar 23, 2008 4:43 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 24, 2008 9:18 AM in response to yinhongj

I don't know why this should not work! However, please report your Mail Preferences/Composing, and also the email program and operating system your friend is using?

Have you sent it to yourself to test?

Ernie

Reply

Answer 2

yinhongj Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 24, 2008 10:23 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Well ever since I discovered the problem I've been sending it to myself instead of my friend, and yet the problem still occurs.

I don't know if I was detailed enough in my previous post, but here is my exact set-up:

- 1 Mail account (POP3 Gmail)
- using Gmail's POP and SMTP servers (side note: I've tried with different SMTP servers but it still has the same result)
- in Preferences/Viewing, I have 'Display remote images in HTML messages' ticked
- in Preferences/Responding I have 'Use the same message format as the original message' ticked
- my rule goes like this:

*if - from - contains - test@example.com,*
*Perform the following actions: Forward message - to - Myself AND stop evaluation rules*

Do you have a similar setup Ernie? If so, does the forwarded message keep its formatting for you?

Reply

Answer 3

Mar 24, 2008 10:34 AM in response to yinhongj

I will have to try to set a test Rule to try to replicate your issue. I think I have some regular emails that I can target with such a rule.

Please confirm that you can manually Forward the same message, and have all work well?

Ernie

Reply

Answer 4

yinhongj Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 24, 2008 2:29 PM in response to Ernie Stamper

I can confirm that manually forwarding the same messages works perfectly.

Thanks Ernie.

Reply

Answer 5

Mar 24, 2008 3:57 PM in response to yinhongj

I have set up a Rule to test this, but the message that should trigger it will not come in until early tomorrow morning.

Ernie

Reply

Answer 6

Mar 25, 2008 9:17 AM in response to yinhongj

My test with a Rule to Forward messages (where they come from a source using HTML) confirms your experience.

I will have to wait until later (maybe tonight) to make a detail comparison of the Raw Source of the message Forwarded as a result of a Rule with one manually forwarded. A preliminary examination indicates the HTML is present, but not rendered properly.

Ernie

Reply

Answer 7

YinHoNg

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2008 11:44 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Ernie Stamper wrote:
I will have to wait until later (maybe tonight) to make a detail comparison of the Raw Source of the message Forwarded as a result of a Rule with one manually forwarded. A preliminary examination indicates the HTML is present, but not rendered properly.

Ernie

That's interesting. How did you determine that the HTML is present?

p.s how do you mark a post as helpful or solved?

Message was edited by: stivyh

Reply

Answer 8

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Mar 25, 2008 11:50 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

that's strange. I did the same and messages with embedded html forward properly. wonder what's going on here...

Reply

Answer 9

Mar 25, 2008 3:30 PM in response to YinHoNg

Hi,

If you open a message (whether in the Inbox or Sent), click on View in the menubar, place the cursor on Message and choose Raw Source, you can see whether there is any HTML present. I still will have to wait to compare in more detail.

Btw, only the poster who originates a topic can mark post as Helpful or Solved.

Ernie

Reply

Answer 10

yinhongj Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2008 7:01 AM in response to V.K.

V.K, that's interesting. Can you confirm that you have the exact same rule and same settings as I posted above and the message forwarded properly?

Reply

Answer 11

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Mar 26, 2008 7:46 AM in response to yinhongj

sorry I can confirm the problem.

I did make the rule exactly like yours. I have several e-mail accounts and the rule was that if the sender is one of my accounts it should be forwarded to another and stop rule evaluation. I then sent myself an email with a random safari page embedded in it. It forwarded fine and displayed properly.

However, it then occurred to me that Mail uses Safari engine to render html and therefore my test was hardly conclusive.

I then made another rule where the sender was Air Canada that sends me html e-mails constantly and those e-mails DO NOT display properly when forwarded using mail rules.

Reply