What is the point of the Mail Archive function?

Hi johnmd50

Did you ever figure out how to do the following? (From your post of May 25th 2015)

How can I ensure future Archived Mail is deleted when i delete "original" message?

I'm having exactly the same issue, since upgrading to Yosemite now emails (doesn't matter whether Gmail, Apple mail, or whatever) copy themselves into the Archive folder and I'm wasting such a lot of time each day deleting and organizing them)

Thanks!

Eric Root wrote:

The archive folder should appear in the 'On My Mac' section and is not synced.

Depends on the account, if it is Google the archive folder is on the google server and does sync to the account.

This is a very helpful message, since it explains why I'm not seeing what everyone else is describing: An archive folder under "my mac."

If I understand you, clicking "archive" in Mail does the exact same thing as archiving in the Gmail web client. It archives messages *on the gmail server* but removes them from your mac. It makes it findable through search in gmail but you won't see it in the gmail inbox. And it will be gone from your Mac.

I'm using a confusing (but useful, I think) double-archiving system: I use Eaglefiler to keep a local archive of mail, while also trying to use the gmail method. I think it will work if I archive things to Eaglefiler and *then* archive it using the Mail client.

So I get that, with a POP account, archive is not really a thing, since the messages are deleted off the sever anyway. I have 20K emails in my inbox for a pop account and wanted to "archive" them so it doesn't take as long to navigate. So I created a rule on that account for messages over 365 days old to move messages to the "Archive folder" called "On My Mac". I selected all 20K messages in my inbox and "ran the rule". the mail program hung for a while, I got out and came back in after it was finished hanging and guess what, still had 20K messages in my inbox.

This thread appears to have gone a little off piste. I am interested in an answer to the original poster's question:

What is the point of the Mail Archive function?

I do what I'm sure others do, which is to move mail to a folder called "OLD Inbox" or "OLD Sent" (or whatever) every 12 months or so.

But in Yosemite Mail there has suddenly appeared an "Archive" button in the Mail toolbar. And I cannot figure out why Apple has decided to include it. The Mail help is (as most Apple 'help' documentation post 2010) a slap-dash, unhelpful exercise in futility. It seems to suggest that an Archive is a temporary resting place for email messages, stating an archive is "...so you can quickly find them later when you’re ready to take action."!!! Really??

Is the contents of the archive included in Mail search results? Why precisely is it better than just a normal folder?? Indeed, is it merely another Mail folder with a fancy icon???

Needless to say, I have left feedback for Apple asking for clarification, the words "freeze", "Hades" and "over" spring to mind regarding them ever getting back to me.

So does anyone else out there have a clue? I'm minded to just remove the Archive button from my toolbar.

I see no value in this folder and do not understand the purpose.

I recently had my IMAP'd gmail account require me to input the password again. And it decided to download 10+ years of gmail into the archive folder. 1 week later and I've finally managed to delete them all manually, 2,000 at a time. Larger bunches would not delete.

What purpose does Archive serve?

How do I keep it from grabbing emails for no reason?

Archiving removes messages from the server and saves them to the device itself. Archiving = storing messages locally. It reduces the size of your mailbox on the host server in doing so.

You should be able to set POP to delete from server when downloaded. In Mail, this option is in Accounts under the Advanced tab.

If you are using a Gmail account, this is true, since Gmail's "archive" simply equates to "All Mail" - don't ask me why.

I'm also confused about "Archive". I'm using Gmail and Apple Mail.
It does seem to me "Archive" is exactly the same as "All Mail"

Anyone have any more insight into this please?

The archive folder should appear in the 'On My Mac' section and is not synced.

All Mail is the Archive folder, Google like it that way because they sell your mail's content to others.

Controls for Googles Archive function are on the Google website, go there and set them how you want them.