Compacting (purging) mailbox folders

Note: Compacting (purging) mailbox folders is required only if you manage your mailbox via an e-mail application that is configured to flag/mark messages as deleted instead of moving them to the trash folder or deleting them permanently. You can learn more about the supported message deletion settings supported in Roundcube and Webmail Classic in our Configuring message deletion settings article.

The actual process of compacting/purging mailbox folders will vary depending on your webmail client of choice:

• Roundcube
• Webmail Classic
  
  

Roundcube

You can compact (purge) a mailbox folder in Roundcube by following these steps:

1. Open the Mail task from the main menu.
2. Select the folder that you wish to compact from the folder list.
3. Click on the "Folder actions" button represented by a vertical ellipsis symbol (⋮) in the Elastic theme or a gear icon in the Larry theme.
4. Select the Compact option from the menu to delete the messages that were marked for deletion.

Note: You can automatically compact your Inbox folder upon logout by enabling the Compact Inbox on logout setting in Roundcube. Additional details are available in our the Configuring message deletion settings article.

Webmail Classic

To compact (purge) a mailbox folder via Webmail Classic, you should:

1. Open the folder by clicking on its name from the Folder Status section (folder list).
2. Select the Purge option from the Folder actions drop-down menu.
3. Click on the OK button from the confirmation window to remove the messages flagged for deletion from the selected folder.

If you wish to compact (purge) multiple mailbox folders at once, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Manage Folders button near the bottom of the Folder Status section (folder list) to access the Manage Folders page.
2. Select the checkboxes next to the folders you wish to compact.
3. Click on the Purge button to delete the messages that were marked for deletion in the selected folders.