About Mail

Mail Panels

The Mail screen has three main panels:

Resizing the Panels

To increase or decrease the size of a panel, click on the bar that separates it from its neighbor and adjust the size using the mouse. The size will remain as you set it until you resize it again.

Keyboard Navigation

You can navigate through the application using the mouse or by using the keyboard:

Right-click Menu

Many common actions are accessible via the right-mouse button or contextual menu option. The options vary depending on where the menu is invoked. The message list contextual menu also includes an option only available there – Mark as Read. The Mark as Read and Mark as Unread options can be used on individual or groups of messages.

The Message List

The message list is a scrolling list which displays summary information about messages in the currently selected folder. Mail works differently than a traditional Web mail application - you do not need to specify the number of messages per page or mark a checkbox next to a message in order to perform an action such as delete. You can shift-click to select a range of messages or CTRL/CMND click to pick multiple messages. The default number of messages displayed is only limited by the size of your screen. Just scroll down the inbox to preview more messages.

Read and Unread Messages

Unread messages appear in the Message List in bold text with a status icon of a dot (.). Once read they are no longer bold and their status icon is removed.

The Mail Preview Panel

Header

The preview panel displays a portion of the contents of the currently selected mail message.

On the top right of the preview panel there is a button to quickly add a contact to your Contacts list. You can also resize this panel as you can the others by clicking on the bar that separates it from its neighbors, as described above.

Clicking the small "+" next to the "Subject:" line will reveal more detailed information about the message, such as To and Cc headers.

Some attachment types may be previewed in Webtop without an external player. For example, click on JPEG attachments to see a preview. Click on the attachment to preview or download the attachment.

Preview panel "options"

The "options" selector allows you to perform a particular action for any mail message:

  1. Choose "View Source" for complete header information, including routing information as well as the complete source of the message.
  2. Choose "Open in Browser" to see the message in a separate browser window.
  3. Choose "Mark Unread" to have the message flagged as unread.
  4. Choose "Create Filter..." to automatically create a new filter based on information in this message.

External Mailboxes

Email from external accounts can be accessed via POP. Users can use POP to retrieve emails from external inboxes.

Users with external mailboxes setup will have additional folders available.

POP accounts will have an inbox, sent and trash. You cannot create custom folders under a POP account. Emails will be downloaded into the Inbox. Sent and Trash are not synchronized with the external mail account – only emails you send and delete from Webtop will be in these folders.

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Getting and Sending Email

Getting and Sending Email

Toolbar

The above toolbar is common to both your Inbox and custom folders and is used to perform standard operations on incoming email messages or creating a new email message. In addition, message text size in preview panel or in compose window can be adjusted dynamically.

Email Dock Open
Contact Rollover

Mail provides a number of quick ways to create a new email message:

  1. Click the New button in the toolbar, shown above.
  2. Select New Message from the Mail Menu in the Dock.
  3. Click on the Mail Icon on a specific Contact (or Group). This icon will appear when you rollover a contact in your address book. You can also click the arrow on a specific Contact ( or Group) and select Compose an Email.

A new window is displayed, as shown to the right, with To, Subject, and content fields. After you have filled them in, you can click Send or Save as Draft.

Note that mail supports multiple windows, so you can read and compose multiple messages and move between them as you wish.

Multiple email accounts

If you have more than one email account setup, you can select from a drop-down menu which account to send an email from. The address selected will determine which outgoing server settings and email address to use.


Receiving Mail

All incoming mail goes to your Inbox.

The leftmost column in the folder pane indicates whether you have read, responded to or forwarded a message. If the message is unread, the envelope flap is in the "sealed" position. If you have replied to a message, the envelope icon is replaced by a left-pointing arrow.

Navigating Through Messages

To easily navigate through your list of received messages click on the next or previous buttons located on the top right side of the message window toolbar.

Navigating Messages

Click the "next" button for navigating to the next message and "previous" button for navigating to the previous message. These correspond to downwards and upwards respectively in the message grid.

When you click on one of the navigation buttons the next/previous message will be loaded into the current window. If you click and no next or previous message exists the button will disable itself. When navigating in the opposite direction, the button will be re-enabled.

Checking for New Mail

You can change the system default for how frequently Mail checks for new incoming messages. You can set how frequently you check for email in a range from every minute to once an hour in the Mail Preferences.

Manually Checking

To manually check for new emails, click on the "check mail" button in the toolbar.

Entering an Email Address

You can type in the email address in a standard format, separating multiple email addreses with commas (,).

Auto Suggest

If an email address already exists in your address book, Mail will automatically present you with a list of possible selections based on what you have typed in. Use the mouse or keyboard arrows to select which addresses you would like to add to your email message.

Entering an Email Address from Contacts

There are several ways to add a contact to the To, CC or Bcc fields from your Contacts:

USER TIP – Find Contacts fast by clicking on the Contacts dock button at the top of the page.

Rich Text and Plain Text

The toolbar contains a button that toggles between Rich Text and Plain Text message composition. The default state when composing a new message is plain text editing. In this mode the Rich Text Composition toolbar is hidden and the button displays the words Rich Text. Clicking the Rich Text Button will display the formatting toolbar and permit text, color and styles to be specified on the message text. Note that the button will toggle to display Plain Text. Clicking again will display an alert prompting you to discard any formatting and revert to plain text to cancel the action.

Rich Text Editing

Rich Text Toolbar

Rich text editing is a standard part of composing a new message. This allows you to format messages with a wide variety of styles, fonts and colors. The Rich Text toolbar can be used to apply text styles (bold, underline, italics, font style, font size, and bulleted list) to text selections.

This is a list of the different types of formatting that you can do in Mail:

Spell Check

Select Spell Check in the Toolbar to perform a spell check when composing an email message. This will replace the Rich Text Editing composition with the Spell Check bar. Utilize Spell Check for any message that you are composing. Note that when in use it disables the message body, graying out all correctly spelled words and highlighting all misspellings. The misspelled word in focus is displayed both in context and in the Spell Check bar (bold blue). All other misspellings in the document are shown in bold red. You have the option of replacing the word with the first suggestions (in the drop-down), selecting an alternate suggestion, or ignoring the word. To summarize:

You can set a preference to always spell check before sending. See Managing Preferences for more.

drag an attachment

Sending Attachments

To send an attachment, click on the Attach button. A dialog box appears where you may upload one or more attachments to your message.

Integration with Contacts

You can drag contacts into two places in an email compose window:

Users that receive vCard files as email attachments can drag them into Contacts to create a new contact. To address an email, you can also:

Including a Signature

You can include a pre-defined text phrase or "signature" with each message. To include a signature, click on the "Insert Signature" button. You can define as many signatures as you like. See "Managing Preferences" section below for instructions on how to create signatures.

Auto-Save

The system will automatically every 60 seconds save unsent mail messages to the Drafts folder. Messages are automatically removed from the drafts folder when sent. The time of the last auto-save is displayed in the lower left of the compose window.

Request Return Receipt

You can request all recipients to send a confirmation email when receiving this email. Requesting return receipts will work with most email clients. A checkbox in the footer of the compose window shows the current setting in preferences. You can override the setting for a particular email using this checkbox but will not alter the preference.

Forwarding Messages

To forward an email message to another email address or contact, click on the Forward button. You can type in the name of the person or persons that you wish to send to, or select from your contacts list. See Contacts help section for more details..

Printing a Message

Select a message you wish to print and click the Print icon in the toolbar

The Envelope Icon

The envelope flap is in the "sealed" position, and it remains that way until you reply to it, or until you click on another message.

Receiving Attachments

When you receive a message that has an attachment, a paper-clip icon will appear in the column to the left of the "From" field in the folder pane. In the header of the message there will a line that gives the name of the file, including filename extension that is attached to the message.

To access the attachment, click on it. When the attachment is an image, such as a file with a .png extension, a new browser window will appear with the image displayed in it. If the file is an executable (.exe extension) or an unrecognized file type, a dialog box will appear asking you how you wish to proceed.

Messages Forwarded as Attachments

Mail supports messages forwarded as attachments. These attachments are shown in a Mail message as a link with the extension .eml. There is no limit to the levels a messages may be nested (e.g. you can "forward as attachment" an email containing a forwarded attachment and it will remain intact). Controls are provided to allow you to navigate up one level or go back to the top level of the message.

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Organizing your Mail

Sorting and Resizing Columns

The Message list contains the following list of columns:

The width of the From, Subject, Date and Size columns in the message list can be resizable by dragging the column divider. The messages may be sorted by clicking on one of the column headers. Clicking the column header again will toggle between ascending and descending order.

Customizing Displayed Columns

You can customize which columns are displayed in the message grid based on your own preferences. You can do it utilizing each of the following methods:

1. By clicking on an icon in the upper right corner of the message grid.

Custom Column 1

2. By opening the context menu on the message grid header and selecting the "Configure Visible Columns..." item.

Custom Column 2

3. Via the "General Email Preferences" panel in the preferences section

Custom Column 3

The first two methods lead to a configuration panel that opens over the top of the message grid. The panel contains brief instructional copy and a list of checkboxes for each configurable column. Each checkbox also has a tooltip with additional instructional copy. The third method presents the same checkbox list but inline in the preferences panel itself rather than over the message grid.

When a checkbox item is checked it will be displayed and when it is not it will be hidden. The grid will update immediately in the message grid user interface and after the preferences are saved in the preferences panel.

Moving Messages

To move message between folders, select the message you would like to move by clicking on it with your mouse in the message list and drag it over to the folder you would like to store it in. Once that folder appears highlighted, release your mouse button and drop the message.

Selecting more than one message

You may select individual messages, a block of multiple messages next to one another or a number of separate messages.

To select an individual message to move:

  1. Click on one of the messages you wish to move
  2. While holding the mouse button, drag the message to your desired folder
  3. Release the mouse button

To select a block of messages to move:

  1. Click on the first message you wish to move
  2. Move your cursor to the item at the end of the block you wish to move
  3. While holding down the SHIFT key, click the left mouse button
  4. Release the SHIFT Key, click and hold the mouse button over your selection and drag the selected messages to your desired folder
  5. Release the mouse button

To select a number of individual messages at the same time:

  1. Click on one of the messages you wish to move
  2. Move to the next message you wish to also move
  3. While holding down the CTRL key (Windows) or CMND key (Mac), click the mouse button to select the message
  4. Repeat Step 3 until your list is complete
  5. Release the CTRL or CMND Key, click and hold the mouse button over any one of your selected items and drag the selected messages to your desired folder
  6. Release the mouse button

When you move (or delete) any of the highlighted messages, all will be moved (or deleted).

Searching Messages

Mail provides the ability to search the To, CC, From, Subject fields and message content of messages. Search is located to in the top left panel above the Mail folder list. Simply enter in your search criteria and click the search button. The results from your search will be displayed in a new temporary folder called Search Results. This folder will remain for the duration your are logged in to Webtop.

Search

The default state will search for "peter" when you click the Search button.


Search Open

The results from your search will be displayed in a new temporary folder called Search Results. This folder will remain for the duration you are logged in to Webtop.


In addition, the matching terms get highlighted in the message body, if the message contains the searched term.

Folder Lists

The folder list consists of Systems folders and custom folders. Custom folders, as the name implies, can be edited, deleted, and nested within other folders. Systems folders cannot be renamed, moved, or deleted. When you select a folder, the Message List will update with the currently selected folder's contents.

Folders provide a way to organize your messages. The number of unread messages is displayed beside any folder unless all messages are read. There are five system, or default, folders and while you cannot delete, rename or move system folders, you may create as many additional custom folders as you like.

System Folders

Creating Custom Folders

To create a folder, click on the New Folder button at the top of the "Email" panel. A field appears bearing the label "Untitled." Type the name that you wish to give to the new folder.

Creating a Sub Folder

All custom folders are created at the same level. Once you have created a new folder, simply drag and drop the folder into another folder to create a sub folder.

Deleting a Custom Folder

To delete a folder, click on the Delete Folder icon at the top of the "Email" panel while the folder you wish to delete is highlighted.

Sorting Messages within a Folder

You can sort the messages in any folder (except the Sent folder) by the From, Subject, Date or Size field. Click on the field that you want to sort by, the messages will be redisplayed accordingly. To reverse the sort order, for example, from Z to A, click on the field again.

Junk Message Button

The Junk Button will move your selected message(s) to the "JUNK" folder for processing.

Deleting a Message

To delete a message, either click on the "trash" (trash bin) icon when the message is highlighted, or copy it to the "trash" folder. Deleted messages stay in the "deleted" directory until you either click on the "delete" icon while the message is selected, or until you "empty the trash" by clicking on the "empty trash" icon.

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Managing Preferences

Mail Preferences

The Preferences panel can be opened by clicking the 'Preferences' button in the Dock (upper right corner).

General Email Preferences

Account Preferences

External email accounts do not have an auto-check interval. You must press the Check Mail button.

You can change the email address for an external account. POP accounts also have an option to leave messages on the server.

Signatures

You can create as many distinct signatures as you like to use in different types of messages. For example, you might have one signature that you use on professional correspondence and another for personal letters. To create a signature, type the name you wish to associate with the signature in the left panel, and the contents of the signature in the preview pane. The name of the signature does not appear in the message; it's just a way for you to keep track of your signatures.

When you have specified one or more signatures, they will appear in the selection menu at the bottom of the compose message window. If you have not chosen a default signature, use this menu to select a signature.

Signatures are used for all accounts.

Junk Mail

You can set your Junk filtering options to perform the following operations on incoming mail that has already been identified as Junk:

This feature is not available for external accounts.

Blocked Sender List

If you do not want to receive mail from a particular person, add their email address to this list. If you do not want to receive email from an entire company, add their domain name (i.e.:badspammer.com) to this list. To accept email from that person or company again, just remove their address from this list by clicking Unblock.

Mail from these domains/addresses is placed in your Junk folder or deleted (depending on your selection).

This feature is not available for external accounts.

Filters

Filters, sometimes called rules, can be accessed via the Filters tab in Email preferences. Filters are a set of conditions and actions that you can create to process and organize incoming messages. You can add a new filter or set an existing filter to be active (or not). Filters can also be duplicated or deleted. Each filter consists of two parts: one or more conditions that specify which messages the filter applies to, and one or more actions that specify what should be done with messages that meet the criteria. For example, you can create a rule that automatically moves all of the messages you receive with the subject "emerald" to a separate folder called "Emerald Mailing List".

This feature is not available for external accounts.

Vacation

Use the vacation responder to let people know you won't be able to get back to them right away. You can set up a vacation response that will automatically reply to anyone who emails you. While the vacation responder is enabled, the response will be sent to anyone who contacts you.

Incoming Mail Settings

External Mail accounts have settings for the following:

Refer to the external mail provider for the proper settings to retrieve email via POP or IMAP. You can test the settings by clicking Test Connection.