Smart Mailboxes

Using the Mail search described on the previous page, you can save a search and turn it into a Smart Mailbox. The Smart Mailbox checks every incoming message and every message you've already received for items that match the search criteria.

A Smart Folder is an organizational tool in which to store groups of Smart Mailboxes. In this example, "Friends & Family" is a Smart Folder.

You can see the special icons that indicate the other three Smart Mailboxes.

A Smart Mailbox is different from making a rule in that a rule only checks incoming messages and filters them at that one point. A Smart Mailbox includes all email you've ever received, as well as messages you've sent and even those in the Trash. And it updates itself automatically.

There are two ways to create a Smart Mailboxone, through a search, and the other, through choosing criteria.

To create a Smart Mailbox from a search

1.	Do a search as explained on the previous page.
2.	Make sure you have chosen the location and search fields you want in the search bar.
3.	Click the "Save" button at the end of the search bar (if you don't see it, open your window a little wider).
4.	In the sheet that drops down, name the Smart Mailbox. Verify the parameters, as shown below, then click OK.

To create a Smart Mailbox Folder

This is just an organizational folder in which to store other Smart Mailboxes, as shown on the opposite page. From the Edit menu, choose "New Smart Mailbox Folder…." Name it, then click OK.

To create a Smart Mailbox by choosing criteria

1.	From the Edit menu or from the Action menu, choose "New Smart Mailbox…." If you want the new Smart Mailbox to be stored inside an existing Smart Folder, Control-click on the Smart Folder and choose "New Smart Mailbox…." If you delete a Smart Mailbox, it does not delete any of the messages stored inside.
2.	In the sheet that drops down, as shown on the opposite page, set up your parameters. Choose an option in the first menu, then see how the next two menus/fields change. Click the + sign to add more parameters; the sign to delete a parameter. Dangthere is no parameter to find messages that have been addressed "To" a certain address. I was hoping to make a Smart Mailbox that would filter all mail addressed to my .Mac aliases.
3.	Name the Smart Mailbox, click OK, and watch the results!