Thunderbird add-on: Auto Archive by Date
Designed for users who want to keep their Thunderbird profiles lean and fast over time without losing any messages.
Download add-on (current version)
Currently: version 3.2.0 –
the file auto-archive-latest.xpi should always point
to the latest build on the server.
If you need to reference a specific version, you can additionally provide
the file auto-archive-v3.2.0.xpi and link it directly:
Download v3.2.0.
View more details about this add-on
Short description
Auto Archive by Date automatically archives Thunderbird emails older than a chosen date into a backup folder – preserving your folder structure, organised by year, with extensive safety options and a CSV log file.
Full description
Auto Archive by Date moves old emails out of your active inbox into a dedicated backup folder so that Thunderbird stays fast and tidy – without losing a single message.
You define a cut-off date – for example 1 January 2022 – and the add-on moves all messages from before that date into your chosen backup folder. Your complete folder and subfolder structure is preserved; optionally, each year can get its own subfolder to make archived messages easier to find.
A built-in two-step workflow (Preview → Execute) ensures that you always see exactly what will happen before anything is actually moved.
Key features
- Archiving based on a configurable cut-off date with optional per-year subfolders
- Preserves the full folder and subfolder structure
- Per-account backup folders with a global fallback option
- Two steps: Preview → Execute – no accidental moves
- Configurable safety buffer (7 days by default) and per-run limit
- Optional dry-run mode for safe testing without real changes
- Automatic CSV log file (UTF-8 with BOM for Excel) after each real run
- Built-in help in Dutch and English
Important: Emails are moved, never deleted. They remain fully accessible and searchable in Thunderbird – just in a different folder.
Changelog
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 3.2.0 | 20 Feb 2026 | Current stable release with date-based archiving, preview mode and CSV logging. |
Technical details & compatibility
- Tested Thunderbird versions: 115.x (ESR, “Supernova”) and newer
- Platforms: Windows 10/11, recent Linux distributions (x86_64), macOS from around 12 upwards
- Profile type: local standard profiles only (no special enterprise/roaming profiles tested)
- Behaviour: moves messages within the same profile only, never deletes them
- Log file: CSV (UTF-8 with BOM), e.g. easy to analyse in Excel or LibreOffice
Please adjust these details to match your actual test environment, especially if you later publish the add-on more broadly or want to officially support specific platforms.