How to Synchronize Labels across Multiple Instances of Opera with IMAP Keywords

If you use IMAP and your IMAP server supports IMAP keywords, you can synchronize your labels across multiple instances of Opera.

All you have to do is follow these guidelines:

* Make sure the label doesn't have any rules.

* Make sure the label doesn't have any spaces in its name. Use only a-z and 0-9 and use _ for spaces.

Don't use keywords starting with $. Depending on the name following the $, they can be reserved for special use (like $Junk and $NotJunk, $Label1 through $LabelN, these and these).

Also, try not to use a keyword with a name that has the same name when used with $. For example, don't use "junk" just in case the client or IMAP server interprets it the same as $Junk for the purpose of robustness.

* In the label's properties on the IMAP tab, set the imap keyword to the name of the label (case-sensitive).

* Don't use the same keyword for more than one label.

Then, adding/removing messages to/from a label will be automatically reflected in other instances of Opera. And, if the label doesn't exist in another instance, it'll be automatically created if there's a message with that label's keyword.

Note that this will not sync any settings or rules for the labels.

The syncing of labels will work with other IMAP clients that support IMAP keywords too. For example, if you create a tag in Thunderbird, Thunderbird will add an IMAP keyword to all the messages tagged with that tag and Opera will see that. Unfortunately for Thunderbird, if you create a label with a keyword in Opera, Thunderbird won't create a tag as Thunderbird doesn't create tags from detected keywords.

You can use Labels with IMAP keywords for Gmail IMAP too. If you set the label to "show hidden" though, you could see duplicates. But, you can uncheck "show duplicates" for the label if you must have "show hidden" checked. Labels are still not synced with Gmail IMAP label folders. See <http://operawiki.info/GmailIMAP> for more info. Don't want to go off topic here.

Awesome tip burnout!

Does is work with existing labels and emails as well? I just renamed one label of mine to AbCde_5 and put the same string in the Imap tab of the properties of the label.
But nothing seems to happen - no indication Opera is updateing/communicating with the IMAP server.

Soko

Originally posted by sokocc:

But nothing seems to happen - no indication Opera is updateing/communicating with the IMAP server.

It *should* (maybe after a restart), but I don't remember at the moment if Opera actually does. If it never does in that case, you can drag them from the label they're in to another label (a test when you create) to move them out of the source label to the new one and then drag them back. That should do it then. Ctrl + a in the list to select all messages so you can drag the selection.

Your IMAP server has to support keywords though. You can test that by adding a message to one of the default labels (that has a keyword set by default). Then, restart Opera. If the message disappears from the label, the server doesn't support keywords.

You could instead change the keyword for the label to a different name and see if Opera creates a new label based on that name.

OK, thx. I'll give it a try.
Soko