Best Ways to Archive Thunderbird Emails [2025]

Is your Thunderbird inbox cluttered with emails, but you can’t delete them? How about moving emails from a mailbox to a different location? Wondering how! We are talking about Archiving emails. Yes, you can archive Thunderbird emails and export all your emails that you don’t need now but may in the future. Besides, the best way to declutter your inbox is to take a backup and save emails locally on your PC. For that, Thunderbird Backup Tool is a standalone utility, that is all you need. However, if you are still looking for other ways for the Thunderbird mail archive, here is the blog.

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We often try to clean up our inboxes or other folders to reduce the mailbox size, make space for new emails, and better email management. Archiving mailbox emails makes it easier for users to organize and manage their emails. This helps you keep your data in one specific place, where your inbox will be clutter-free and emails will be accessible at any time. However, the question arises of how to create Mozilla Thunderbird Archive Emails. Don’t fret! Below discussed are some of the tried methods to archive emails in Mozilla Thunderbird. 

Different Ways to Archive Thunderbird Emails

There are several ways to archive emails from a Thunderbird mailbox. You can either do a manual process or get a dedicated tool to do this. The listed methods are:

1. Move Emails to the Archive Folder of Thunderbird
2. Save all Thunderbird emails as EML files
3. Using ImportExportTools NG
4. Automated Thunderbird Email Backup Tool

Here, we will discuss them one by one.

#1. Save Emails to Thunderbird Mail Archive

• Open Thunderbird Application.
• Select Single or press Ctrl+A to select all emails in Inbox or other folder.
• Right-click on the selected emails and select the Archive option.

• Finally, all your emails will be saved in a separate folder named ‘Archive’.

#2. Manually Archive Thunderbird Emails as EML File

• In Thunderbird mailbox, choose the single or multiple emails you want to archive. Press CTRL+A to select all emails.
• Go to the Thunderbird menu (≡) at the top-right.
• Next, click on the Save As option.

• Then, choose File. or you can directly press CTRL+S to save all emails as EML files.
• Select a Folder to save the emails. Or create a new folder to save all archive EML files. Click on Select Folders.

#3. Thunderbird Archive all Emails Using ImportExportTools NG

• Firstly, open Mozilla Thunderbird and expand the menu icon(≡) at the top-right.
• In the Thunderbird menu drop-down, click on Add-ons and Themes.

• To get add-ons, click on the Recommendation section (With a Star Icon).
• Search for ImportExportTools NG add-on or select from the list of featured Add-ons.
• Click the +Add to Thunderbird button to add and then Install.
• Next, check the Add-ons Manager, if ImportExportTools NG is the list of installed add-ons. Tap Restart.
• Close Thunderbird and re-open.
• Tap on Inbox > Click on ImportExportTools NG > then, click on Export all messages in the folder > Select EML format.

• Locate the destination folder where you want to save Mozilla Thunderbird archive emails and click on Select Folder.

All the manual processes mentioned above are simple and easy to perform. However, it has some limitations such as you cannot move emails specifically by dates. Furthermore, if any duplicates are found, they will not be stored taking up more space. Therefore, let us know about one of the most reliable methods.

#4. Best Automated Tool to Archive Emails in Thunderbird Emails

The most reliable and secure way to create a Thunderbird mail archive is the DRS Thunderbird Backup tool. This tool helps you backup your complete Thunderbird mailbox data to various file formats and email clients. This utility offers exclusive features like date filter, duplicate removal, etc., allowing users to get accurate backups. Furthermore, the tool has an interactive GUI that supports users in easy navigation of the tool. Additionally, the wide compatibility of the tool with all Windows Operating Systems is remarkable. 

Prominent Features of the Tool

• Enables you to archive Thunderbird profiles into the local drive.
• The tool auto-locates mailbox profiles added in Thunderbird.
• Saves Thunderbird mailboxes into PST, EML, MSG, PDF, TXT, DOC, etc.
• Direct migration of Thunderbird mailbox data to different email clients.
• Identifies and removes duplicate emails from the Thunderbird mailbox.

Additionally, you can use the free demo version of the tool to learn how it works. The demo version of the tool migrates 50 emails per folder. 

How to Archive Emails in Thunderbird Emails Using Tool?

Follow the steps below to create a Thunderbird mail archive, using Thunderbird Backup Tool:

• Firstly, download the tool and launch it. (Note: Thunderbird installation is a must).
• The tool will auto-detect Thunderbird profiles and you need to select the desired mailbox profiles and click Next.
• Next, select the destination file format/email client to save the Thunderbird mailbox data.
• Opt for other additional filters, if required, and at last click on Convert.

Now, you know that it only takes 4 to 5 steps to archive emails through a professional tool and it’s done. Hereof, this is the most convenient and secure way to archive all Thunderbird emails together, without the risk of data loss.

Conclusion

We have served you both the manual and a professional way to archive Thunderbird emails. Keeping your mailbox organized and organized increases the efficiency of your work. By the way, the manual process also provides a convenient backup of Thunderbird mailbox, but if you want to archive a large number of emails, choose the professional solution. The manual process works well for transferring some emails. Beyond that, it’s up to you to choose the method that best suits your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions