Plugins for Apple Mail
MailTags Support
The Basics
About MailTags
With MailTags, you can quickly attach various tag information to easily identify and find messages later. Beyond the simple organization provided by folders and keyword labels, MailTags organization can include dates, notes, projects, importance, and more. There are many features to discover as you explore and use MailTags to achieve email organization nirvana. Here are a few that we think are really important to mention at the onset.
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Quick and Easy Tagging: “Drag and Drop” provides a quick way to add keywords, projects, and importance, while “Copy MailTags” and “Paste MailTags” allow you to easily apply repeated tag sets to your messages.
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A variety of tag data: We recognize that not every tag added to an email is a keyword. Sometimes, adding date, color, projects, importance, and even full-text notes to messages is extremely useful. Of course, all this information can be used to locate and group messages according to your needs.
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Monitor messages: with an integrated system for reviewing and tracking messages waiting for reply emails.
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Integration with Smart Mailboxes: MailTags makes your smart mailboxes even smarter by including tag data as criteria. With MailTags, you can locate and group email according to projects, keywords, tickle dates, and more.
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Integration with Mail Rules: MailTags extends Mail’s rule system to use tags in rule criteria and to apply tags as actions. With MailTags, you can even make sure that your tag information is copied from prior emails as you receive new messages in a thread.
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Tags on multiple computers: Our Syncing services allow you to see the same tags on multiple computers with the MailTags component installed.
To install the MailTags component of MailSuite, see MailSuite installation - Managing Components.
Tagging Messages
Calling up the Tag Window
Messages can be tagged from the Message List Panel, the Message Panel, the Single Message Viewer or in the Composer while creating a new message.
From any of these locations, the Tagging Window can be called up from the Messages Menu or by using the quick-key combo of Control + Command + t (⌃⌘T).
After adding tags, click anywhere outside the Tagging Window to close the window and save changes. Command + Return ( ⌘ ↩) also closes the Tagging Window while saving the tags.
Hit ESC to close the window and discard any changes.
In the Message Panel and the Single Message Viewer, rolling the mouse over the divider between the details and the body of the message also displays a tag icon to call up the tagging window.
When composing a message, the Tagging Window window can be called up using the message menu or quick-keys. It can also be present automatically in the composer view by checking the option “Show Tag Panel when composing” in the Appearance tab of the MailTags settings.
In both Mails Main Window and in the Composer, the toolbar can be customized to add a Tag icon, which, when clicked, calls up the Tagging Window. To customize the toolbar, right-click on the toolbar and select “Customize Toolbar …”.
Seeing Tags on Messages
Once messages have tags, the tags are visible on the message itself, and in the Message List View in the Main Mail Window.
If you don’t see all the tags on the Snippet check the Message Attributes in the View menu of Mail. Checked attributes display on Snippets.
The Tagging Window
The Tagging Window is divided into 7 sections, Keywords, Project, Importance, Tickle, Color, Calendar and Notes. Move from section to section using the mouse to add tags as needed. The Tagging Window can also be navigated from the keyboard. For specific shortcuts, see “Shortcuts - Unsing MailTags from the Keyboard”.
Expanded Tags Fields to see more options for Keywords, Tickle Dates, and Notes by clicking on the disclosure arrows to the left the section name, or by using Command + Right Arrow (⌘ ▶︎), to re-compress the section use Command + Left Arrow (⌘ ◀︎).
Move the Tagging Window by clicking its background and drag the window.
Changing What’s Seen in the Tagging Window
Which sections appear in the Tagging Window and the order in which they appear can be changed through the MailTags preferences in the Appearance tab. To remove a section from the window uncheck it. Drag section up and down the list to change the order that they appear in the Tagging Window.
If MailTags is being navigated using just the keyboard, specific sections of the window can be called up using shortcuts. Keywords, Tickle dates and Notes can be added without using the complete tagging window. For specific shortcuts, see “Shortcuts - Using MailTags from the Keyboard”.
Keyword Tagging
In the Tagging Window, Keywords can be added by clicking them in the keyword list, or by starting to type the keyword and using autocomplete. A single message can have many keywords. Manage the “Prefered Keywords” list in the Keywords setting.
Managing What Keywords Are Visible When Tagging
To see keyword lists, switch between the various keyword groups (Keywords and Labels) by clicking on the name for each group, Group lists can be combined by holding the shift key and clicking on multiple keyword groups.
Further change the Keyword list displays by selecting from dropdown menu options of Preferred, In Use, Any or Recent.
- Preferred show only keywords from the Preferred Keyword list
- In Use show any keyword that has been used whether they are on the Preferred list or not
- Any combines the Preferred and the In Use lists
- Recent only show the most recent tags used.
Changes to the keyword display are saved for repeated use.
With Gmail If Show only labels of GMail messages is checked in the Keyword preferences, the selection of other lists won’t be respected when working with only Gmail messages.
Auto-complete will only work if the Keyword wanted is in the displayed list. To have all Keywords available for autocomplete select Any in the dropdown menu, and make sure all available keyword types are selected.
Other Ways to Add Keywords
Drag and Drop Tagging: Drag a message to a Keywords mailbox on the left to add the Keyword to the message. If the message already has existing Keywords, the new Keyword will be added to the message. Multiple messages can be selected and dragged.
Contextual Menu: Right-click on a message in the *Message List** to access another way to add, remove or set Keywords on a message. The contextual message options are also available in the Message menu of Mail, under the Mailtags option.
The Keyword Window If only Keywords need to be added or edited, a Keywords only window can be called up using Control + Command + k (⌃⌘K)
Keywords and color: Mailtags doesn’t allow for the automatic association of a color to a keyword. Color can only be added manually through the Color tagging options.
Project Tagging
Projects can be added by selecting the Project from the dropdown list. A message can have only one Project. The “Prefered Project” list is managed in the Projects tab of MailTags’ settings.
Other Ways to Add Projects
Drag and Drop Tagging: Drag a message to a Project mailbox on the left to add a new Project. If the message already has an existing Project, MailTags replaces the existing Project with the new one. Multiple messages can be selected and dragged.
Contextual Menu: Right-click on a message in the *Message List** to access another way to change the Project on a message. The contextual message options are also available in the Message menu of Mail, under the Mailtags option.
Projects and color A color can be associated with a Project through the Project tab of MailTags’ settings.
Review Dates
(Previously Tickle Dates)
Review Dates are dates set on messages that allow you to use smart folders to monitor your upcoming deadlines. These dates are not put on a calendar or added to reminders - they exist only in MailTag Review mailboxes. MailTags sets up 5-7 default mailboxes in the Review folder.
To see the Review mailboxes check the option “Show Review Mailboxes” in the “MailTags Mailboxes” option in the “View” menu of Mail.
Once you put a Review date on a message, you can monitor it in the Review mailboxes: “Today”, “Tomorrow”, “Upcoming”, Future, and “Past”.
Right-click on any Review mailbox lets you select which Review folders to display. You can show and hide individual mailboxes of check the option to “Automatically Hide Empty Mailboxes”.
The criteria for Upcoming and Future dates on the Review Date mailboxes can be changed by right-clicking the mailboxes and selecting “Edit Review Mailbox Options…”.
Review dates can be added to the message by:
- clicking on the calendar;
- by using one of the preset buttons that can be set in the Calendar preferences of MailTags, or
- by entering a text-based date such as “Friday,” “Next Tuesday”, or “1 Month” to get dropdown options to complete the field.
Other Ways to Add Review Dates
The Review Window
If only Review Dates need to be added or edited, a Review only tagging window can be called up using Control + Option + Command + d (⌃⌥⌘D)
Contextual Menu
Right-click on a message in the Message List brings up the contextual message menu where you can choose “Set Review Date…”. When selected, the Review only tagging window also appears.
Review Date Presets
Review date presets can be set in the Calendar tab of the MailTags settings. There are 2 presets that can be set for a specific number of days or for a particular day.
Review Date Color
In the Color tab of the MailTags settings, you can set a color for when the Review date is “Today” or Past Due. To see MailTags colors on messages, you need to check the option “Use Tags to Color Message”. Check the fields you want the color to display for and move the fields up and down the list to determine color priority. If multiple tags have color, the list order will determine which color is displayed.
You can also check the option “Use progressive review date colors”. When checked, the darkens of the color change as the date approaches Today. If the “Today” color is set to Green, then a message with a Review date set for “Tomorrow” would be a lighter green, and a Review date of 2 days away would be lighter still.
Events and Tasks
Creating an Event with MailTags creates an event in the Calendar App. If the event is deleted in the Calendar App, it will also be deleted from Mail. Unless you specify in the Calendar tab for MailTags, emails with events are included in your Review Date mailboxes.
Creating a task creates a Task in the Reminder App. If you check a task as completed in Mail, it will be checked in the Reminder App and vice - versa. Emails with Task due dates on them also appear in your Review Date mailboxes.
Finding Tagged Messages
Using Tag Mailboxes MailTags adds Tag mailboxes to Mail’s mailbox listing based on the keywords in your preferred keyword list. Select Tag mailboxes to show messages with specific tags.
Quickly remove tags from the preferred list by right-clicking on the tag token.
Use the Mail Search Field Use Mail’s search to locate tagged messages quickly. As you type search terms, Keywords, Project and Note suggestions are displayed.
Using Smart Mail Any tag data can be used as conditions for smart mailboxes. Use the tag conditions as you would with the standard conditions such as Subject or Sender.
Opening the Tagging Window
⌃⌘T - (Control + Command + t) - Open complete Tagging Window
⌃⌘K - (Control + Command + k) - Open keyword section of the Tagging Window
⌃⌥⌘D - (Control + Command + d) - Open Tickle section of the Tagging Window
⌃⌘N - (Control + Command + n) - Open Note section of the Tagging Window
Closing the Tagging Window
⌘ ↩ - (Command + Return) - Save changes and close the Tagging Window
ESC - (Escape) - Close the tagging window without saving changes
Moving around in the Tagging Window
⌘▶︎ - (Command + Right Arrow) - expands tagging window area
⌘◀︎ - (Command + Left Arrow) - compresses tagging window section
⌘1 - (Command + 1) to
⌘7 - (Command + 7) - jump to related section of Tagging Window - mapped to section physical location in the tagging window
⌘K - (Command + k) - jump to Keyword section of Tagging Window
⌘P - (Command + p) - jump to Project section of Tagging Window
⌘R - (Command + r) - jump to Importance sectio*(n of Tagging Window
⌘T - (Command + t) - jump to Tickle section of Tagging Window
⌘L - (Command + l) - jump to Color section of Tagging Window
⌘I - (Command + i) - jump to Calendar section of Tagging Window
⌘N - (Command + n) - jump to Note section of Tagging Window
⌃⌥⌘X - (Control + Option + Command + x)- Clear all tags
Copy and Paste
⌃⌥⌘C - (Control + Option + Command + c)- Copy existing tags
⌃⌥⌘V - (Control + Option + Command + v)- Paste existing tags
⌃⌥⌘U - (Control + Option + Command + u)- Copy message url to clipboard
Advanced
Syncing on Multiple Computers
There are two types of “syncing” in MailTags, tag syncing and preference syncing. Tag syncing keeps the same tags on email messages on all machines. In contrast, preference syncing keeps the preferred Keywords and Project lists, and MailTags related Smart Mailboxes and rules the same on all synced devices.
MailTags “Sync Profile”
Tag syncing is managed through the “Sync Profile”. The initial “Sync Profile” is created on one computer. The same email and password combination is used to “Link” the other computers to the same profile.
On each computer, check the accounts that need to be synced. Only tags on messages from checked accounts will be saved to our Sync Server.
For information on what information is stored on our server, check “MailSuite Security”.
MailTags “Settings Synchronization”
“Settings Synchronization” is in the “Options” tab of the MailTags preferences. When set, it keeps preferences (the list of Preferred Keywords/Projects, Preferred Folders, MailTags related Smart Mailboxes, and rules) the same on all synced devices. All machines need to be set to the same shared folder in a syncing system like Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive or iCloud.
Mail converts all Gmail Labels that are set to display as IMAP folders in the Labels tab of the Gmail browser settings, to mailboxes/folders.
With MailTags installed, those Gmail Labels will also be seen as MailTags Labels and be visible in the Tagging window of MailTags and the Keywords tab of the MailTags preferences. The darker blue squarer tags are Gmail labels.
In MailTags, Gmail Labels act as their own type of Keyword. When a Label is added to a message in MailTags, it will appear as a Label in Gmail when looking in a Google Mail.
It is important to note that if you add a Gmail Label to a non-Gmail message, it will act as a regular Keyword. If you add a Keyword to a Gmail message, it WILL NOT appear on the message when looking in the Google Mail.
In the MailTags tagging window, you can toggle between seeing either Keywords or Labels by selecting one or the other in the Tagging window. If you want both together, hold down the shift key while selecting the tag type to highlight both of them.
Managing Gmail Labels
You cannot delete Keywords that are Gmail Labels; each time Mail restarts, the Labels are put back into the Keyword list. If you do not want to see the Gmail Label in the Keywords list you, you need to go to the Keyword tab of the MailTags preferences, right-click/2-finger-click the Labels you don’t want, and select “Mute Gmail Label”.
If you click on the small gear icon at the bottom of the Keyword list, you all have the option to sort your Keywords/Labels by “Kind”(1). When sorting by “Kind”, all the Gmail Labels are grouped, making selecting easier.
If you hold down the shift key, you can select multiple Keywords/Labels. You can also select multiple Keywords/Labels by dragging your cursor over a group of Labels.
Clicking on the small gear icon also gives you the option to “Mute All Gmail Labels”(2). If you want to mute most of your Labels, it may be quicker to “Mute All Gmail labels” and then using the “Show Muted Gmail Labels”(3)option then right-click/2-finger-click to unmute the Labels you want in the Keyword list.
Gmail Preferences in MailTags
Three preferences affect how Gmail Labels behave in MailTags. The first(1) is not just for Gmail Labels; when checked, it automatically adds new keywords to the preferred list of keywords, so it appears in the Mailbox list in Mail. When checked, there is the additional option to have all new Keywords appear a Gmail Labels(2). Lastly, there is the option to only display Gmail labels(3) in the tagging window when tagging messages in a Gmail account.
Caveat - Copy Keywords to Replies
In MailTags, you have the option to copy Keyword to reply messages. If this is enabled, the original message labels will be added to the Gmail account reply when you reply. As a result, if you are working from a Gmail mailbox or a MailTags Keyword folder that is a Gmail Labels, the Labels will also be added to the messages’ reply. In Mail, the Reply message will then be in the Gmail mailbox in Mail, the Keyword folder, and the “Sent” mailbox. If you work mostly in Gmail accounts, you may want to disable this feature.
Gmail and Act-On
Act-On rules treat Gmail Labels and Keywords the same, so any rule to remove a Keyword that is also a Gmail Label should remove the Gmail Label from a message.
Contact Information
If you have further questions, or MailTags doesn't act as you expect, you can contact us at the following email address: support@smallcubed.com.
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