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How to do a global search in quoted messages?

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  • Last reply by YvesC

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Using Thunderbird 24.4.0 on Ubuntu. Is there any way to do a global search in quoted messages? I read https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Thunderbird/gloda, section "Content whittlers". I take it from that description that it's a feature to exclude quoted message content from global search? Is there a way to enable global searching in quoted text?

Using Thunderbird 24.4.0 on Ubuntu. Is there any way to do a global search in quoted messages? I read https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Thunderbird/gloda, section "Content whittlers". I take it from that description that it's a feature to exclude quoted message content from global search? Is there a way to enable global searching in quoted text?

Chosen solution

You do know that a body search via the Quick Filter bar or Edit/Find/Search Messages does include quoted text? Although, it can't be restricted to quoted text only.

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I suggest you try the question in Mozilla.dev.apps.Thunderbird or Mozilla.support.Thunderbird news groups.

If you have not already, add a news server to Thunderbird, News.mozilla.org and subscribe to those two groups. The authors of that article are known to appear in Mozilla.dev.apps.Thunderbird from time to time, and they are the experts on the topic.

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Chosen Solution

You do know that a body search via the Quick Filter bar or Edit/Find/Search Messages does include quoted text? Although, it can't be restricted to quoted text only.

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Thanks for pointing there's a third way to search through messages, hidden deep in the Edit/Find submenu! The global search with CTRL-K seemed global enough to me, and was right in my face... I didn't even think of looking in the menus for more...

So this worked:

  • Edit/Find/Search Messages
  • Search for messages in (select my whole mailbox)
  • Tick "Search subfolders"
  • Criteria: Body contains

There you have it. It found all the messages in all the subfolders that contained the string, regardless of location in the body i.e. it found it in quoted text and everywhere else.

Thanks!