Longtime MsgFiler user, Ike Nassi, has released a set of Keyboard Maestro scripts to mimic the functionality of MsgFiler. MailFolders for Keyboard Maestro uses an AppleScript that MsgFiler for Sonoma may use to quickly generate the list of mailboxes from macOS Mail. From there, it uses AppleScript to deconstruct the path and instructs Keyboard Maestro to choose menu items from the Message > Move To menu.
There are some limitations at the moment, and you should carefully go over the README file included in the archive. For instance, you have to make sure that your mailbox hierarchy is collapsed in the Message Viewer. This is because Mail dynamically creates the Move To menu based on the mailbox hierarchy, flattening any mail folders that have been expanded. When the mailbox hierarchy is completely collapsed, the Move To menu is properly structured, with each folder representing either a mailbox or a mailbox folder.
Ike’s solution is very clever and paints a path on how MsgFiler can be rewritten to work on macOS Sonoma. I’ll be continuing to work on the app and hope to have it finished by early 2024. For now, here’s a sneak peak at the app as it’s being modernized and rewritten using Swift and SwiftUI (from Objective-C and AppKit). I’m hoping to have Refresh Mailboxes happen automatically (as it does today with MsgFiler 3 + Engine or in the Original MsgFiler Mail Plug-In). The Move Cursor button is just a test button to that will instruct Mail to collapse the mailbox hierarchy in the frontmost Message Viewer window.
MsgFiler 
Wow, that sounds really hopeful! Thanks again Adam!!
For those who are using the Help Menu…I discovered that it only works (for me) if I’m moving it into a folder with no folders in it. (Others may have already discovered this and posted it. Sorry for the repeat if that’s the case.)
That is just great! Bravo @Ike and @Adam!
It sounds interesting. So what happens if your mailboxes are not collapsed? I didn’t get that.
The script may not be able to find the mailbox from the Move To menu. So the messages will not be filed.
I see. But Mail constantly expands mailbox hierarchies by itself. I was just looking at mine and had to manually collapse 4 account hierarchies to look at a 5th account I wanted to check some deleted mail in.
Yes, this is what I am trying to figure out, how to collapse the hierarchy automatically before you file.
I still haven’t upgraded to Sonoma. Mainly because of this, and also because I don’t know what’s “new and great” about Sonoma.
I was experimenting just in case with that CMD+Shift+/ weird key combo (I wonder if that can be changed) and it basically works. Sometimes the popup says “Move To” and sometimes it doesn’t. If I select the mailbox I did confirm it moved it in either case.
Any idea why it sometimes says “Move To” and sometimes just shows the mailbox name?
Perhaps it has something to do with disambiguating menu items with similar names?
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The CMD+Shift+/, is a very awkward sequence I think. Plus if you have nested folders it causes all sorts of distracting menus to popup on top of each other. Plus I tried it again yesterday and it didn’t seem to move the mail correctly. Sigh.
I hope there is a better solution sometime. I can’t find another MacOS email app that does everything I need.
Thanks.
Interesting. What happens if the mailbox hierarchy is not collapsed? I didn’t get that part.
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That’s really great news. Thanks Ike and Adam for this work. My credit card is ready to purchase whatever you come up with.
Stuffed if I could get it to do anything… I blew about an hour trying to work it out.
Just a couple of notes. I hope if Adam finds a solution (and yes, I too would pay for an upgrade) that we don’t see all those menus opening and closing like we do with the keyboard shortcut suggested.
I still haven’t upgraded MacOS, mainly because of this. Are we sure there is no filing shortcut feature in the new Mail? There is in the new Mail in iOS 17.1 I was glad to see.
I also retested a few other email apps in the meanwhile.
Spark still handles images in a not great manner. They don’t seem to be inline, and you can’t annotate them (e.g. arrows and text) which I do all the time.
Gmail on the web doesn’t seem to have any image annotation either.
And neither Gmail on the web nor Outlook have “resend” which I also use all the time.
Not sure what else is out there.
Adam, this is great news. I’ve held off on upgrading to Sonoma because I rely on MsgFiler so much. I look forward to version 4 in 2024.
Following—just wondering if there’s a way one can follow these threads without having to make a meaningless comment like I just did?
Best to subscribe to notifications when I post something new to the site. I’ll be sure to write a blog post when I have something to share about MsgFiler 4!
I found a lot of meaning in this comment.
Meaning ?
🙂 🙂
Still looking for an alternative to MsgFiler and Mac Mail. Apple never responded to my email.
I found Edison Mail which is pretty close for moving mails (with keyboard shortcut), but does not allow moving mails to other mailboxes or going to a folder.
@Adam, just wondering, but did you consider implementing MsgFiler for some other mail program, e.g., Thunderbird, which might offer a suitable Plug-in API? Or to work directly against the connected mail accounts using MAPI to move emails?
Unfortunately, no plans for me to migrate to a different email client, so I will continue to look for a solution using Apple Mail. Also, I am definitely not going to write an alternate email client just for filing. That is beyond my capabilities and time.
I know it’s only 16 days since this last post but any update on a possible eta or any other news? Thanks!!
No update. I have been sick for the past several weeks so I haven’t had time to work on it. I have, however, been using the workarounds listed in the blog. It’s frustrating me too!
Oh no! Feel better soon!
While I wait for Adam to give us the good news that he has a version of msgfiler for Sonoma, I’ve tested Thunderbird with an extension called “Quick Folder Move”, (https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-GB/Thunderbird/addon /quick-folder-move/).
When filing messages, a search box will show up allowing you to quickly enter the folder name you want to move to. If no search term is entered, a list of recent folders will show up instead.
According to what is indicated on their website:
Use the keyboard to quickly move messages and navigate folders. Here is your new workflow:
– Use Control+Shift+M (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows,Linux. N, not M) to access the popup.
– Use left/right arrows to select an action: Move/Copy a message, apply a tag, or go to a different folder.
– Use the up/down arrows to select the folder to move/copy/go to, or the tag to apply. Skip this step if it happens to be the first folder or tag.
– Press Enter to take action!
I have tried it and it works as it says, but having this functionality in Apple Mail is what I need 🙂