Mailboxes fill up quietly. Trash, Spam and Sent are usually the culprits: messages arrive, get deleted or filed, and then sit there for years using space you are paying for. Folder Cleanup in Thexyz Webmail solves this by automatically removing anything in a folder older than a number of days you choose.
The rules run on our servers, so they keep working whether or not you are signed in.
Before you start
Folder Cleanup deletes email. Once a rule is active it will keep removing older messages from that folder every day, without asking again. Point it at folders where you genuinely do not want old mail, such as Trash and Spam, and think carefully before applying it to Inbox, Sent or Archive.
If you are unsure, start with a long interval such as 365 days and shorten it once you are comfortable with the result.
Create a cleanup rule
- Sign in to webmail at mail.thexyz.com.
- Open your settings and choose My account.
- Select Folder Cleanup in the left sidebar.
- Choose the folder you want to clean up from the dropdown.
- Enter the age in days. Anything in that folder older than this will be removed. For example, entering 90 keeps the last three months and clears out everything older.
- Click Add rule.
- Click Save.
Your rule now appears under Active folder cleanup rules, showing the folder and the interval in days. You can add a separate rule for each folder you want managed.
Change or remove a rule
Return to Folder Cleanup at any time. Each rule in the Active folder cleanup rules list has its own entry in the Actions column, so you can remove a rule you no longer want. Use Refresh if the list does not immediately reflect a change you just made, and remember to Save.
Removing a rule stops any future cleanup. It does not bring back messages that have already been removed.
Which folders are worth cleaning up
- Trash — the safest place to start. If you have already deleted something, you rarely need it a year later.
- Spam — junk mail has no reason to accumulate. A short interval such as 30 days works well here.
- Sent — useful if you send large attachments, but be careful. Sent mail is often the only record of what you told someone.
- Inbox and Archive — generally leave these alone unless you have a specific reason and a long interval.
Find out what is using your space first
If you are not sure which folder is the problem, select Folders Size in the same settings sidebar. It shows how much space each folder is using, so you can target the rule where it will actually help.
Frequently asked questions
Does this delete the messages from my other devices too?
Yes. Cleanup happens on the mail server, so the change syncs to every device and app connected to your mailbox, including Outlook, Apple Mail and your phone.
Can I get a message back after a cleanup rule removes it?
Possibly. Every Thexyz mailbox includes our Daily Archive Manager, which keeps daily archives for 30 days on the Basic plan and 365 days on Enhanced and Pro. Contact support as soon as you notice, and we will see what can be recovered.
Does the rule run if I never sign in to webmail?
Yes. Folder Cleanup runs on our servers, independently of your browser or mail app.
Will this help if my mailbox is already full?
It will, but the effect is not always instant. Emptying Trash and Spam manually frees space immediately, and a cleanup rule then stops the problem returning. If you regularly run out of room, a larger mailbox may be a better answer — see our email hosting plans.
