GMail IMAP Sent Items Don't Sync

[OldMacDonald]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel
Email Client: imap

Whenever I send an email using Gmail, and later use Entourage, the sent items do not sync.

To access Gmail I use Safari or Internet Explorer, and also have a clean install of Entourage 2008. These are new Gmail accounts, and Entourage Setups all configured to use IMAP.

There seem to be a lot of emails relating to this type of issue, using a variety of products, but no resolutions posted, so I suspect it's a bug that nobody has got to the bottom of yet.

I'm not interested in cleaning caches or trying a multitude of things that may work as this is a clean install. I am keen on links to a definite configuration or a patch would be nice

Thanks for any help given.

 

[Ed Kimball]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel
Email Client: imap

Whenever I send an email using Gmail, and later use Entourage, the sent items
do not sync.

To access Gmail I use Safari or Internet Explorer, and also have a clean
install of Entourage 2008. These are new Gmail accounts, and Entourage Setups
all configured to use IMAP.

There seem to be a lot of emails relating to this type of issue, using a
variety of products, but no resolutions posted, so I suspect it's a bug that
nobody has got to the bottom of yet.

I'm not interested in cleaning caches or trying a multitude of things that may
work as this is a clean install. I am keen on links to a definite
configuration or a patch would be nice

Thanks for any help given.

The following works in Entourage 2004; I suspect it's the same or similar in
2008.
Under Tools -> Accounts select the Gmail account and click on the Advanced
Tab.
Then check Store sent messages in this IMAP folder and select Sent items.
That should put all your sent items for the Gmail account in the same place,
on the Gmail server.
Entourage will not sync Sent items from the Gmail account to the Sent items
folder "On My Computer".

 

[OldMacDonald]

Thanks Ed, I checked this setting, it was already set. The problem was that email created in Gmail, does not sync back through to Entourage. However, after re-testing I noticed something that I didn't spot before, here's what I found:

Mail messages in Gmail are managed outside of the traditional IMAP & POP folder structures, making it compatible with the Google flat storage philosophy. To be compatible with IMAP & POP clients like Entourage, it tags mail messages with Gmail labels, these labels are "[IMAP]/Drafts", "Deleted Items", "Junk E-Mail", and "Sent Items".

Unfortunately, if I create and send mail using the Gmail web interface, then sent messages aren't labelled appropriately, so they never appear to Entourage. On the other hand if I create and send mail using the Entourage IMAP interface, Gmail automatically labels the sent messages appropriately before storing them.

One would think that when my Gmail account was configured for access via IMAP clients, that it would automatically label my Webmail sent messages appropriately, it appears that it doesn't. My work-around is to label mail messages manually as "Sent Items" and all my problems go away! This feature appears under the "More Actions" drop list in the Gmail web interface.

If I ever find a permanent solution to my work-around, I'll post it back here.

 

[Ed Kimball]

Thanks Ed, I checked this setting, it was already set. The problem was that
email created in Gmail, does not sync back through to Entourage. However,
after re-testing I noticed something that I didn't spot before, here's what I
found:

Mail messages in Gmail are managed outside of the traditional IMAP & POP
folder structures, making it compatible with the Google flat storage
philosophy. To be compatible with IMAP & POP clients like Entourage, it tags
mail messages with Gmail labels, these labels are "[IMAP]/Drafts", "Deleted
Items", "Junk E-Mail", and "Sent Items".

Unfortunately, if I create and send mail using the Gmail web interface, then
sent messages aren't labelled appropriately, so they never appear to
Entourage. On the other hand if I create and send mail using the Entourage
IMAP interface, Gmail automatically labels the sent messages appropriately
before storing them.

One would think that when my Gmail account was configured for access via IMAP
clients, that it would automatically label my Webmail sent messages
appropriately, it appears that it doesn't. My work-around is to label mail
messages manually as "Sent Items" and all my problems go away! This feature
appears under the "More Actions" drop list in the Gmail web interface.

If I ever find a permanent solution to my work-around, I'll post it back here.

Good point. I was just reading MacWorld's comparison of various mail
services, which explains that Google handles mail messages with labels
rather than folders, like most other IMAP services do. Unfortunately, I
forgot that point while thinking about your message.

Glad you have a work-around.