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mxr

Mailbox workflow

Mailbox model

The mailbox screen is the default TUI workspace:

  • Left: sidebar
  • Center: mail list
  • Right: preview, single-message, or thread view

The list is thread-first by default. mxr can also show message rows, but the default is one row per conversation.

The sidebar has three sections:

  • System labels
  • User labels
  • Saved searches

Selecting a label or saved search changes the active mailbox scope. The mail-list header reflects the current scope.

Mail list

A thread row shows:

  • Unread/star state
  • Sender summary
  • Subject and snippet
  • Date metadata
  • Attachment marker when any message in the row has attachments
  • Thread count with distinct styling when the conversation has multiple messages

Long subjects are truncated so date and metadata remain visible.

Open and close the right pane

  • Enter or o: open selected row
  • Esc: dismiss the right pane back to the two-pane layout
  • Tab: switch panes
  • F: toggle fullscreen

Thread view

Inside a thread:

  • j / k move the focused message
  • Reply, reply-all, forward, archive, label, snooze, and other actions target the focused message
  • Message headers show label chips and attachment metadata
  • Reader mode and attachment actions work from the focused message

Search in the TUI

Two search flows:

  • /: inline mailbox search
  • Dedicated Search page: global search workspace with results + preview

From Search:

  • Enter or o opens the selected result into the normal mailbox/thread flow

Selection and bulk actions

  • x: toggle one row into selection
  • V: visual line selection mode
  • Esc: clear selection

When selection is active:

  • Hint bar switches to selection-aware actions
  • Command palette still works
  • Destructive or broad mutations use a confirmation modal first

Common bulk actions:

  • Archive
  • Trash
  • Spam
  • Mark read/unread
  • Star
  • Apply label
  • Move to label

Attachments

When a message has attachments:

  • The mail list shows an attachment marker
  • The thread/message header shows attachment info
  • A opens the attachment modal
  • Enter / o opens the selected attachment
  • d downloads it

Snooze

Z opens the snooze modal with presets such as tomorrow morning, tonight, weekend, and next Monday.

Snoozing is local-first but also updates provider state where supported. For Gmail that means removing INBOX when snoozed and restoring it when the snooze wakes.

Help and discovery

  • ?: help modal with all keybindings
  • Ctrl-p: command palette

The help modal is context-aware. The command palette exposes mailbox, search, rules, diagnostics, and account actions.