Search for tagged emails

[andypat]

I have defined several tags (referred to below as 1 - 5) which may be applied to a message either singly or in combination with each other.

I then use the search function to select all messages which match any of the following:
Tag is 1
Tag is 2
This works correctly if the message is tagged with either 1 or 2, but a message is not selected if both tags are applied.

I changed the search function to select messages which match any of the following:
Tag is 1
Tag is 2
Tag is 3
Tag is 4
Tag is 5
This selected all tagged messages except for those which have more than one tag applied.

I changed the search function to select messages where:
Tags isn't empty
and all tagged messages were selected, including those with multiple tags.

Conclusion: The search function cannot be used to select specific tags if more than one tag has been applied to a message.

Is this due to a bug in Thunderbird or my misunderstanding (e.g. multiple tags should not be applied to a message)?

Andy

[WaltS48]

Are you using Quick Filter Search and using the Tags icon to find them?

Quick Filter Toolbar

[andypat]

No, I am using the menu option Edit/Find/Search messages and then search over multiple folders. It has been stored as a saved search.

The Quickfilter toolbar works correctly, but is unsuitable as I require a saved search over mutiple folders.

[andypat]

I have now discovered a way round this problem.

If I change the search criteria from 'Tags is 1, Tags is 2' to 'Tags contains 1, Tags contains 2', it now finds messages with multiple tags applied.

[DanRaisch]

Moving to Thunderbird Support as that would not be a bug.

Thinking that through, your first filter criteria was looking for messages where the "Tag is 1 and ONLY 1". Because the message was also tagged with 2 or 3, etc, it was not "1 and ONLY 1".