About Sortail — Sort your Mail!
Overview
Sortail is a lightweight macOS toolbar that floats above Apple Mail to speed up inbox triage. You move, delete, and archive messages, threads, or entire senders quickly, with count previews and confirmations where they matter. It runs on macOS 13 or later, and core features are free.
Sortail reads your mailbox list straight from Mail's local Envelope Index, so the full folder list across your accounts appears as soon as you open the field. It learns your filing habits and suggests the right folder automatically, so the more you use it, the less you have to think.
Key Benefits
- Move, delete, or archive a single message, an entire thread, or everything from one sender
- Bulk actions show a count preview before they run so you stay in control
- Instant folder list loads from Mail's local Envelope Index with no slow scripting round-trip
- Smart Suggestions learn from your filing history and pre-select the right folder
- Floats above Mail when needed and disappears when you switch apps, with only a small menu bar icon
- Single-message actions and all panel modes are always free
How It Works
On first launch Sortail walks you through a short, sequential onboarding to grant the permissions it needs. First it opens an Open Folder panel pointing at ~/Library/Mail for sandbox-scoped read access to Mail's Envelope Index, then it asks whether to enable Automation control over Apple Mail so it can act on your behalf. Once the flow finishes, the panel appears above Mail and you are ready to file.
Use Cases
- People overwhelmed by daily email can file or delete a full conversation in one action
- Users cleaning up a noisy sender can archive or delete everything from that sender at once
- Anyone tired of dragging messages can use a floating toolbar with an instant folder list
- Heavy Mail users can let Smart Suggestions pre-select the right folder from past filing habits
- Users who need control can review count previews before bulk actions run
Why Choose This Product
Sortail does not try to read your email and decide what to do with it; it just speeds up the decisions you are already making yourself. Core single-message actions and all panel modes are always free, while Pro adds Thread and Sender actions plus Smart Suggestions for $19.99 per year.
Sortail — Sort your Mail! Pros & Cons
- Floating toolbar that works above Apple Mail
- Core single-message actions and panel modes are free
- Smart Suggestions learn from filing history
- Instant folder list from Mail's Envelope Index
- Bulk actions show count previews before running
- Thread and Sender actions require the paid Pro tier
- Requires macOS 13 or later
- Needs Mail Folder Access to show counts and the full mailbox list
Key Features
Move, Delete, Archive
Move, delete, or archive messages by single message, full thread, or entire sender from a floating toolbar.
Bulk count previews
Bulk actions show a count preview before they run so you stay in control.
Instant folder list
Reads the mailbox list from Mail's local Envelope Index for instant folder access with no scripting round-trip.
Smart Suggestions
Learns from your filing history and pre-selects the right folder as you pick a message.
Thread actions
Move or delete all messages in the current conversation, scoped to All Folders or the Current Folder.
Sender actions
Move, delete, or archive everything from one sender with a count preview and confirmation.
Floating panel
Floats above Mail when needed and disappears when you switch apps, with only a small menu bar icon.
Post-action notifications
Optional banners after actions, off by default and toggled in Settings → General.
Sortail — Sort your Mail! Pricing
View full pricing →- Single-message actions
- All panel modes
- Move / Delete / Archive
- Thread & Sender actions
- Smart Suggestions
- All panel modes
- 7-day free trial
| Feature | Free Free one-time | Pro $19.99/yr |
|---|---|---|
| Single-message actions | ||
| All panel modes | ||
| Move / Delete / Archive | ||
| Thread & Sender actions | ||
| Smart Suggestions | ||
| 7-day free trial |
Pricing extracted from the product website and may change. Check the source for current details.
Frequently asked questions about Sortail — Sort your Mail!
How do I grant Sortail the permissions it needs?
On first launch Sortail walks you through a short, sequential onboarding. First it opens an Open Folder panel pointing at ~/Library/Mail for sandbox-scoped read access to Mail's Envelope Index. Then it asks whether to enable Automation control over Apple Mail. Once the flow finishes, the panel appears above Mail and you are ready to file.
What happens if I decline Automation?
Move, Delete, Archive, and Create Mailbox won't work until Automation is granted. You can re-grant any time by toggling Sortail back on in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation.
Does Sortail launch at login?
Yes. Sortail registers itself as a Login Item automatically on first launch so it starts with macOS. You can toggle this from the Sortail menu or in System Settings → General → Login Items.
Are notifications on by default?
No. Notifications are off by default. To enable post-action banners, open Settings → General and switch the Notifications toggle ON, and macOS will ask for permission immediately.
What does Mail Folder Access do?
It grants one-time, sandbox-scoped read access to Mail's local Envelope Index, used to count messages before bulk actions and to load the mailbox list instantly. Without it, Sortail can't show how many messages will be affected and the mailbox list may be empty.
How do I choose a destination folder for a Move?
Select a destination folder before using any Move action. Click the field and the dropdown opens with all folders across all accounts; type a few letters to filter instantly. If you click a Move button with no folder selected, the dropdown opens automatically.
How Sortail — Sort your Mail! compares
Sortail — Sort your Mail!This | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free | $2.49/mo | Free |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS | macOS, iOS | macOS |
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| Rating | — | — | — | — |
