Java Requires Chilkat v11.0.0+

IMAP Delete Old Email (before a specified date)

See more IMAP Examples

Demonstrates how to delete email older than a particular date. Chilkat2 Java

import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.ChilkatException;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.Email;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.Imap;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.MessageSet;

public class ChilkatExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // This example assumes the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
        // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

        Imap imap = new Imap();

        // Connect to an IMAP server.
        // Use TLS
        imap.setSsl(true);
        imap.setPort(993);
        // Use your IMAP server domain.  This example
        try {
            imap.connect("imap.example.com");

            // Login
            imap.login("myLogin", "myPassword");

            // Select an IMAP mailbox
            imap.selectMailbox("Inbox");
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        // Get message ID's for emails older than 1/1/2025
        boolean fetchUids = true;
        MessageSet messageSet = new MessageSet();
        try {
            imap.queryMbx("SENTBEFORE 01-Jan-2025", fetchUids, messageSet);
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        // If desired, we can examine the Subject of each email to be deleted..
        Email email = new Email();
        int i = 0;
        int count = messageSet.getCount();
        boolean headerOnly = true;

        while (i < count) {
            try {
                imap.fetchEmail(headerOnly, messageSet.getId(i), true, email);
            } catch (ChilkatException e) {
                System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
                return;
            }

            System.out.println(email.getLocalDateStr());
            System.out.println(email.getSubject());

            i = i + 1;
        }

        // Set the Deleted flag for each message:
        try {
            imap.setFlags(messageSet, "Deleted", 1);

            // Expunge and close the mailbox.
            imap.expungeAndClose();
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        // Disconnect from the IMAP server.
        imap.disconnect();
    }
}