Perl

IMAP Delete Old Email (before a specified date)

See more IMAP Examples

Demonstrates how to delete email older than a particular date. Perl

use chilkat();

$success = 0;

# This example assumes the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
# See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

$imap = chilkat::CkImap->new();

# Connect to an IMAP server.
# Use TLS
$imap->put_Ssl(1);
$imap->put_Port(993);
# Use your IMAP server domain.  This example 
$success = $imap->Connect("imap.example.com");
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# Login
$success = $imap->Login("myLogin","myPassword");
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# Select an IMAP mailbox
$success = $imap->SelectMailbox("Inbox");
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# Get message ID's for emails older than 1/1/2025
$fetchUids = 1;
$messageSet = chilkat::CkMessageSet->new();
$success = $imap->QueryMbx("SENTBEFORE 01-Jan-2025",$fetchUids,$messageSet);
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# If desired, we can examine the Subject of each email to be deleted..
$email = chilkat::CkEmail->new();
$i = 0;
$count = $messageSet->get_Count();
$headerOnly = 1;

while ($i < $count) {
    $success = $imap->FetchEmail($headerOnly,$messageSet->GetId($i),1,$email);
    if ($success == 0) {
        print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
        exit;
    }

    print $email->localDateStr() . "\r\n";
    print $email->subject() . "\r\n";

    $i = $i + 1;
}

# Set the Deleted flag for each message:
$success = $imap->SetFlags($messageSet,"Deleted",1);
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# Expunge and close the mailbox.
$success = $imap->ExpungeAndClose();
if ($success == 0) {
    print $imap->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# Disconnect from the IMAP server.
$success = $imap->Disconnect();