Forward and Bounce Mail

Bouncing and forwarding let you send an existing message to recipients that you specify. Bouncing a message sends a verbatim copy of a message to alternative addresses as if they were the message’s original recipients specified in the Bcc header. Forwarding a message, on the other hand, allows you to modify the message before it is resent (for example, by adding your own comments). Bouncing is done using the <bounce-message> function and forwarding using the <forward-message> function bound to b and f respectively.

Forwarding Methods

Forwarding can be done by including the original message in the new message’s body (surrounded by indicating lines: see $forward_attribution_intro and $forward_attribution_trailer) or including it as a MIME attachment, depending on the value of the $mime_forward variable. Decoding of attachments, like in the pager, can be controlled by the $forward_decode and $mime_forward_decode variables, respectively. The desired forwarding format may depend on the content, therefore $mime_forward is a quadoption which, for example, can be set to “ask-no”.

📷 Screenshot Needed

Subject: Inline forward vs MIME forward in compose

Description: Two NeoMutt compose screens contrasting the forwarding methods: (1) inline forward ($mime_forward=no) with the original message text included in the body between attribution intro/trailer lines, and (2) MIME forward ($mime_forward=yes) with the original message listed as an attached message/rfc822 entry in the attachment list.

Highlights: The structural difference between inline forwarding (original text in the message body) and MIME forwarding (original message as an attachment), helping the reader choose the appropriate method.

Default Inline Forwarding

NeoMutt’s default ($mime_forward=“no” and $forward_decode=“yes”) is to use standard inline forwarding. In that mode all text-decodable parts are included in the new message body. Other attachments from the original email can also be attached to the new message, based on the quadoption $forward_attachments.

Header Inclusion

The inclusion of headers is controlled by the current setting of the $weed variable, unless $mime_forward is set. The subject of the email is controlled by $forward_format.

Threading Forwarded Messages

By default a forwarded message does not reference the messages it contains. When $forward_references is set, a forwarded message includes the In-Reply-To: and References: headers, just like a reply would. Hence the forwarded message becomes part of the original thread instead of starting a new one.

Editing the Forwarded Message

Editing the message to forward follows the same procedure as sending or replying to a message does, but can be disabled via the quadoption $forward_edit.