Email Address Autofill Feature

Email Address Autofill Feature

For email, the autofill is something we have all come to love and embrace. It makes our life a little easier when we create and send out our emails by helping us fill out the TO, CC, and BCC fields when needed. We type in a few letters, and presto pops a list of email addresses relevant to what we typed. How cool is that! We select the address we want, send and off it into and across the mysterious abyss we call the Internet.

As magical as it is, sometimes it’s not all that magical, like an incorrect email address or simply unwanted. The addresses remain on our list, and we skip over them to select the one we want. The list, over time, becomes oversaturated with unnecessary muck.

But do we clean it – not right away? Chances are it will get pushed off until it becomes downright annoying.

I have found that most of the time, the autofill list is something we accept but don’t understand.

What is the Autofill List?

The list is a collection of email addresses that can be “learned” or “picked up” by the email program on your computer. So, what does this mean? Well, each time you manually type in an email address or get an email from someone, that address can get added to this list. So, this continues to grow.

What You Need To Know

  • It’s TEMPORARY
  • This list was designed to make life easier without the hassles of opening our address book every time. It can be cleared or modified at any time.
  • It is TRANSFERABLE
  • Because of its temporary nature, it gets overlooked. Save this list and move to the new computer if you need it.
  • It’s a RISK
  • Most people will not see this as a risk, but it costs many companies embarrassment and financial loss. Take a moment to be sure the address in the list is the person intended to receive it – I cannot stress this enough. Similar email addresses can easily be misinterpreted; without thinking, the email goes to someone else.

Managing the List

These lists can and should be regularly managed or even cleared. Each email program has a similar way of doing this.

  • Microsoft Outlook: To delete items in this list, open an email and start typing in the TO, CC, or BCC field – so the list pops up. Use your arrow keys (up and down) to select the email you want to remove from this list. Notice at the end of the email address, a delete symbol will appear – click it to remove that email from the list.
  • If you want to turn off or on this feature or clear the list, then: Go to File, then Options, and select Mail. At the end of the section Send Messages, you will find a checkbox and button for this.
  • Mozilla Thunderbird: To delete items in this list, open your Address Book to get to the Collected Addresses to delete the entries you do not want or need.
  • To turn on or off the autocomplete feature: Go to Tools, then Options, and select Composition. You will find all your options here on creating the auto-completion list.
  • Mac Mail: To delete items in this list, there are two methods, depending on the version of Mac Mail:
    • Direct: Open an email and start typing in the TO or CC field – so the list pops up. Use your arrow keys (up and down) to select the email you want to remove from the list, and then press the delete key on your keyboard.
    • Common: With Mac Mail open, click on Window in the main menu at the top of the screen. Then select Previous Recipients, which will open up a window to manage this list. Delete as needed by selecting the email and clicking Remove From List.

The Good, Bad, And Ugly

The security risks of using the email autofill feature are real – it can contribute to Data Leakage. If you send sensitive materials, this could be a problem if the information gets into the wrong hands by accident. Many companies either turn this feature off or have the list cleared daily.

We recommend at very minimal keeping this list regularly cleaned – purging incorrect or unneeded addresses.

We Can Help

MyITAssistant can help you secure your autofill lists by creating a manageable solution to fit your needs.

Russell Kirkpatick
President | Founder

Are you struggling with email autofill? Our team is here to help you resolve this issue quickly and efficiently. Autofill errors can be frustrating and time-consuming, but with our expert assistance, you’ll be back to sending emails without any hassle. Whether the problem is with your browser, email client, or specific settings, our knowledgeable support staff can offer professional troubleshooting advice to get you back on track. Don’t let email autofill issues get you down – get in touch today and let us take care of it for you!

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