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In OS X Mavericks, “archive” can mean two different things: use Message > Archive to remove a Gmail message from the Inbox while keeping it in the account, or export a mailbox to save a separate local copy you can import and search later. Choose based on where you want the messages to live.

Choose the right kind of archive

Goal Where messages are kept How to find them again
Clear Inbox clutter but keep the message in Gmail In the account’s Archive/All Mail mailbox, subject to the account’s configuration Open the account’s Archive or All Mail mailbox in Mail
Save a separate collection for later or offline use In an exported mailbox file at a destination you choose Import the saved mailbox into Mail when needed

The local export steps below come from Jonny Evans’s June 20, 2014 Computerworld walkthrough. They describe a local-mailbox workflow, not a universal rule for every account setup. In that described setup, the local archive is not available across the user’s other Macs or devices. Computerworld’s Mavericks walkthrough

Export a local mailbox in Mavericks

Use this method when you want an exported copy rather than simply moving a message out of an account’s Inbox. Mail’s export can take time; back up your Mac and verify the exported files before deleting any source mailbox.

  1. Create a mailbox: In Mail, choose Mailbox > New Mailbox. Enter a name, such as “Archive 2011-12,” and select On My Mac for the location.
  2. Move messages into it: Select the messages to preserve and drag them into the new mailbox.
  3. Export the mailbox: Control-click the mailbox and choose Export Mailbox…. The walkthrough also notes that the export command is available from a menu after selecting the mailbox.
  4. Choose a destination: Select where to save the export. If the mailbox contains subfolders, enable Export all subfolders.
  5. Verify the export: Wait for the export to finish, then check the destination for the expected mbox files and subfolders.
  6. Remove the temporary mailbox only if appropriate: If your aim is to clear it from Mail’s mailbox list, delete it only after confirming the export exists and contains the expected files.

The export is a separate saved copy; it is not automatically synchronized to other devices or a substitute for a backup. Keep the exported files somewhere safe, and retain another backup of the Mac if the messages matter.

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  1. In Mail, choose File > Import Mailboxes.
  2. Select Apple Mail as the import format and navigate to the saved export.
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This import step brings the saved collection back into Mail for use; it does not replace the original exported files.

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Archive Gmail messages instead of deleting them

If you only want to remove a Gmail message from the Inbox while retaining it in the Gmail account, use Mail’s Archive command, not Delete. Contemporaneous community answers for Mavericks report that the command is under Message > Archive, with the shortcut Control-Command-A. One answer also describes adding an Archive toolbar button through View > Customize Toolbar. These are community-reported details, not official Apple or Google instructions, so confirm what Mail does in your account.

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A Super User answer about Mail 7.3 on OS X Mavericks says Gmail’s All Mail mailbox must be enabled for IMAP in Gmail settings for the standard Archive behavior to work as intended. If Archive appears to send messages to Trash, check the account’s configuration and verify the message’s destination before relying on the action. Ask Different: Mail.app in Mavericks moves Gmail mails to Trash instead of Archiving them · Super User: Archiving with Apple Mail and Gmail

Apple’s current Mac Mail guide describes archiving selected messages with the toolbar Archive button and storing them in an Archive mailbox. That is current interface context, not a Mavericks-specific set of steps; do not assume its labels or interface match OS X Mavericks. Apple Support: Mark emails to revisit later in Mail on Mac

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