IMAP IDLE
In email technology, IDLE is an IMAP feature described in [https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2177 RFC 2177] that allows a client to indicate to the server that it is ready to accept real-time notifications.{{Cite web |date=June 1997 |title=IMAP4 IDLE command |url=https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2177 |access-date=22 May 2025 |website=RFC Editor}}
Significance
The IDLE feature allows IMAP email users to immediately receive any mailbox changes without having to undertake any action such as clicking on a refresh button, or having the email client automatically and repeatedly ask the server for new messages.{{Cite web |title=Configuring IMAP IDLE |url=https://docs.oracle.com/en/industries/communications/messaging-server/8.1/system-admin/configuring-imap-idle1.html |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Oracle Help Center |language=en-US}}
Usage
IMAP4 servers that support IDLE will include the string "IDLE" in the result of their CAPABILITY command. This allows email users to receive near instant notification of a new email.{{Cite web |last=Leiba |first=Barry |date=June 1997 |title=IMAP4 IDLE command |url=https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2177.html |access-date=22 May 2025}}
See also
Notes
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External links
- [https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2177 RFC 2177: IMAP4 IDLE]
Category:Internet mail protocols
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