You may need to enable the rules (click the checkboxes) – I did. Your rules should be in the state they were at the time of the backup file you restored.

If you are syncing with iCloud Drive, turn Mail syncing back on now:Īt this point, you can launch Mail. If you’re not syncing with iCloud Drive, you’re done.If/when prompted, Replace the old broken rules file (I mean, keep both if you want, but it’s probably already in time machine and if you wanted it, you wouldn’t be doing all this) Go back in time, looking at the “modified” time of ist, until the “modified time” is just before you broke your rules.ist still selected? Good, Run Time Machine.Click “Options…” in the iCloud Drive line.Wait around 5 seconds just in case Mail needs to do something to communicate your rule deletion to iCloud.btw, it’s probably a good idea to have any other Macs you sync with on for this just to make sure their rules are kept current. This deletion will sync to iCloud and your other Macs.With sync still on, delete all your existing mail rules (iCloud will try to merge your rules later – this way it’ll merge with nothing).If it is, you’re syncing rules with iCloud Drive): If you’re syncing your rules via iCloud Drive, do this bit of scariness (if you’re not sure whether you’re syncing or not, open System Preferences > iCloud, click “Options…” next to iCloud Drive, see if Mail is checked.Open ~/Library/Mail/V3/MailData (Select the Go menu in the Finder and hold the option key down to see the Library folder).Quit Mail if it’s running, just to be safe.After piecing together what I found on the Interwebs and knowledge I’d gained while debugging said buggy plugin, I found a safe, reliable way to restore mail rules with or without iCloud sync running. After a few moments of panic, I started researching.

Due to a buggy plugin, I lost them recently. I have an elaborate set of rules that manage my work email.

Apple mail preferences plist sierra