---
name: "doveadm-mail-dict"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dovecot"
version: "2.4.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/doveadm-mail-dict"
---

# doveadm-mail-dict(1)

Commands related to dictionary manipulation in user context

## NAME

**doveadm-dict** - Commands related to dictionary manipulation in user context

## SYNOPSIS

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] **dict** *command* \[**-u** *user*\] \[*OPTIONS*\] *config-filter-name* \[*args*\]

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] **mail dict** *command* \[*OPTIONS*\] *config-filter-name* \[*args*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**doveadm dict** and **doveadm mail dict** can be used to query and modify dictionary entries.

The **doveadm mail dict** command can be used within a specific user context. This may be useful if e.g. userdb lookup returns user-specific dict settings. Otherwise the commands behave identically.

*config-filter-name*

Filter name to use when looking up the dict settings. For example *mail\_attribute*, *quota\_clone*. It's also possible to use an empty filter name and specify the dict settings using the **-o** parameters.

## GLOBAL OPTIONS

Global [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) *options*:

- **-D**

  Enables *verbosity* and debug messages.

- **-O**

  Do not read any config file, just use defaults. The **dovecot\_storage\_version** setting defaults to the latest version, but can be overridden with **-o**.

- **-k**

  Preserve entire environment for doveadm, not just **import\_environment** setting.

- **-v**

  Enables verbosity, including progress counter.

- **-i** *instance-name*

  If using multiple Dovecot instances, choose the config file based on this instance name.

  See **instance\_name** setting for more information.

- **-c** *config-file*

  Read configuration from the given *config-file*. By default it first reads config socket, and then falls back to */etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf*. You can also point this to config socket of some instance running compatible version.

- **-o** *setting***=***value*

  Overrides the configuration *setting* from */etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf* and from the userdb with the given *value*. In order to override multiple settings, the **-o** option may be specified multiple times.

- **-f** *formatter*

  Specifies the *formatter* for formatting the output. Supported formatters are:

  **flow**

  prints each line with *key***=***value* pairs.

  **json**

  prints a JSON array of JSON objects.

  **pager**

  prints each *key*: *value* pair on its own line and separates records with form feed character (**^L**).

  **tab**

  prints a table header followed by tab separated value lines.

  **table**

  prints a table header followed by adjusted value lines.

## OPTIONS

**doveadm dict** command-specific *options*:

- **-u** *user*

  The user to use.

**doveadm mail dict** command-specific *options*:

- **-A**

  If the **-A** option is present, the *command* will be performed for all users. Using this option in combination with system users from **userdb { driver = passwd }** is not recommended, because it contains also users with a lower UID than the one configured with the **first\_valid\_uid** setting.

  When the SQL userdb module is used, make sure that the **userdb\_sql\_iterate\_query** setting setting matches your database layout.

  When using the LDAP userdb module, make sure that the **userdb\_fields** setting and **userdb\_ldap\_iterate\_fields** setting settings match your LDAP schema. Otherwise [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) will be unable to iterate over all users.

- **-F** *file*

  Execute the *command* for all the users in the *file*. This is similar to the **-A** option, but instead of getting the list of users from the userdb, they are read from the given *file*. The *file* contains one username per line.

- **-S** *socket\_path*

  The option's argument is either an absolute path to a local UNIX domain socket, or a hostname and port (*hostname*:*port*), in order to connect a remote host via a TCP socket.

  This allows an administrator to execute [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) mail commands through the given socket.

- **-u** *user/mask*

  Run the *command* only for the given *user*. It's also possible to use '**\***' and '**?**' wildcards (e.g. -u \*@example.org).

## COMMANDS

### get

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] dict get \[**-u** *user*\] *config-filter-name* *key*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] mail dict get \[**-A** \| **-u** *user* \| **-F** *file*\] \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] *config-filter-name* *key*

Fetch a key from a dictionary.

*key*

The key to fetch.

### iter

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] dict iter \[**-u** *user*\] \[**-1RV**\] *config-filter-name* *prefix*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] mail dict iter \[**-A** \| **-u** *user* \| **-F** *file*\] \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-1RV**\] *config-filter-name* *prefix*

Find the keys matching the a prefix in a dictionary.

- **-1**

  Exact match.

- **-R**

  Recurse.

- **-V**

  Don't print values, just key names

*prefix*

The key prefix to look for.

List keys into the dictionary.

### inc

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] dict inc \[**-u** *user*\] \[**-t** *timestamp-msecs*\] *config-filter-name* *key* *diff*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] mail dict inc \[**-A** \| **-u** *user* \| **-F** *file*\] \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-t** *timestamp-msecs*\] *config-filter-name* *key* *diff*

Increment the value of a numeric key in the keys into the dictionary.

- **-t** *timestamp-msecs*

  Set the timestamp also.

*key*

The key to increment.

*diff*

The amount of the increment.

### set

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] dict set \[**-u** *user*\] \[**-t** *timestamp-msecs*\] \[**-e** *expire-secs*\] *config-filter-name* *key* *value*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] mail dict set \[**-A** \| **-u** *user* \| **-F** *file*\] \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-t** *timestamp-msecs*\] \[**-e** *expire-secs*\] *config-filter-name* *key* *value*

Set/create keys into the dictionary.

- **-t** *timestamp-msecs*

  Set the timestamp also.

- **-e** *expire-secs*

  Set the key duration also.

*key*

The key to set.

*value*

The value to set.

### unset

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] dict unset \[**-u** *user*\] \[**-t** *timestamp-msecs*\] *config-filter-name* *key*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] mail dict unset \[**-A** \| **-u** *user* \| **-F** *file*\] \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-t** *timestamp-msecs*\] *config-filter-name* *key*

Remove a key from the dictionary.

- **-t** *timestamp-msecs*

  Set the timestamp also.

*key*

The key to unset.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs, including *doveconf -n* output, to the Dovecot Mailing List *⟨dovecot@dovecot.org⟩*. Information about reporting bugs is available at: *⟨https://dovecot.org/bugreport.html⟩*

## SEE ALSO

[doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md)