---
type: concept
title: Primary Email Attribute Mapping
tags: [ldap, thunderbird, configuration, directory-services]
related: [thunderbird-zentrales-adressbuch-configuration, ldap-account]
created: 2026-06-30
updated: 2026-06-30
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_allgemein_e_mail_zentrales_adressbuch_thunderbird.md"]
---

# Primary Email Attribute Mapping

**Primary Email Attribute Mapping** is the process of configuring an email client to recognize a specific LDAP attribute as the primary email address for a contact, rather than relying on the software's default attribute.

In the context of the Universität Greifswald's central address book, Mozilla Thunderbird defaults to searching for the `mail` attribute. However, the university's directory schema uses a custom attribute for the primary email address.

## Implementation in Mozilla Thunderbird
To ensure that the correct email address is retrieved and used when selecting contacts from the central directory, the mapping must be manually updated in the advanced configuration editor:

1. Access the configuration editor via `about:config`.
2. Locate the key: `ldap_2.servers.default.attrmap.PrimaryEmail`.
3. Change the value from `mail` to `UniHGW-PrimaryEmailAddress`.
4. Restart Thunderbird to apply the changes.

Without this mapping, the address book may allow users to search for employees, but it may fail to populate the "To" field with the correct primary email address.
