The usual method would be to add the Gmail account to Thunderbird. Then it will notify you of incoming messages as and when they arrive. Perhaps you'd like to explain why you don't want the messages themselves appearing in Thunderbird.

Otherwise, you need to visit the Gmail website, log in to your account there and see if the rules system allows for a notification to be sent to one of your email accounts every time a message arrives. But I suspect there will not be tools to extract and forward specific information such as subject and sender, and a simple template (as used by an auto responder) that didn't actually relay any information about the incoming message would seem IMHO almost entirely useless.

Most email systems are designed on the premise that users want to read their email, not just be made aware something has arrived.

I wrote you but I guess I lost it. Well, in answer to your sentences:

"would seem IMHO almost entirely useless."

"Most email systems are designed on the premise that users want to read their email, not just be made aware something has arrived."

Then Thunderbird's sending notices (NOT messages) to me about my other TB's accounts within the TB's pages is even more useless, no? At TB I don't need notifications as I'm on the same "page" so to speak.

But I need notifications from Gmail to TB otherwise how do I know if I have any messages, for which I have to login to Gmail and follow the usual pain in the neck protocols, etc. which I don't mind if I do have messages. As simple as that.

I don't need my TB's incoming/outgoing messages to fill up my Gmail program...WHAT FOR??? It crowds it and causes confusion and...why would I want to read the same messages I already read in TB?

I went through the trouble of opening a 2nd email program to use it for other matters, different from those on TB. I didn't mean to make such a big deal of your answer, I'm only too puzzled.  :)

If you say "sends" in the context of an email program, it will always be read as meaning "sent by email".

Thunderbird doesn't "send" you anything. It collects messages and sends messages (in the email sense) FOR you, not to you. It's a program which runs on your computer and so has access to all the usual system facilities, such as being able to put notifications (about the arrival of new email messages) into the system tray or notification centre.

Anyone who talks about their "Thunderbird account" is betraying a lack of understanding about what is happening and how it all works. Tell us what you mean by "Thunderbird account", and what accounts you have that you consider not to be "Thunderbird accounts".

You get notification by Thunderbird when email messages arrive in it. If it doesn't collect messages from your gmail account, it won't and cannot know when messages arrive, hence no notifications. If you want it to notify you, you have to connect it to the account. And it seems to me that you do already have gmail in your Thunderbird, because you were complaining about "duplication" in another recent thread.

Why do you use Thunderbird? What does it do for you that can't be done somewhere else?

I use it because I specifically don't want to have to go to multiple idiosyncratic websites to deal with email. I want all my email in one place, with a consistent look'n'feel, and a single toolbox for dealing with and working with email. You seem to think that gmail and Thunderbird should be separate, in which case I am wondering why you use Thunderbird at all.

With all respect I don't know what you are talking about .

There are no Thunderbird accounts. Email providers issue and maintain email accounts and servers. If you want to use gmail add the account details to Thunderbird and check your mail

What you are asking makes no sense.

Okay, thank you.

As you are using chrome, you probably want to go to their store and get this. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/notifier-for-gmail/dcjichoefijpinlfnjghokpkojhlhkgl?hl=en

Thanks so much Matt, the link you so kindly gave me is the closest to what I'm seeking. I'll look into it as I'm sure I'll find how to get the Gmail Notifications. Thanx again!  :o) Adela