How to Set Up Filters in Gmail

Is your Gmail inbox overflowing? Filters are a powerful tool that can automatically organise your incoming mail. You can use them to label, archive, delete, star, or forward your mail based on any combination of keywords, sender, recipients, and more.

This guide will show you the two easiest ways to create a filter.

Method 1: Creating a Filter from an Existing Email (Easiest)

This is the quickest way to filter future emails from a specific sender.

1. Open an email from the sender you want to filter.
2. Click the More button (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner of the email message.
3. Select Filter messages like this.
4. A window will appear with the sender's email address already filled in. You can add more criteria if you like (e.g., only filter if it also has a specific subject line).
5. Click Create filter at the bottom of the window.
6. Choose what you want Gmail to do with these messages (e.g., "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)", "Apply the label...", etc.).
7. Pro Tip: Check the box that says "Also apply filter to matching conversations" to organise all your old emails at once.
8. Click Create filter to finish.

Method 2: Creating a Filter from Scratch

Use this method if you want to set up more complex rules, like filtering by keywords in the subject line.

1. In the Gmail search box at the top of the page, click the Show search options icon (it looks like three horizontal sliders).
2. Enter your filter criteria. For example:
   • From: Filter emails from a specific person or domain (e.g., @example.com).
   • Subject: Filter emails with specific words in the subject line (e.g., "Invoice", "Receipt").
   • Has the words: Filter emails containing specific keywords anywhere in the message.
3. Click Create filter at the bottom of the search window.
4. Select the actions you want to apply (e.g., Apply a label, Mark as read, Star it).
5. Click Create filter to save your new rule.

Managing Your Filters

You can edit or delete your filters at any time:

1. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner and select See all settings.
2. Click on the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
3. Here you will see a list of all your active filters. Click edit or delete next to any filter to change it.