How to Create Email Filters in Gmail, Outlook, and Other Email Services

Managing your inbox efficiently can save time and keep your emails organized. Setting up filters allows you to automatically sort, label, or delete messages based on predefined criteria. Below are step-by-step instructions for creating filters in Gmail, Outlook, and other common email platforms.

Gmail

  1. Open Gmail and click on the search bar at the top.

  2. Click the Show search options icon (⚙️ or a small down arrow at the right end of the search bar).

  3. Enter the criteria for your filter (e.g., From, Subject, Has the words, etc.).

  4. Click Create filter at the bottom right of the search box.

  5. Choose what action to take when an email matches the criteria:

    • Skip the Inbox (Archive it)

    • Mark as read

    • Star it

    • Apply a label

    • Forward it

    • Delete it

  6. Click Create filter to save.

Outlook (Web Version)

  1. Open Outlook.com and click the Settings gear icon (⚙️) in the top right.

  2. Click View all Outlook settings at the bottom.

  3. Navigate to Mail > Rules.

  4. Click Add a new rule.

  5. Give your rule a name (e.g., "Sort Newsletter Emails").

  6. Under Add a condition, select a condition like "From," "Subject includes," or "Has attachment."

  7. Under Add an action, select what should happen to matching emails (Move to folder, Mark as read, Delete, etc.).

  8. Click Save to apply the rule.

Outlook (Desktop App - Windows & Mac)

  1. Open Outlook and go to the Home tab.

  2. Click Rules and select Manage Rules & Alerts.

  3. Click New Rule and choose a template or start from scratch.

  4. Select conditions like "From a specific person" or "With specific words in the subject."

  5. Click Next and choose an action (Move, Delete, Categorize, etc.).

  6. Click Finish and then OK to activate the rule.

Apple Mail (Mac Mail)

  1. Open Mail and go to Mail > Settings (or Preferences).

  2. Click the Rules tab and then Add Rule.

  3. Name your rule and set conditions (e.g., "From contains" or "Subject includes").

  4. Choose an action (Move to mailbox, Mark as read, Delete, etc.).

  5. Click OK to save and apply the rule.

Yahoo Mail

  1. Open Yahoo Mail and click the Settings icon (⚙️).

  2. Click More Settings and go to Filters.

  3. Click Add new filters.

  4. Enter a filter name and set conditions like "From," "To," or "Subject."

  5. Choose an action (Move to folder, Mark as read, etc.).

  6. Click Save to apply the filter.

By following these steps, you can efficiently manage your inbox and ensure important emails are easy to find while keeping unwanted messages out of sight. If you need further assistance, refer to the support pages of your email provider.