gmail is full of hidden features and plugin possibilities, but one of the service’s most powerful organizational tools sits right at the heart of your regular setup.
As you may have already guessed (especially if you read the headline of this story, smart little cat), I’m talking about filters: the old gmail system for automating your inbox with a set of custom rules. At a glance, filters can seem complicated. they can seem overwhelming. they may even seem unnecessary.
But don’t be fooled by the feature’s curiously crisp exterior. Gmail filters have the potential to completely reshape your inbox and the way your incoming messages are handled. they can help you keep your email in order without any thought or effort. and all it takes is a little one-off planning to make them work for you.
Follow the filter-focused gmail tips in this guide and your inbox will be running like a well-oiled (but not too oily) machine in no time.
part 1: discover your gmail filters
Let’s start by thinking about some gmail filter possibilities to get an idea of the types of settings you might consider; then, we will see step by step the creation process.
with gmail filters, you could:
- make sure messages from specific high priority senders always go to the main tab of your inbox, where you’re sure to see them
- make sure specific types of lower priority messages, like bills, reports, or updates from different services you use – they’re automatically categorized in an out-of-the-way location and don’t even show up in your inbox
- keep annoying people’s messages out of your hair (but still available in case you need to find them) by automatically archiving them as soon as they arrive
- forwarding messages from a specific address or with a specific phrase in their subjects to other members of your team or family
- instantly reply to messages sent to or from a specific address with a pre-written template
- mark specific types of messages from you as reminders by giving them a colored “reminder” tag bright yellow that makes them stand out in your inbox
- label messages sent to a specific variation of your gmail address (like youradd ress+vip@gmail.com) or written with a specific word or phrase in the subject line (such as “urgent”, “important” or “hey idiot, pay attention to this”) as “vip” and then receive notifications only for messages with that designation
- receive a snickerdoodle on your desktop every time your boss sends you an email
alright, that last one isn’t really possible (not yet, anyway), just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention. everything else on that list, however, is absolutely doable and pretty easy to set up with gmail filters.
Have some ideas of your own? good business. it’s time to make them come true.
part 2: create your gmail filters
The easiest way to start a new gmail filter is to click the control panel icon (the symbol that shows three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other) within the large search box at the top of the filter. gmail website.
which will open a form where you can fill in whatever you want to use as the basis for your filtering: a word or phase that might appear in the subject or body of an email, an address from which a message might originate, or any other variable or combination of variables you want.
The form to create a filter is full of options to control the email automation. (click the image to enlarge).
fill in the fields as appropriate, using as many variables as you like, even using quotes around multi-word terms along with operators like “and” and “or” between terms, if you really want to be fancy, and then click ” create filter” at the bottom of the box.
You can use any combination of variables, even using operators within a single field, to control when your filter will run. (click the image to enlarge).
a quick warning: by default, your filter will be applied to each and every incoming message; hence the “all mail” setting that appears next to the “search” option in the filter creation popup. if you change that option to “inbox”, you will likely see an error message informing you that the settings you chose are not recommended and may not work correctly. leave the “search” option set to “all mail”, which is probably what you want anyway, and it will avoid any bugs and allow things to work as they should.
Now it’s time for the fun part, the part where you decide exactly what happens when a message that meets your conditions arrives. you can select any combination of actions from the list and then configure them as needed. You can even tell gmail to retroactively apply your filter to messages already in your account (instead of just using it for new messages that arrive from then on) by checking the “also apply filter to matching conversations” option. at the bottom of the box.
gmail filters include a variety of actions that can be executed when your conditions are met. (click the image to enlarge).
once you’re done, click the blue “create filter” button and that’s it – your new gmail filter is officially in place and active. the next time a message arrives that meets the parameters you described, the actions you specified will be carried out automatically faster than you can say “I accept the workspace in the cyberspace of my workplace”.
part 3: manage your gmail filters
Last but not least, make a mental note to yourself in case you need to adjust your filters in the future: if you want to edit, delete, or just revisit a filter you created, just click the shaped icon icon in the upper right corner of the gmail website, click “settings”, then click the “filters and blocked addresses” tab at the top of the settings screen. you’ll see all the filters you’ve created there and can modify or delete them with a couple of quick clicks.
now if only we could find a way to make the filters deliver those damn snickerdoodles for us. hey google – is there any chance you can make that happen?
This article was originally published in October 2019 and was updated in January 2022.