Filtering Incoming Mail

Here's another way to organize your messagesspecifically, to manage what happens to them when they arrive in your inbox. Gmail lets you create up to 20 filters that identify certain types of incoming messages and then handle them in a specified manner.

For example, you might want to create a filter that applies a label to all messages with certain words in the subject line. Or maybe star all messages that come from a particular person. Or forward all messages from one sender to another recipient. Or just automatically delete all messages from a particular sender, or on a particular subject.

Gmail lets you choose from five different actions for your filters:

• Skip the inbox (automatically archive the message)

• Star it

• Apply the label (choose from a list, or create a new label)

• Forward it to (a specified email address)

• Delete it

Here's how you create a filter:

1. From the Gmail inbox, click the Create a Filter link (beside the search box).

2. The Create a Filter section shown in Figure 21.18 now appears at the top of the inbox page. Enter the search criteria to identify which messages you want the filter applied to, and then click the Next Step button.

   Figure 21.18. Specifying which messages the new filter will apply to.

   

3. When the next page appears, as shown in Figure 21.19, select the action you want the filter to initiate.

   Figure 21.19. Specifying the action you want the filter to apply.

   

4. Click the Create Filter button.

All future messages that match your search criteria (as well as matching messages already in your inbox) will now have the specified action performed on them.

Tip

To view all your current filters (and edit or delete selected filters), click the Settings link at the top of the Gmail inbox page, and then select the Filters tab.