Gmail: Create Rules to Filter Your Emails

Environment

U-M Google (Mail) / Gmail

Issue

Manage your incoming mail using Gmail’s filters to send email to a label, or archive, delete, star, or automatically forward your mail.

Resolution

Create a Filter

1. Open Gmail
2. In the search box at the top, click the horizontal bars to show search options
3. Enter your search criteria
   1. If you want to check that your search worked correctly, see what emails show up by pressing Search
4. At the bottom of the search window, click Create filter
5. Choose what you’d like the filter to do
6. Click Create filter

Note: When you create a filter to forward messages, only new messages will be affected. ​Additionally, when someone replies to a message you've filtered, the reply will only be filtered if it meets the same search criteria. 

Use a Message to Create a Filter

1. Open Gmail
2. Check the checkbox next to the email you want to use to create the filter
3. Click More (at the top of the mail list)
4. Click Filter messages like these
5. Enter your filter criteria
6. Click Create filter

Edit or Delete Filters

1. Open Gmail
2. At the top right, click Settings -> See all settings
3. Click Filters and Blocked Addresses
4. Find the filter you'd like to change
5. Click Edit or Delete to remove the filter
   1. If you’re editing the filter, click Continue when you’re done editing
6. Click Update filter or OK

Additional Information

See https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579?hl=en#zippy=%2Ccreate-a-filter%2Cedit-or-delete-filters%2Cexport-or-import-filters for more information and also how to export and import filters.

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.