Creating a Filter

You can define filters to manage incoming and outgoing email messages. A filter consists of one or more conditions and one or more actions. If the message matches the conditions, the specified actions are performed.

  1. Go to the Preferences > Filters page.
  2. Click either Incoming Message Filters or Outgoing Message Filters.
  3. Select New Filter.
  4. In the Filter Name text box, enter a unique name for the filter.
  5. To make the filter active, check the Active box in the upper right corner.
  6. Choose whether the message must meet any or all of the listed conditions.
  7. any means that if a message meets any one of the conditions, the action is performed.
  8. all means that the message must meet all conditions for the action to be performed.
  9. From the drop-down menu, select which part of the message to apply to the filter, such as Subject or Date.
  10. Choose how the item must match, such as contains or does not contain.
  11. Enter or select the information to compare against, such as the date, email address, or phrase. Conditions are not case-sensitive.

For example, if you selected Subject and contains and entered Staff Meeting, all messages containing Staff Meeting are filtered. The filter also catches Staff Meetings or Today’s Staff Meeting, because you chose contains and not matches exactly. In this example, we use roadmap.

To add more conditions, click the + button and repeat the above steps. The order of the conditions does not matter. Under Perform the following actions, choose an action from the drop-down menu, such as Move into folder. Depending on the action that you choose, you might need to browse to locate a folder or tag name, or enter an email address to redirect a message.

To add more actions, click the + button and repeat the above step. The actions are applied in the order in which they are listed.

If you want more than one filter to be applied to a message, uncheck Do not process additional filters.

Note: Usually, you do not want more than one filter applied to a message after the first match because the message can undergo multiple, perhaps contradictory, actions.

  1. When you are done creating the filter, click OK.

Create a Filter from an Email Message

You can create a filter based on an email message in your Inbox. The filter information is extracted from the message. You can then modify the conditions and actions.

  1. Right-click an email message and choose New Filter.
  2. The Edit Filter dialog box appears populated with the information from the email message.
  3. In the Filter Name text box, type a unique name for the filter.
  4. Change the conditions and actions as necessary using the drop-down menus.
  5. Click OK.

Create a Filter for Calendar Invitations

You can create a filter to organize Calendar invitations that you receive and send.

  1. Go to the Preferences > Filters page.
  2. Click either Incoming Message Filters or Outgoing Message Filters.
  3. Select New Filter.
  4. In the Filter Name text box, enter a unique name for the filter.
  5. To make the filter active, check the Active box in the upper right corner.
  6. In the Subject drop-down menu, select Calendar.
  7. Select an invite is replied/not reply or invite is requested/not requested
  8. condition from the drop-down menu.
  9. To add more conditions, click the + button and repeat the above steps. The order of the conditions does not matter.
  10. Under Perform the following actions, choose an action from the drop-down menu.
  11. Depending on the action that you choose, you might need to browse to locate a folder or tag name.
  12. To add more actions, click the + button and repeat the above step. The actions are applied in the order in which they are listed.
  13. If you want more than one filter to be applied to a message, uncheck Do not process additional filters.

Note: Usually, you do not want more than one filter applied to a message after the first match because the message can undergo multiple, perhaps contradictory, actions.

  1. Click OK.