How to Create Rules in Gmail for (Almost) Anything

Search for some mail and then select the search options button to pick which emails to filter and what the rule should do

By
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
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    Scott Orgera is a former Lifewire writer covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years' experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications including MCSE, MCP+I, and MOUS. He is also A+ certified.
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    Updated on April 29, 2024
    Reviewed by
    Jessica Kormos
    Jessica Kormos
    Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
    • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
    Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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    What to Know

    • Run an email search and then select the search options button. Define the search criteria, then select Create filter.
    • To make a rule based on a specific email, open it and go to three dots > Filter messages like these.
    • To manage your Gmail filters, select the gear icon > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses.

    This article explains how to set up and manage email filters on the Gmail website (the app doesn't support email filtering).

    How to Create a Gmail Rule From a Search

    Gmail's search tool is quite powerful, so it's a great place to start if you want to filter emails.

    1. Use the search bar at the top of the screen to search for the mail you want to filter.

    2. Press the search options button to the right of the search box.

      Search results on the Gmail website

    3. Define one or more criteria for the new rule. These are your options:

      • From: Find emails from one or more specific senders
      • To: Find emails sent to one or more specific recipients
      • Subject: Specify partial or complete text in the message subject line
      • Has the words: Find messages that have specific words somewhere in the email
      • Doesn't have: Find messages based on specific words that are not found in the email
      • Size: Find emails greater than or less than a specific size
      • Date within: Find emails sent within a certain period
      • Search: Find messages in a specific area of your email account
      • Has attachment: Apply the rule only to messages that have files attached
      • Don't include chats: Apply the rule to emails only; not to chat conversations

      This step is essential, so don't overlook it. It explains what Gmail should look for when it runs the filter.

    4. Choose Create filter.

      The search options panel open on the Gmail website

      Select Search to see the messages that meet the rule criteria. This is a good way to test what the filter will grab.

    5. Select the check box next to the options that specify the behavior you want to apply to this rule. For example, Skip the Inbox (Archive it) will archive the messages.

      Skip the inbox (Archive it) option in Gmail

      Optionally choose Also apply filter to [#] matching conversations if you want existing emails to be pulled into this rule, too, and not just new messages.

    6. Select Create filter to activate the new rule.

    How to Create a Gmail Rule From an Existing Email

    Follow these steps if you want to filter Gmail messages by a particular sender and you already have an email from them. This will speed up the process a little bit. Here's how it works:

    1. Open the email and select the three dots from the menu above the message.

    2. Choose Filter messages like these.

      The 'Filter messages like these' option in Gmail

    3. Select the criteria to apply to the new rule.

      Some options, like the From field, may be pre-populated with details from the selected message. We've seen strange characters show up here, so be sure to double-check that the information is correct for your specific filter.

    4. Select Create filter.

      A Gmail filter with the 'Has the words' section filled out

    5. Pick one or more actions the filter should take. In our example, we're having Gmail auto-delete messages that match the filter, so we've picked Delete it.

      A filter to delete emails in Gmail

    6. Select Create filter.

    One of Gmail's features is the ability to make multiple aliases associated with your primary email address. Emails addressed to these aliases are sent to your primary Gmail account. To filter messages from a specified alias, create a rule with the alias as the criteria, then assign behaviors to the rule.

    How to Manage Rules in Gmail

    It's easy to collect a bunch of rules over time. If you no longer want a specific filter to apply or you're losing track of your messages, it's easy to review and delete Gmail rules from the settings.

    1. Select the gear icon, then choose See all settings.

      The Gmail quick settings menu

    2. Select the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab at the top of the page.

    3. To make changes to a rule, select edit. To remove a rule so that it no longer filters your email, select delete.

      A list of Gmail filters with the edit and delete buttons highlighted
    FAQ
    • How do I create an email signature in Gmail?

      In Gmail, go to Settings > General. Choose Create new next to the Signature section. Give the signature a name and then enter your desired signature in the field. Once you select Save Changes, you can insert your signature into your email.

    • How do I create folders in Gmail?

      Gmail uses Labels instead of folders, but you can easily organize your Gmail with labels. To create custom labels, go to Settings > Labels > Create new label.

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