Filter your email
Email filtering allows you to automatically route your email to specified folders, saving you the job of doing it manually.
Essentially, a filter can be set up to route email that contains a word or words in the 'From', 'To', 'cc' or 'Subject' fields - whatever you have specified - to a pre-existing folder or straight to 'Deleted Items' if you wish.
You do this by first selecting a keyword or words in specified fields.
For example, you can specify that any emails with the word 'John' in the From: field - basically all emails from someone with the email nickname John - go straight to 'Deleted Items' or alternatively you could send them to your 'John' folder.
Additionally, if you get junk email that regularly contains specific words in the title, you can filter these straight into your 'Deleted Items' folder.
Once you've set up some filters you can edit or delete them as required.
To start creating filters, click on 'Options' in the top navigation bar and on the resulting page click 'Create filter / Junk filter'.
You then have the option to add, edit or delete a filter.
Add a new filter:
To add a new filter, click the 'Add' button.
You'll then be presented with a new page with a number of option boxes to complete to handle your email in the way you want.
Name: Give the new filter a name so you can recognise it easily. If you don't, the system will choose one for you. It is far easier for you to manage if you choose your own.
Priority: Simply determines which filters are run first. Priority 1 filters run first, priority 9 filters run last.
Field: The area, or field, in the email that you want the filter to search in for your keyword or phrase. The options are the 'From' field, so you can filter emails from particular senders, the 'To' field for particular addressees, 'Cc' to filter emails copied and 'Subject'. The latter is probably the most useful and widely used.
Comparison: This option is basically a series of simple words and phrases: 'is'; 'is not'; 'contains'; 'does not contain' etc.
So for instance, you can set up a filter for emails in which the Subject contains the word 'England' or you can set up a filter for emails in which the Subject does not contain the word 'England'.
Word or phrase: This is where you enter the word or phrase on which you want to base the new filter. This could be the word 'entertainment', for example, or the phrase 'top ten hits'.
Move to:The folder where you want to send emails that match the criteria you specified. This can be one of the three permanent folders - 'Inbox', 'Sent Items' or 'Deleted Items' - or any folder you have set up yourself.
For more information on creating folders click here (link to folders page).
Once you have filled in the required fields click on 'Ok'. Your filter will then apply to all subsequent email messages you receive.
Edit a filter:
You may need to change or adapt your filter in future. This is very straightforward.
Once in the 'Create filter / Junk filter' section, tick the box next to the filter you wish to change and click 'Edit'. You will see the fields you previously set-up for this filter.
Simply change as required and click 'Ok'. Your amended filter will now be operational.
Delete a filter:
Removing a filter is very easy. Once again, enter the 'Create filter / Junk filter' section and tick the box next to the filter you wish to delete. Then click the 'Delete' button. Your filter will be removed.