Key takeaways
- Email filters automate inbox organization by sorting incoming messages based on criteria like sender, subject, or keywords, saving hours of manual sorting each week
- Gmail and Outlook offer built-in filtering tools that can automatically move emails to folders, apply labels, or delete unwanted messages
- Mobile filter creation is limited in Gmail and Outlook apps, but workarounds exist using desktop browser versions
- iPhone users can filter emails through the native Mail app or by creating rules in iCloud Mail settings
- AI-powered email tools like Superhuman Mail can automatically categorize and prioritize emails without manual filter setup
Our inboxes quickly fill up. Without a method to sort what's what, we end up with a clutter of promotions, social media notifications, spam, and important updates. Learning how to filter emails is the key to reclaiming control and maintaining focus.
The scale of this problem is staggering. The average business professional now receives 120 emails per day, spending 2 to 2.5 hours daily managing their inbox. For executives and senior leaders, that number often climbs to 200 or more messages requiring attention.
Email filters are powerful organizational tools that can sort, delete, archive, and store emails, helping professionals manage high-volume inboxes more efficiently. Here's how to use them to your advantage.
What is an email filter?
A filter is a set of instructions that automatically sorts incoming messages based on criteria you define. When you create a rule in Gmail to move to a folder, for example, you're telling your email client to take specific actions whenever messages match certain conditions.
Filters can sort emails by:
- Sender: Route all emails from a specific person or domain
- Subject line: Catch messages containing particular keywords
- Keywords in body: Filter based on content within the email
- Attachments: Identify emails with or without files attached
Once triggered, filters can automatically move emails to folders, apply labels, mark as read, star important messages, forward to others, or delete entirely. Understanding how to filter emails in Gmail, Outlook, or any email client starts with mastering these basic building blocks.
How to filter emails in Gmail
Gmail's native filtering tools can automate much of your inbox organization. Here's how to create a filter in Gmail:
- Click the down-facing arrow on the right side of the search bar
- Specify your filter criteria (sender, subject, keywords, etc.)
- Click "Create filter"
- Choose the actions you want Gmail to take (apply label, archive, delete, etc.)
- Click "Create filter" to save
To automatically label emails in Gmail, select "Apply the label" during filter creation and choose an existing label or create a new one. This is one of the most popular ways to organize your Gmail inbox automatically.
Pro tip: You can also select "Also apply filter to matching conversations" to retroactively organize emails already in your inbox that match your criteria.
How to filter emails from a domain in Gmail
To filter emails from an entire domain, use the "from:" search operator. In the filter creation window, enter from:@domain.com to catch all emails from that company. This is useful for grouping all messages from a specific organization, like newsletters from a publication or notifications from a software tool.
How to create a filter in Gmail for multiple email addresses
You can filter multiple senders by separating email addresses with "OR" in the from field: sender1@email.com OR sender2@email.com. This creates one Gmail filter that handles messages from multiple sources, saving you from creating separate filters for each address.
How to edit or delete a Gmail filter
- Click the gear icon, then "See all settings"
- Select "Filters and Blocked Addresses"
- Find the filter you want to modify
- Click "edit" to change criteria or "delete" to remove it entirely
How to filter emails in Gmail app
For those wondering how to filter emails in Gmail app or how to create a filter in Gmail mobile, unfortunately, Gmail's mobile app doesn't currently support filter creation. Google has not announced plans to add this functionality.
However, there are workarounds to create filters on your mobile device:
- Open any web browser on your phone
- Visit Gmail's desktop site by going to mail.google.com and requesting the desktop version
- Tap the down arrow in the search bar
- Specify your filter criteria
- Tap "Create filter" and choose your actions
Once filters are created through the desktop version, they'll automatically apply to all emails you receive, including those you view in the Gmail app.
How to filter emails in Outlook
Outlook offers robust filtering capabilities through its Rules feature. Here's how to filter emails in Outlook:
- Click the Settings icon and choose "View all Outlook settings"
- Go to the Mail tab and click "Rules"
- Click "Add new rule"
- Name your rule and specify the conditions
- Choose the action (move to folder, delete, mark as read, etc.)
- Click "Save"
Outlook also gives you the option to "Stop processing more rules" when creating a filter. If you enable this, Outlook will only apply that specific rule and ignore any other rules that might also match the email. This is helpful when you have multiple rules that could conflict with each other.
How to delete Outlook rules
- Click the Settings icon and choose "View all Outlook settings"
- Go to the Mail tab and click "Rules"
- Click the trash icon next to the rule you want to remove
- Click "OK" to confirm deletion
How to filter emails on iPhone
iPhone users have several options for filtering emails, depending on which email service they use.
Using the native Mail app
The iPhone Mail app includes built-in filtering to quickly sort your inbox view:
- Open the Mail app
- Tap the filter icon in the lower-left corner
- Tap "Filtered by" to customize your filter options
- Choose criteria like Unread, Flagged, or emails with attachments
- Tap Done to apply the filter
This filter affects your inbox view but doesn't automatically sort incoming messages. To turn off the filter, simply tap the filter icon again.
Creating rules in iCloud Mail
To create automatic email rules that apply to your iCloud email account:
- Log in to iCloud.com and open Mail
- Click the Settings icon in the sidebar
- Select "Rules"
- Click "Add a Rule"
- Specify your filter conditions and actions
- Click "Done"
For Gmail users on iPhone, you'll need to create filters using the desktop version of Gmail, as described in the Gmail mobile section above. Once created, those filters will apply to emails regardless of which device you use to check your inbox.
How to filter emails in Yahoo
Yahoo Mail offers generous storage and straightforward filtering options. Here's how to create Yahoo Mail filters:
- Click the Settings icon and select "More Settings"
- Click "Filters"
- Click "Add new filters"
- Enter a filter name and set your rules
- Choose or create a folder for filtered emails
- Click "Save"
Yahoo Mail allows up to 500 filters, and you can prioritize them by dragging and dropping in the Filters settings section. Filters are processed in order from top to bottom, so place your most important rules at the top. To delete a Yahoo filter, go to Settings > More Settings > Filters, select the filter, and click the delete icon.
Advanced email filtering with AI
Email filtering has evolved beyond simple keyword matching. Modern email management systems use machine learning to achieve sophisticated categorization that manual filters simply can't match.
Superhuman Mail is blazingly fast and works seamlessly with Gmail and Outlook accounts. Split Inbox automatically categorizes emails using advanced machine learning to spotlight high-priority messages from colleagues, executives, or critical business tools like Google Docs and Asana.
Rather than relying on manual filter rules that frequently miss messages or require constant updating, Split Inbox's AI understands context, sender importance, and strategic relevance. This means your most important emails surface automatically without you needing to create dozens of individual filters.
Remind Me ensures that you never drop the ball on important follow-ups by automatically surfacing emails that need attention. Combined with keyboard shortcuts that accelerate every action, you can process your inbox at unprecedented speed.
Master your inbox with smarter email filtering
Learning how to filter emails effectively can save hours each week and dramatically reduce email overload. Whether you're using Gmail filters, Outlook rules, or iPhone email settings, the key is creating a system that automatically handles routine sorting so you can focus on messages that actually matter.
For professionals who want to go beyond manual filters, AI-powered tools like Superhuman Mail offer intelligent categorization that adapts to your workflow. Instead of spending time creating and maintaining complex filter rules, you can let machine learning do the heavy lifting while you focus on what's important.
Ready to transform your inbox experience? Try Superhuman Mail and see how AI-powered email management can help you reach inbox zero faster than ever.
FAQs
Is there a way to filter emails?
Yes, all major email clients, including Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo offer built-in filtering tools. You can create rules based on sender, subject line, keywords, or other criteria to automatically sort, label, archive, or delete incoming messages. For more advanced filtering, AI-powered tools like Superhuman Mail can automatically categorize emails without manual rule setup.
Can you make certain emails automatically go into a folder?
Absolutely. In Gmail, create a filter and select "Skip the Inbox" plus "Apply the label" to route emails directly to a specific folder. In Outlook, create a rule and choose "Move it to folder" as your action. This is one of the most common ways people use filters to organize their inbox.
How do I filter emails on my iPhone?
You can filter emails on iPhone using the native Mail app's filter button to sort your inbox view, or by creating rules in iCloud Mail settings for automatic sorting. For Gmail accounts, you'll need to create filters using Gmail's desktop version, which will then apply to emails viewed on your iPhone. Superhuman Mail also offers AI-powered filtering that works seamlessly on iOS.
How to select lots of emails at once to delete?
In Gmail, search for emails you want to delete, click the checkbox to select all visible emails, then click "Select all conversations that match this search" to select everything. In Outlook, click the first email, hold Shift, and click the last email to select a range. In Superhuman Mail, use Cmd+Shift+A (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows) to select all emails instantly.
