Create rules to filter your emails

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On your computer, you can manage your incoming mail using Gmail’s filters to send email to a label, or archive, delete, star, or automatically forward your mail.

Create a filter

1. Open Gmail.
2. In the search box at the top, click Show search options  .
3. Enter your search criteria. If you want to check that your search worked correctly, see what emails show up by clicking 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 particular message to create a filter

1. Open Gmail.
2. Check the checkbox next to the email you want. 
3. Click More .
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. If you’re editing the filter, click Continue when you’re done editing.
6. Click Update filter or OK.

Export or import filters

If you have a backup of your filters, you can import the filters in Gmail. You can also export your filters.

1. Open Gmail.
2. At the top right, click Settings   See all settings.
3. Click Filters and Blocked Addresses.
4. Check the box next to the filter. 

Import a filter

1. At the bottom of the page, click Import filters. 
2. Choose the file with the filter you'd like to import.
3. Click Open file.
4. Click Create filters. 

Export a filter

1. At the bottom of the page, click Export. 
2. This will give you a .xml file, which you can edit in a text editor if you'd like.

Related resources

• Gmail messages are missing
• Search operators you can use with Gmail