Rules, filters and saved searches

Rules (also called filters) act on mail in your inbox for you: label every invoice from a vendor, archive newsletters, star mail from your boss. Saved searches keep the queries you run every day one click away.

Before you start#

• Sign in to webmail.
• If a rule should apply a label, create the label first.

How rules work#

• A rule has conditions (all must match) and actions (all are done).
• Rules apply to messages in the Inbox. They run when webmail loads your inbox, so new mail is sorted as soon as you open webmail, and you can run them on everything already in the inbox with Run now.
• Rules never delete anything permanently: "Move to Trash" moves the message to the Trash folder.

Create a rule#

Example: put every invoice from Sharma Traders under the label Vendors.

1. Open Home → Rules on the ribbon (or Folder → Rules & filters).
2. Optional: give it a Rule name, for example Vendor invoices.
3. Under When mail matches ALL of, fill in what to look for. Leave the others empty:

• From contains sharmatraders.co.in
• Subject contains invoice

4. Tick Has attachment if only messages with attachments should match.
5. Under Then do, choose the actions: Mark as read, Star, Archive, Move to Trash, Mark as spam, and/or Apply label (pick the label).
6. Keep Enabled ticked and click Add rule.
7. Click Run now to apply it to the mail already in your inbox.

The rule appears in the list below the form with a summary such as from ~ "sharmatraders.co.in" & subject ~ "invoice" → label Vendors.

Tips for conditions#

• "Contains" matches part of the text, not case-sensitive. From contains acme.in matches every sender at acme.in.
• Use To contains with plus addressing: give a website priya+shop@acme.in and filter To contains +shop.
• Be specific. A rule with only Subject contains order may catch more than you expect.

Edit, pause or delete a rule#

In the list under the form:

• Click a rule's edit button to load it into the form, change it and click Update rule (or Cancel).
• Untick Enabled to pause a rule without deleting it.
• Delete removes the rule. Messages it already moved stay where they are.

Useful rules#

Saved searches#

Save any search, with operators, and run it again from the sidebar.

1. Click Saved on the ribbon (Home → Find).
2. In Query, type the search, for example is:unread has:attachment from:acme.in. Operators are listed in Read, search and filter.
3. Optional: Name this search, for example "Unread team files".
4. Save. The search appears as a chip in the sidebar. Click it to run it.

Saved searches are stored in this browser.

Troubleshooting#

What's next#

• Organise your mail
• Keyboard shortcuts and power features
• Webmail settings