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Example mail filters

Filtering email from a certain address to a special folder (basic)


Creating a filter for mail from a certain address (click for larger image in a new window)

You may wish to filter mail from a specific person to a special folder.

  1. Create a folder in your account. This can be done using Thunderbird (or other IMAP client), or WebMail.
  2. Log into the Filter management tool.
  3. Add a new filter by clicking [add] on the left. The information pane to the right will be replaced with the Add filter form.
  4. Give the filter a name. The name should describe (to you) what the purpose of this filter is. E.g. "stuff from Mum"
  5. Leave "any of the following" checked (default).
  6. Select "From" in the first drop down box.
  7. Select "contains" in the second drop down box.
  8. Enter the email address in the third box.
  9. Select the action "Move the message to the folder",
  10. ... and in the box to the right, select the folder you created in Step 1.
  11. Click save. The information pane will return, and your new filter will appear in the Filters list to the left.
  12. If necessary, select your new filter and adjust its position in the list with [move up] and [move down].
  13. Click Apply (at the top) to make your changes active. If you wish to add or edit other filters first you may do so, but you must remember to click Apply when you are finished.

Filtering email sent to a certain mailing list to a special folder (advanced)


Creating a filter for mail to a certain mailing list (click for larger image in a new window)

You may wish to filter mail sent to a mailing list of which you are a member to a special folder. However, some emails may be sent to you and CC'd to the mailing list (for example, replies to your own list post): these should not be filtered.

  1. Create a folder in your account. This can be done using Thunderbird (or other IMAP client), or WebMail.
  2. Log into the Filter management tool.
  3. Add a new filter, by clicking [add] on the left.
  4. Give the filter a name. E.g. "TWP List"
  5. Select "all of the following".
  6. Fill out the first condition with "To or CC", "contains", and the address of the mailing list. If the list has multiple entry points, the smallest unique part will usually suffice, e.g. "twp-l".
  7. Click [more] to add a second condition.
  8. Fill out the second condition with "To", "doesn't contain", and your own email address.
  9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 as necessary for any other addresses that your account commonly receives mail as.
  10. Select "Move the message to the folder" and pick the folder you created in Step 1 from the drop down list.
  11. Click Save to add the filter to your Filters list.
  12. Click Apply to update your filters list on the server and make the changes active.