How to Create an Email Filter

Most people get too much email, and most of it they don't want. One good way to cut down the email that makes it into your inbox is to create a rule to filter junk mail. Creating an email filter is usually not hard, but creating an effective one requires some thoughtful strategy. You might have to play around with different rules to optimize your email filter, but once you have it worked out, it will be invaluable.

Instructions

1. Decide what you want to filter. If you make your filter too broad, you'll wind up blocking too many emails and spend a lot of time going through your junk mail folder recovering good emails. Go through emails you don't want to find out what they have in common. Look for key phrases or email addresses such as words or phrases that might include "free," "you are a winner" and "discount drugs."

2. Read your mail account instructions. Every email reader is different, so you will need to find out where the filter creation tool is located. It will generally be under something like "Account Settings."

3. Create a rule and give it a name. Under "Account Settings," look for a setting such as "create a filter" or "create a rule." In the rules section, there should be white lists, black lists and open filters. You can use a white list to narrow your inbox and allow only emails to come from people on the white list. You can create a black list to not allow emails from specific email addresses or domain names. Other than white lists and black lists, you can put a phrase or word in the value part of the rule, and you'll select where the value appears such as in the subject line of the email or the body of the email or somewhere else.

4. Add more rules or delete rules you find helpful. Sometimes rules will be too exclusive. Other times, one rule can't cover all of your spam so you must add additional rules that address different types of spam.

References

• How to Create an Email Filter Rule in Outlook