How to Filter Blank Email Addresses with Gmail

Gmail is a free Web-based email service offered by Google. Occasionally you may receive odd email messages that have no information in the "To" line. Often associated with scams or spam, these emails can be frustrating and can clog up your inbox. Fortunately, using a Boolean logic "NOT" statement, you can filter emails that have blank email addresses using Gmail's filter function. Setting up a filter for emails with blank email addresses is a simple process that takes only a few moments.

Instructions

1. Launch your preferred Web browser and visit gmail.com.

2. Enter your Gmail user name and password into the appropriate fields and click "Log in" to access your email account.

3. Click the "Create a filter" link to the right of the search bar, directly below "Show search options." The "Create a Filter" tab will appear.

4. Input "![e-mail]" without quotes into the "Has the words" field. Replace "[e-mail]" with your Gmail email address. The exclamation point at the beginning acts as a "NOT" Boolean logic statement and filters out all emails that do not contain your email address in the "To" field.

5. Click "Next Step." Place a check mark next to any boxes to which you want Gmail to send the email after filtering it. For example, select "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)" to place it in your "Archives" folder, or "Mark as read" to place it in your "Inbox" but simply mark it as read.

6. Click "Create Filter." Gmail will filter out any emails that arrive with blank email addresses and place them in the specified location.

References

• It Shrivels Up When It's Cold: How to Filter Blank TO Emails in Gmail
• Gmail Help: Using Filters