Email Filters That Keep Your Inbox Clean

Disclosure: Some links are sponsored. If you try a sponsored app, such as Cleanfox, we may earn a commission.

Last reviewed: October 15, 2026 by the Smart Savings Guides editorial team. How we research and update articles.

Filters (called rules in Outlook and Apple Mail) sort your email automatically as it arrives, so receipts, newsletters and notifications go where they belong without you touching them. Setting up a handful takes ten minutes and keeps your inbox for messages that actually need you. Here's how.

How filters work

A filter checks each incoming email against conditions you set, like who it's from, words in the subject or body, or whether it has attachments. If it matches, the filter takes an action: apply a label, move it to a folder, mark it as read, archive it, star it, or delete it.

Create a filter in Gmail

1. In the search bar on a computer, click the Show search options icon.
2. Enter your conditions (for example, Has the words: unsubscribe).
3. Click Search to preview what matches.
4. Click Create filter.
5. Choose actions such as Skip the Inbox (Archive it), Apply the label, Mark as read or Never send it to Spam.
6. Tick Also apply filter to matching conversations to sort existing emails too.
7. Click Create filter.

Manage filters later under Settings, then See all settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses.

Create a rule in Outlook

In Outlook on the web, go to Settings, then Mail, then Rules, and click Add new rule. Name it, add a condition (such as From, or Subject includes), add an action (such as Move to a folder), and save. You can also right-click a message and choose Rules, then Create rule.

Create a rule in Apple Mail or iCloud

On a Mac, open Mail, then Settings, then Rules, then Add Rule. On the web, sign in to iCloud.com, open Mail, then Settings, then Rules. Rules set on iCloud.com apply across devices.

Filters worth setting up

Receipts

Filter by words like "order" or "receipt" into a label. In Gmail, use Subject: (order OR receipt OR invoice). Add -from:yourbank.com if you want bank emails to stay in your inbox.

Newsletters

Filter on "unsubscribe" in the body to skip the inbox. Almost every marketing email includes the word, so it's a simple catch-all. Check the label weekly and unsubscribe from what you don't read. Watch out: some important emails, like account notices, may also include "unsubscribe," so review the label occasionally.

Alerts

Route app notifications to a folder. Social media, delivery tracking and app notifications are useful to have but rarely urgent.

Using aliases with filters

If you sign up for shops with a plus address like [email protected], you can filter on To: [email protected] to catch all of them. See how to use email aliases.

Common mistakes

• Over-broad filters: a filter on "account" could hide security alerts. Preview matches before saving.
• Deleting automatically: prefer archiving or labeling, so nothing important disappears.
• Too many filters: start small. You can always add more.
• Forgetting to check labels: schedule a weekly glance at filtered labels.

Tips

• Name labels clearly, and nest them, such as "Receipts/2026."
• Use colors for important labels.
• Combine filters with Gmail's categories (Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates), which do some sorting automatically.
• Revisit filters every few months as your email changes.

Filters vs. blocking vs. unsubscribing

Filters sort mail you want to keep. Unsubscribing stops legitimate newsletters entirely. Blocking sends a specific sender's future mail to spam. Spam should be reported, not filtered. See how to stop spam emails and how to unsubscribe safely.

Filters on your phone

The Gmail mobile app can't create filters, but filters you set up on a computer apply to all your devices. Outlook's mobile app also relies on rules created on the web or desktop. Apple Mail rules set on a Mac run only when Mail is open on that Mac, while rules set on iCloud.com run on the server for all devices.

Example: a "Read later" setup

Create a label called "Read later," then filter newsletters you enjoy into it while skipping the inbox. Set aside 15 minutes once a week to read them. Anything you skip three weeks running is a good candidate to unsubscribe from.

Troubleshooting filters

If a filter isn't catching emails, check the exact sender address in the email header, as companies often send from several addresses. Searches using quotation marks match exact phrases, and OR must be in capitals in Gmail.

See the main guide and the optional bonus

← Back to the main guide