# Create Gmail filters and use Gmail rules to declutter your inbox Declutter and organize your email inbox! When you create a rule in Gmail, you can filter incoming emails according to sender, subject, file size, and other criteria, and set automatic rules in Gmail (formerly Googlemail) to specify how filtered emails should be treated. Learn how to create, edit, and delete Gmail filters and rules here. ## Quick guide: how to create rules in Gmail 1. Launch your inbox in the **menu next to the search field**. 2. Enter one or more search criteria and click “**Create filter**”. 3. Specify **how filtered emails should be treated**. 4. Confirm your selection by clicking “**Create filter**”. ## What are Gmail rules? Rules in Gmail work similarly to rules in other popular mail programs, such as Outlook. Just specify **one or more criteria** according to which emails should be selected or filtered, and then specify **what should happen with the emails you’ve selected**. Alternatively, you can select an email to serve as a template for a filter. We explain both options in the paragraphs below. In case of high email volumes, these Gmail filters and rules can be particularly useful. For example, you could automatically filter out less important emails or newsletters and sort them into subfolders (or assign Gmail labels). Gmail rules are applied to new but **also existing emails**. This is very useful when you’re looking to clean up your inbox. ## Create a filter in Gmail: here’s how **Step 1:** Click the icon **next to the search box** to create a new rule. [![Image: Gmail inbox: Show search options](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/b/e/csm_gmail-inbox-show-search-options_c7d9ced17e.webp "Gmail inbox: Show search options")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/gmail-inbox-show-search-options.png) Narrow down search results. **Step 2:** Now specify one or more search or filter criteria in the menu. [![Image: Search and filter options in Gmail](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/b/c/csm_search-and-filter-options-in-gmail_108e2a5f4e.webp "Search and filter options in Gmail")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/search-and-filter-options-in-gmail.png) You can enter different criteria and filter options in Gmail. In our example, we’ll filter emails by the subject “online invoice”, but you can also filter by a sender or words within the message and set restrictions according to size, date of the message and its (current) storage location. The latter is possible via the “Search” function. Simply specify whether all messages or, for example, all messages in the inbox, sent items, unread or only read messages should be affected by the rule. **Step 3:** Confirm your Gmail filter by clicking “**Create filter**”. If you want to check in advance which emails are included in the filter, click “Search”. **Step 4:** Another menu will launch. Here you can specify how filtered emails are to be dealt with. To do this, **click the checkboxes next to the appropriate filter**. Multiple selection is possible. In our example, we select “Mark as read”. [![Image: Gmail filters for emails](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/1/3/csm_gmail-filters-for-emails_f749f0dbae.webp "Gmail filters for emails")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/gmail-filters-for-emails.png) Select one or more filter actions for your emails. **Step 5:** Confirm your selection with “**Create filter**”. **Step 6:** At the bottom of the inbox, you will see a message pop-up that your Gmail filter has been created. [![Image: Confirmation of filter creation](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/8/e/csm_confirmation-of-filter-creation_38eee63f44.webp "Confirmation of filter creation")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/confirmation-of-filter-creation.png) If you have successfully created a filter, it will be displayed at the bottom of your inbox. ## Create Gmail filter: Filter similar messages **Step 1:** Open the email that serves as a **template for creating a Gmail rule**. **Step 2:** Click on the **three dots** in the upper right corner of the message. A **context menu will open**. [![Image: Email context menu launches](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/0/0/csm_email-context-menu-launches_c7a3edbab2.webp "Email context menu launches")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/email-context-menu-launches.png) Open the context menu of an email. **Step 3:** Click “**Filter messages like this**”. [![Image: Context menu Gmail](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/2/2/csm_context-menu-gmail_47494f1481.webp "Context menu Gmail")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/context-menu-gmail.png) Select “Filter messages like this”. **Step 4:** The **search option menu** described above will open. The sender of the message is set as a filter (preceded by [Gmail search operator](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/e-mail/technical-matters/gmail-search-operators/ "Gmail search operators") “from:”). **Step 5:** Confirm your settings and/or **select further/additional filter criteria** before confirming the selection via “**Create filter**”. Repeat previous instructions from step 3 to add more filters. --- ### Tip Want to use Gmail and other Google products professionally? Get Google Workspace and use a neutral and ad-free [email address including your preferred domain](https://www.ionos.ca/office-solutions/create-an-email-address "Email address including own domain - IONOS"). --- ## Gmail filter: What is a “label”? Unlike Outlook and many other email programs, Gmail **doesn’t have folders** to sort emails to. Instead it uses so-called **labels**. You can assign as many labels and sub-labels as you like (which results in a folder-like structure) and add them to emails. You can also assign multiple labels to one email. The main difference between a folder and a label is that **labels do not duplicate content**. This means that even if you assign multiple labels, the email will only exist once in your inbox. If you delete an email, it will be deleted from all labels. This may be different in a more traditional folder structure. In some circumstances, a separate copy of the email is stored in each folder. ## Edit and delete Gmail rules Once created, you can still edit or delete a Gmail filter. **Step 1:** Click on **Settings** in the upper right next to the search menu in your inbox. [![Image: Open Settings in Gmail inbox](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/f/d/csm_open-settings-in-gmail-inbox_afab2c910f.webp "Open Settings in Gmail inbox")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/open-settings-in-gmail-inbox.png) Open Settings in Gmail inbox. **Step 2:** Select “**See all settings**” from the context menu. [![Image: Settings menu in Gmail](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/1/f/csm_settings-menu-in-gmail_e943558324.webp "Settings menu in Gmail")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/settings-menu-in-gmail.png) Open Settings in Gmail. **Step 3:** Click on “**Filters and blocked addresses**”. [![Image: Gmail settings with all tabs](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/0/b/csm_gmail-settings-with-all-tabs_10683114d2.webp "Gmail settings with all tabs")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/gmail-settings-with-all-tabs.png) In the “Filters and blocked addresses” tab you will find all your Gmail rules. **Step 4:** Click “Edit” on the Gmail rule you wish to modify. You will be redirected to create a rule as in step 2 in the above instructions. Follow the instructions for **creating Gmail rules**. [![Image: Edit and delete Gmail rules](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/a/0/csm_edit-and-delete-gmail-rules_e876d18369.webp "Edit and delete Gmail rules")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/edit-and-delete-gmail-rules.png) Select whether you want to edit or delete a Gmail filter. **Step 5:** If you want to **delete an existing filter**, click on “Delete” beside the respective rule in the “Filters and blocked addresses” menu. **Step 6:** Confirm deletion by clicking “OK”. [![Image: Gmail “Confirm filter deletion” view](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/5/1/csm_gmail-confirm-filter-deletion-view_08131ac7b3.webp "Gmail “Confirm filter deletion” view")](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2022/gmail-confirm-filter-deletion-view.png) Confirm deletion of a Gmail rule. --- ### Tip Want to find out what else you can do with Gmail? Check out more of our guides and tutorials to learn how to set up [out-of-office notifications in Gmail](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/e-mail/technical-matters/gmail-out-of-office/ "Gmail out of office"), the [Gmail read receipt](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/e-mail/technical-matters/set-up-gmail-read-receipts/ "Set up Gmail read receipts"), or how to [recall Gmail emails](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/e-mail/technical-matters/recalling-emails-with-gmail/ "Recalling emails with Gmail"). --- This is a markdown version of: [https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/e-mail/technical-matters/create-gmail-filters/](https://www.ionos.ca/digitalguide/e-mail/technical-matters/create-gmail-filters/) for AI/LLM consumption.