Using Filters with OU Webmail Powered by Google

Gmail's filters allow you to manage the flow of incoming messages. Using filters, you can automatically label, archive, delete, star, or forward your mail, even keep it out of Spam -- all based on a combination of keywords, sender, recipients, and more.

For more information click: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6579

Contents

How to create a filter

  • Log in to webmail.oakland.edu
  • Click the drop down arrow next to the search bar

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  • Enter your filter criteria in the appropriate field(s) and click Create filter with this search >> .

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  • Select the action(s) you want the filter to take by checking off items in the list. These actions will be applied to messages matching your filter criteria in the order in which the actions are listed.

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  • If you'd like to apply this filter to messages already in Gmail, select the Also apply filter to x matching conversations checkbox.

  • Click Create Filter.

  • To filter messages that are to OR from the domain, use the "Has the words" field: to:company.com OR from:company.com

  • Please note: When you create a filter to forward messages, only new messages will be affected. Any existing messages that the filter applies to will not be forwarded.

How to create a filter from within a message

  • Log in to webmail.oakland.edu
  • Select the message in your message list.

  • Click the More button, then Filter messages like these.

  • Enter your filter criteria in the appropriate field(s).

How to edit or delete existing filters

  • Log on to webmail.oakland.edu
  • Click the gear icon in the upper-right.

  • Click Settings.

  • Click Filters.

  • Find the filter you'd like to change and click its edit link, or click delete to remove the filter.

  • If you're editing the filter, enter the updated criteria for the filter in the appropriate fields, and click Continue.

  • Update any actions and click Update Filter.

  • You can create an unlimited number of filters, but only 20 filters can forward to other addresses. You can maximize your filtered forwarding by combining filters that send to the same address.

How to deal with legitimate mail that is marked as spam

If you find a message wrongly classified as spam, you can unmark the message.

  • Log into webmail.oakland.edu

  • Click on your Spam folder.

  • Select the message.

  • Click the Not Spam button at the top of your folder.

Another way to deal with legitimate mail being marked as Spam is to add that address to your contacts lists. Gmail will always deliver messages from members of your Contacts list to your inbox.

  • Click the icon made up of nine squares in the upper right corner of your Gmail

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  • Select Contacts.

  • Select New Contact in the upper left corner of the page.

  • Enter your contact's information in the appropriate fields. Any information you add will save automatically.

Email addresses are automatically added to your Contacts list each time you use the Reply, Reply to all, or Forward functions to send mail to addresses that don't already exist in your Contacts list. Each time you mark a message as 'Not Spam,' your Contacts list is also automatically updated so that future messages from that sender are received in your inbox.

If you don't want contacts to be automatically added, follow these steps:

  • Click the gear icon in the top right.

  • Select Settings.

  • In the General tab, find the “Create contacts for auto-complete” setting and choose I’ll add contacts myself.