Using Filters

You can use filters to perform actions on your incoming and outgoing email. For example, you can create a filter that automatically moves email that you receive from a particular address to a particular folder.

Use filters to deal with spam email. For example, you can create a filter to delete messages from a particular address. You can also create filters to delete messages that contain particular terms in the Subject field or in the message body.

Using the Filter Editor

You can use the filter editor to add, edit, and delete message filters. You can also use the filter editor to rearrange the positions of your filters in the filter editor.

To Add a Filter

Perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Filters.

2. From the drop-down list at the top of the Filters dialog, select whether you want the filter to apply to incoming or outgoing email.

3. Click Add.

4. Enter the details for the filter in the Add Rule dialog. Enter the criteria for the filter in the top section of the dialog. The following table describes the elements in the top section of the Add Rule dialog:

   Element	Description
   Rule name	Type a name for the filter in the text box.
   Add	Click this button to add more criteria to the filter.
   Execute actions	Use the drop-down list to specify whether to perform the filter actions if the message meets all, or any, of the criteria for the filter.
   First drop-down list	Select the message component to use for the criterion. For example, if you want the filter to search the text in the body of the message, select Message Body.
   Second drop-down list	Select the relationship between the message component and the search text. For example, if you want the filter to search for messages whose body includes the search text, select contains from the second drop-down list.
   Text box	Type the search text. This text is not case sensitive.
   Remove	To remove a criterion, click on the Remove button beside the criterion.

5. Enter the actions to take if the criteria are met, in the bottom section of the dialog. The following table describes the elements in the bottom section of the Add Rule dialog:

   Element	Description
   Add	Click this button to add more actions to the filter.
   Drop-down list	Select an action to perform from the drop-down list. Depending on the action that you select, another control might appear beside the drop-down list. For example, if you select the Move to Folder action, a button is displayed. Click on the button to open a dialog from which you can select a folder.
   Remove	To remove an action, click on the Remove button beside the action.

6. When you have entered the details for the filter, click OK on the Add Rule dialog.

7. Click OK to close the Filters dialog.

You can create a filter that copies messages that match your criteria to more than one folder.

To Edit a Filter

Perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Filters.

2. From the drop-down list at the top of the Filters dialog, select whether the filter that you want to edit is for incoming or outgoing email.

3. Select the filter that you want to edit, then click Edit. An Edit Rule dialog is displayed.

4. Modify the details of the filter in the dialog as required. For more information about the dialog, see To Add a Filter.

5. When you have modified the details for the filter, click OK on the Edit Rule dialog.

6. Click OK to close the Filters dialog.

To Delete a Filter

Perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Filters.

2. From the drop-down list at the top of the Filters dialog, select whether the filter that you want to delete is for incoming or outgoing email.

3. Select the filter that you want to delete, then click Remove.

4. Click OK to close the Filters dialog.

To Change the Position of a Filter

To change the position of a filter in the Filters dialog, perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Filters.

2. From the drop-down list at the top of the Filters dialog, select whether the filter whose position you want to change is for incoming or outgoing email.

3. Select the filter whose position you want to change.

4. Click the Up button or the Down button to change the position of the filter. Repeat this step until the filter is in the required position.

5. Click OK to close the Filters dialog.

To Create a Filter From a Message

Perform the following steps:

1. Select the message from which you want to create a filter in the message list.

2. Choose Tools -> Create Filter From Message, then choose one of the following menu items:

   • Filter on Subject: Creates a filter from the subject of the selected message.

   • Filter on Sender: Creates a filter from the sender of the selected message.

   • Filter on Recipients: Creates a filter from the recipients of the selected message.

   • Filter on Mailing List: Creates a filter from the mailing lists in the To and Cc fields of the selected message.

   An Add Filter Rule dialog is displayed. The dialog contains criteria for the filter, depending on which menu item you chose.

3. Modify the details of the filter in the dialog if required. For more information about the dialog, see To Add a Filter.

4. Click OK. The filter is added to your list of filters.

To Apply Filters to Selected Messages

You can apply all the filters in the filter editor to messages that you select. You can use this function to check that a filter works.

To apply filters to messages, perform the following steps:

1. Select the message or messages to which you want to apply filters.

2. Choose Actions -> Apply Filters.

If messages meet the criteria in your filters, the actions that are associated with the filters are performed.