Gmail-Calendar Migration Tip of the Day #15

Yesterday, you learned how to apply labels on your emails. Today, I'll show you how to create filters to automatically apply labels (and more!) to your emails for even greater organization and customization to meet your needs. Filters function like Rules in Outlook. If you had Rules established in Outlook, those will need to be recreated as filters in Gmail.

I like to think of filters as a 2-step process. First, you tell Gmail what to look for and then, you tell Gmail what to do once it's found what it's looking for.

Here's how to create a filter in Gmail. Practice filters using this email.

1. Open the desired email that you wish to filter. (I recommend this one for practice) 
2. Click the meatballs > Filter messages like these
3. Step 1: Tell Gmail What to Look For: Emails from me (moliver@wusd.k12.ca.us) AND Subject Tip of the Day > Create Filter. Note: If you don't add the subject, it will automatically filter ALL emails from me regardless of topic.
   
4. Step 2: Tell Gmail What to Do with Emails it Found: Mark Apply the label and Choose Tech Tips (if you created this label yesterday) and Mark Also apply to X matching Conversations (at the bottom). Failure to check this box at the bottom will only apply a filter to current and future emails and NOT historical emails.
5. Create Filter.
6. Now all my future Gmail/Calendar Tip of the Day emails can automatically be found using the TechTips Label.

There are lots of options when creating filters both in what to look for and what to do once Gmail finds it that will allow you to automatically manage incoming emails. Try them out and see how they function for your workflow. You can view/edit any existing filters by visiting the Gear > Settings > Filters Tab > Locate the Desired Filter > Edit.

Want more about filters? Take the guided tutorial on filters offered by GSuite Training.