Sorting rules

A sorting rule reads each message as it arrives on your addresses and files it for you: it moves it into one of your folders, archives it, or marks it to process or unwanted. Rules are tested from top to bottom and the first rule that matches wins, so a message is filed once. Open Mail, then click the Sorting rules tab. It has three tabs: Overview, All sorting rules and Search.

Before you start — To file mail into a folder, create the folder first: see Organise your folders.

Add a rule

1. On the Overview or All sorting rules tab, click Add a rule.
2. In Address the rule applies to, choose one of your addresses, or All addresses.
3. Under What the rule triggers on, choose the Part of the message to look at (Sender address, Sender name, Recipient address, Subject or Message body), the Comparison (contains, does not contain, is exactly, is not, begins with or ends with) and enter the Text to look for.
4. Under What it does, choose at least one action:
   • Move into the folder — choose the folder, or Do not move the message;
   • Archive the message — Archive the message straight away, or Leave the message where it arrives;
   • Triage state to set — Mark as to process, Mark as unwanted, or Leave the triage state unchanged.
5. Click Create the rule.

The message The rule was created. It applies to the mail that arrives next. appears. Mail already received is not sorted again.

Follow your rules

The Overview tab counts your Active rules, Paused rules, the Rules that have never filed anything and the Messages filed automatically. Click Manage the rules to open the list.

On All sorting rules, the rules are listed in the order they apply, with The rule, its Status, its Scope, What it does, its Rank, the Messages filed and the Last filing. To narrow the list, choose Activated, Paused, Never matched or All, then click Filter.

Tip — To find a rule, click the Search tab, enter a value the rule recognizes, a watched address or a destination folder, then click Search.

Change the order of the rules

1. On All sorting rules, click Move up or Move down on the rule.
2. Check the New rank, then click Move the rule.

The message The rule has been moved. appears. Only future messages are affected: messages already filed stay where they are.

Edit a rule

1. On the rule's row, click Edit.
2. Change the address, the condition or what the rule does.
3. Click Save the rule.

The message The rule was saved. appears. The rule keeps its rank and its counter of filed messages, and the messages it has already filed don't move.

Pause or resume a rule

To stop a rule for a while without losing it:

1. On the rule's row, click Pause.
2. Check which rule will catch its mail instead, then click Pause the rule.

The message The sorting rule is now paused. appears. The rule keeps its rank, its wording and its counter. To put it back in service, click Resume on its row, then Resume the rule: The rule is back in service. It files incoming mail again from the next intake pass.

Delete a rule

1. On the rule's row, click Delete.
2. Check the rule, then click Delete this rule.

The message The sorting rule has been removed. Messages already filed have not moved. appears. The other rules keep their rank and the destination folder is kept with everything in it.

Tip — To stop a rule for a while, pause it instead.