How to create a filter in Gmail on Mac: browser steps and menu paths

A Gmail filter is a rule that Google checks as mail arrives. When a message matches the criteria you set, Gmail carries out the action you picked, such as applying a label. The rule lives in your Gmail account, so you set it up once and it keeps working. This page shows where each control sits on a Mac and what each step does, so you know what to expect before you click.

Before you start: which Gmail and which app

Google describes Gmail filters as something you set up on your computer. Its help pages do not list a Gmail app for Mac, and they do not give Mac-only menu paths. So every step here happens on the Gmail web page at mail.google.com, in whatever browser you normally use on your Mac.

Apple Mail is the app people mix up with Gmail filters. Mail is a separate Mac app with its own rules, and those rules never appear in Gmail. If the message opens in Mail on your Mac, you are in the wrong place for these steps. Open a browser tab and go to Gmail instead.

Before you open Gmail, have these three things ready. Each one saves you a trip back to the search box later.

• The sender address you want to match, copied from an email so the spelling is exact.
• One word or phrase that appears in those emails, such as Invoice or Receipt.
• A clear idea of the action, such as sending matching mail to a label you already made.

Create a filter from the search box

The search box at the top of Gmail is where every filter starts. Click the Show search options icon at the top of the search box. That opens a window with fields for criteria. Fill in one field or several. The more fields you fill in, the fewer messages match, so start with the sender and add a word only if the results are too broad.

Search previews the matches before anything is saved. Click Search and read the list. If it shows mail you never wanted, add a criterion. If it shows nothing, check the sender address for typos first. A preview is the safest test you have, because it changes nothing until you save.

Worked example: send invoices to one label

Say an accountant sends invoices from one sender, and every subject line includes the word Invoice. Enter the sender address in the sender box. Add the word Invoice as a second criterion. Click Search. Scan the list and check that every result is an invoice from that sender.

When the preview looks right, click Create filter, choose the label you want, and click Create filter again to save. Send yourself a test invoice, or forward an old one to yourself, and watch where it lands. Matching mail should carry the label.

The hard part is the preview. A sender may use more than one address, and a subject line may change from month to month. Check a few past examples before you trust the rule.

Filter mail that is already in your inbox

You can also build a filter from a message you already have open. Tick the checkbox next to the email, click More, and choose Filter messages like these. Gmail fills the criteria from that message. Change them if needed, click Create filter, finish the dialog, and save.

Google's help says that for a filter that forwards mail, only new messages are affected. Older mail is a separate question. Before you save, look in the filter dialog for an option that applies the rule to matching conversations. Read each checkbox, because the wording can change.

Edit, delete, and back up your filters

Open Settings, then See all settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses. Every saved filter appears in that list with Edit and Delete options. Edit opens the filter so you can change criteria or actions. Delete removes the rule. Read the criteria on a filter before you edit it, so you know what it currently catches.

Gmail can export your filters as an .xml file. Keep a copy before you make large changes, or before you switch accounts. To restore a copy, go back to Filters and Blocked Addresses, choose Import filters, click Open file, select the .xml file, and then click Create filters.

Do Gmail filters work when your Mac is off?

Macworld's 2016 article says Gmail filters run on the server, before messages reach your Mac or iOS devices. That means a filter keeps working when your Mac is asleep or shut down. The article is old, and its menu names have changed, so check every label on your own screen.

Gmail filters versus Mac Mail rules

Apple's Mail guide says to choose Mail > Settings, then click Rules. From there you can click Add Rule, Edit, Duplicate, or Remove. Duplicate copies a rule so you can change the copy. Apple uses the word Remove where Gmail uses Delete.

Use Gmail filters for mail that lands in your Gmail account. Use Mail rules for messages that Mail handles on your Mac. If you use Gmail in a browser and Mail for the same account, you may need both, and each one works separately.

Mistakes people make with Gmail filters

Most filter problems come from a short list of habits. Check this list before you blame Gmail.

• Saving without running Search first, so you never see what the rule catches.
• Typing the sender address with a small spelling error, then blaming Gmail.
• Adding too many criteria, so the preview shows almost nothing.
• Forgetting that Create filter appears twice, once to continue and once to save.
• Expecting older mail to change without checking the filter dialog for an apply option.
• Looking for filters in Apple Mail's Rules screen when they live in Gmail settings.

Keyboard shortcuts while you build a filter

Gmail has keyboard shortcuts, but Google's shortcut page does not list one for creating a filter or for opening the search options window. Use the mouse for those steps. Shortcuts can still speed up the rest of your inbox work.

Shortcuts are off until you turn them on. Open Settings, then Keyboard shortcuts, choose Keyboard shortcuts on, and click Save Changes. After that, press / to jump to the search box, ? to see the full list, and . to open more actions for a selected conversation.

What to check after you save a filter

Open Filters and Blocked Addresses and confirm the new rule is in the list. Read its criteria once more, because a word you typed can be different from what you meant. Then send or forward one matching test message, and check that it lands where you expected.

Give the filter a few days of real use before you trust it. Look at the label now and then, and check that nothing important is landing in the wrong place.

Limits and what Google does not say

Google's filter help page does not state a maximum number of filters. The Gmail API filter guide also does not state a per-user limit. It lists fields such as from, subject, hasAttachment, and query. Those are developer field names, so the web dialog may use different labels.

Google's help also does not give Mac-specific steps or a Mac menu for filters. If a forum post gives a filter limit or a Mac menu path, check it against Google's own pages before you rely on it.

Next steps after your first filter

Once one filter works, add rules one at a time. Start with mail you already sort by hand, and give each rule a single job. Check the list in Filters and Blocked Addresses every so often, so old rules do not quietly sort mail you still need.

If a reply goes out by mistake, read How to undo send in Gmail on Mac. It covers the browser and Apple Mail, so you can match the steps to the app you used.