At times do you find it overwhelming to receive so many messages from the same person, group, or perhaps business? Think of a Gmail filter as a personal assistant that helps you organize your emails. It's like having someone sort your mail into different piles based on who sent it, what it's about, or even how important it is. Here are some reasons why you might want to use a filter:
  • Keep your inbox organized: Filters can automatically move emails to specific folders or labels, so you can easily find what you're looking for.
  • Save time: Instead of having to manually sort through your emails, filters can do it for you.
  • Prioritize important messages: You can set up filters to highlight or move important emails to a special folder, so you don't miss anything.
I use filters to put all emails sent to employees@pomfret.org into one location so I can read them at my convenience and to keep my inbox a little less cluttered. Follow these instructions to create your first filter:

Step 1: Create a Label
  • Open Gmail: Log in to your Gmail account.
  • Click the Labels Tab: On the left side of your screen, you'll see a section called "Labels." Click on the large + sign to expand it.
  • Create a New Label: Click on "Create label."
  • Name Your Label: Enter a name for your new label. For example, "Employee Emails."
  • Click Create: Once you've entered the name, click "Create."
Step 2: Create a Filter
  • Open the Filter Menu: Click on the gear icon (settings) in the top right corner of your Gmail screen, then select "See all settings."
  • Go to the Filters Tab: In the settings menu, click on the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab.
  • Create a New Filter: Click on "Create a new filter."
  • Set the Criteria: Use the search bar to specify the criteria for messages you want to send to your label. For example, if you want to filter messages from a specific sender, enter their email address. In my example I am filling the TO: field with employees@pomfret.org 
  • Click Create Filter
  • Apply the Label: Scroll down and check the box next to "Apply the label." and select Your Label: From the dropdown menu, select the label you created in Step 1. (see image here)
  • Select Skip the Inbox (archive it)
  • Create the Filter: Click on "Create filter."
Now, any messages sent to All Employees will be directed to this label. You can also use labels to drag and drop emails into them as an archive so you can keep them without having to create a filter.