How to Create Email Filters in Gmail

1. Open the email you want to filter

Go to your Gmail inbox and find an email from the sender you want to create a filter for. In this example, we're filtering emails from USPS Informed Delivery so they automatically forward to another address.

Find the email you want to filter in your inbox and click to open it.

2. Click "Filter messages like this"

With the email open, click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the email. A dropdown appears. Click "Filter messages like this."

The "Filter messages like this" option is near the bottom of the dropdown menu.

3. Review the filter criteria

Gmail opens a dialog with the From field already filled in with the sender's email address. You can add more criteria if you want (subject line, specific words, size, attachments), but for most filters the From field is all you need.

Click "Create filter" to continue.

Gmail pre-fills the From field. Click "Create filter" to choose what happens with matching emails.

4. Add a forwarding address (if forwarding)

If you want to forward matching emails to another address, you'll need to add that address first. Gmail only forwards to addresses you've verified.

On the filter actions screen, you'll see "Forward it to" with a dropdown and an "Add forwarding address" link next to it. Click that link.

Click "Add forwarding address" to register a new forwarding destination.

Alternative route: You can also add a forwarding address from Gmail Settings directly. Go to Settings (gear icon) → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab → "Add a forwarding address" button.

The Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab in Gmail Settings.

A dialog pops up asking for the forwarding email address. Type it in and click Next.

Enter the email address you want to forward to and click Next.

5. Verify the forwarding address

Gmail sends a confirmation email to the forwarding address to make sure you actually own it (or have permission to forward there). You'll see a dialog confirming this was sent.

Gmail confirms that a verification email was sent. Click OK and go check the destination inbox.

Go to the inbox of the forwarding address, find the confirmation email from Gmail, and click the Confirm button. You'll see a success screen.

Once confirmed, Gmail can forward emails to this address.

6. Choose your filter action

Now go back to the filter you were creating. If Gmail closed the dialog, no problem: open any email from the same sender, click the three-dot menu, and choose "Filter messages like this" again. Click "Create filter" to get back to the actions screen.

Check the box next to "Forward it to" and select your verified forwarding address from the dropdown.

Check "Forward it to" and pick your forwarding address from the dropdown.

7. Create the filter

Click the "Create filter" button. Gmail may ask you to verify your identity first — this is a security check because forwarding rules are sensitive. Follow the prompts (usually just clicking Continue and confirming your password or passkey).

Gmail asks you to verify your identity when creating a forwarding filter. Click Continue and follow the prompts.

After verification, your filter is active. Every email matching the filter criteria will automatically be forwarded going forward. The filter appears in your Settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, where you can edit or delete it anytime.

8. Other things Gmail filters can do

Forwarding is just one option. Here's the full list of filter actions:

• •Skip the Inbox (Archive it) — emails go straight to All Mail, skipping your inbox.
• •Mark as read — emails arrive pre-read so they don't show as unread.
• •Star it — automatically adds a star for easy follow-up.
• •Apply the label — sorts emails into a label (folder) automatically.
• •Forward it to — sends a copy to another email address.
• •Delete it — sends matching emails straight to Trash.
• •Never send it to Spam — ensures emails from this sender always reach your inbox.
• •Always/Never mark it as important — overrides Gmail's importance prediction.
• •Categorize as — sorts into Primary, Social, Updates, Forums, or Promotions.

You can combine multiple actions on a single filter. For example, you could forward an email AND apply a label AND skip the inbox — all at once.

9. Use case: auto-forward USPS Informed Delivery to PostalDetox

One common reason people set up Gmail filters is to automatically forward specific emails to a service. For example, USPS Informed Delivery sends you a daily email with photos of the mail arriving at your home.

PostalDetox reads those daily previews, tells you what's junk and what's important, and helps you opt out of the junk — for free. All you do is set up one Gmail filter to forward your Informed Delivery emails to us. The steps above are exactly how to do it.