How to Organise Email with Folders and Filters

An overflowing inbox makes it easy to miss important messages. Folders or labels and filters let the email program sort mail automatically. A few minutes of setup can save many minutes each day. The steps below apply to Outlook, Gmail and most email apps.

Decide on a simple structure

Start with four to six folders or labels. Common choices are Action, Waiting, Receipts, Projects and Archive. Avoid creating a folder for every sender, because a complicated structure is hard to maintain.

Create filters or rules

Gmail: search for the sender or subject, then choose Create filter and apply a label or skip the inbox.
Outlook: open Settings, then Mail, then Rules, and create a rule that moves messages from specific senders or subjects.

Start with newsletters and receipts. These are easy to sort without risk of hiding something important.

Handle the inbox daily

At the end of each day, deal with each message in one of four ways: reply, act, file, or delete. Anything that needs action goes to the Action folder, and messages you are waiting on go to Waiting. The inbox should be empty or nearly empty at the end of the day.

Turn off distracting notifications

Most people do not need an alert for every message. Turn off sound and pop-up alerts for newsletters and set a notification only for important contacts. You can check email at set times instead of constantly.

Archive instead of deleting

Archiving keeps messages searchable without cluttering the inbox. Keep receipts and contracts for as long as you need them, and use the search box to find old messages by sender, date or words.

Protect against phishing

Filters can also block suspicious messages. Never click a link in a message asking for your password or payment details. Learn the signs in how to spot phishing emails.

Frequently asked questions

Are folders or labels better?

Labels let one message have several topics. Folders are simpler and easier to back up. Choose whichever your program uses well.

Why did a filter move an important message?

Check the filter's conditions. Broad rules, such as filtering by a common word, can catch messages you want. Narrow the rule or add the sender to a safe list.

Use a weekly clean-up of old mail

Once a week, search for messages older than three months in categories such as newsletters and notifications, and archive or delete them in bulk. This keeps search results focused and reduces the number of messages you must scan manually. Keep receipts and contracts in a separate folder so they are easy to find when you need them for tax or warranty claims.

Unsubscribe from what you do not read

Each newsletter you ignore adds to the clutter. Use the unsubscribe link in the message, or the subscription manager built into some email apps. Unsubscribing from a few senders each month makes the inbox calmer and makes important messages easier to spot.