Content filtering is an advanced method of performing actions on emails that meet specific criteria. You can use content filters to delete specific messages, forward them to another account, or even alter the subject of specific types of email.
Content Filter List
Add Filter - This button starts the Add Content Filter wizard which is explained in more detail below.
Delete All - Clicking this button will delete all content filters for your account. Once you confirm the action, it is not reversable.
Editing a Filter - Click on a filter's row to edit it.
Delete link - Deletes the action on that row. No confirmation dialog will be shown.
Move arrows - Click these arrows to change the order of the content filters.
Note: The order in which the filters appear does affect the way emails are handled. Once a filter succeeds and an action is performed on the message, no other filters are run for that message.
Add / Edit Content Filter
The Add Content Filter wizard is three pages long, and it will walk you through each step necessary to create the filter.
Step 1 - Filter Criteria
In this step of the wizard, choose the type of things that the filter will look at. Possible filter criteria types are listed at the end of this help topic. Multiple criteria can be chosen, and you can choose in the next step whether all criteria must be met, or only one of the criteria for the filter to activate.
Step 2 - Filter Type and Criteria Details
Choose whether this filter requires all criteria to be met, or just one of the criteria to be met before it performs an action. Then choose whether you will be using any wildcards in your search strings. Ususally, wildcards will not be neccesary, but there are times when some people may want them.
For each of the criteria you chose in step 1, you will be able to enter details. Many types of content filters allow lists of items to be entered in, and these will be indicated. For example, if you chose to filter on From Address, you can enter multiple email addresses in the box (one per line) and if a message is from any of them, the filter will fire.
Step 3 - Rule and Actions
A summary of your content filter rule will appear near the top of the page. Check that it is filtering the way you intend, and enter a name for the rule so that you can easily identify it later.
Choose one or more actions to take when a message matches this filter. The available actions are explained below:
- Delete message - Deletes the message so that it will never arrive at your Inbox. Messages deleted through content filtering are not recoverable.
- Bounce message - Sends a message back to the sender of the email saying that the message was bounced. Note that the message is still delivered to you unless you choose to delete it as well.
- Move message to Junk E-Mail folder - Does just what it says. If the Junk E-Mail folder does not exist in your account, it will be created the first time a message tries to get put into it.
- Move message to custom folder - Choose a folder from the drop-down list and the message will be delivered there instead of your Inbox.
- Prefix subject with comment - Useful for categorizing emails, the subject line will be altered to include the text you specify in the Comment box.
- Embed header line into message - Includes an email header into the message, which can be useful when performing additional filtering through Outlook or another email client. Headers should be formatted like "X-someheadername: value"
- Reroute message to another email address - Forwards the message to another email address instead of this one.
Content Filter Types
- From Address
- From specific addresses
- From specific domains
- Contains Specific Words or Phrases
- Subject
- Body Text
- Subject or Body Text
- From Address
- To Address
- Email Headers
- Anywhere in Message
- To Address
- To Specific Addresses
- To Specific Domains
- Only to Me
- My Address in To Field
- My Address not in To Field
- My Address in To or CC Field
- Attachments
- Has any Attachment
- Specific Filenames
- Specific Extensions
- Over Specific Size
- Other
- Flagged as High Priority
- Flagged as Normal Priority
- Flagged as Low Priority
- Message is Automated (no return address)
- Message under Size
- Message over Size
- Received in Date Range
- Sent through a Specific Server (by IP)
- Spam Probability