How To Automatically Delete Unwanted Email From Gmail

Maybe you signed up for a newsletter ages ago and it just won't let you unsubscribe. Or some store keeps sending you offers. Or that volunteer committee that you helped out once just won't take you off their mailing list.

If you can't get a specific someone to stop emailing you, you can get Gmail to delete those messages from your inbox automatically by setting up a filter.

Here's how.

Step 1: Click on the settings button on the right-hand corner of the page.

Step 2: Click on the Filters tab.

Step 3: Click on "Create new filter" on the bottom of the page.

Step 4: In the next screen, tell Gmail how to identify the messages. If it always comes from the same email address use that. If it always uses the same subject line, use that. You can also have Gmail search the message for specific words, such as "PTA volunteer committee."

Step 5: Click on "Create filter with this search."

Step 6: Click on "Delete it."

Step 7: Click on "Create filter", and click on "Also apply filter to matching messages" to have Google sift through your inbox and delete the ones from that sender.

Voila! Annoying emails gone.

Tip: If you are nervous that it will delete messages you need, you can use "Skip the inbox" and Google will remove the message without deleting it. The message will show up in searches.

Or you can set up a folder and have the messages filed automatically there, to look at later.