Creating Advanced Email Filters and Rules with Infomaniak

You receive dozens of emails a day: newsletters, notifications, client messages, automated alerts. Without organization, your inbox quickly becomes unmanageable. Email filters let you automate sorting and focus on what matters. Here\'s how to set them up with Infomaniak.

Create My Infomaniak Mail Account

What Is an Email Filter?

An email filter is a rule that automatically applies to incoming (and sometimes outgoing) messages. When an email matches the filter criteria, one or more actions are executed automatically.

Example uses:

Move newsletters to a dedicated folder
Flag emails from certain senders as important
Automatically forward a client\'s emails to a colleague
Delete unimportant automated notifications
Auto-reply during vacations

Accessing Filters in Webmail

Filters are configured in the Infomaniak webmail, accessible at mail.infomaniak.com.

Log in to Webmail

Go to mail.infomaniak.com and log in with your credentials.

Access Settings

Click the Settings icon (gear) at the bottom left of the interface.

Open Filters

In the left menu, click Filters. You\'ll see the list of existing filters and can create new ones.

Creating a Basic Filter

Let\'s start with a simple example: automatically moving newsletters to a folder.

Create a New Filter

Click + Create or the add icon.

Name the Filter

Give it a descriptive name: "Newsletters to Newsletters folder".

Define the Conditions

Choose the matching criteria:

Field: From
Operator: contains
Value: newsletter@ or a specific domain

Define the Action

Choose what happens when the filter matches:

Action: Move to
Destination: Newsletters (create the folder first if needed)

Save

Click Save. The filter is active immediately for new emails.

Available Conditions

Infomaniak filters can test several email fields:

Field	Description	Example Use
From	Sender address	Filter by known sender
To	Recipient address	Filter emails to a specific address
Cc	Copy recipients	Detect when you\'re CC\'d
Subject	Email subject	Filter by keywords in subject
Size	Message size	Handle large emails differently
Custom headers	Any SMTP header	Advanced filters (mailing lists, etc.)

Comparison Operators

For each field, you can use different operators:

contains – The field contains the searched string
does not contain – The opposite
is equal to – Exact match
starts with – The field starts with the string
ends with – The field ends with the string
matches expression – For regex (advanced)

Available Actions

When an email matches a filter, several actions are possible:

Move to – Files the email in a specific folder
Copy to – Keeps a copy in another folder
Mark as read – Useful for automated notifications
Add flag – Marks the email as important
Delete – Sends directly to trash
Forward to – Redirects to another address
Reply with – Sends an automatic reply
Stop processing – Don\'t apply subsequent filters

Useful Filter Examples

Sort Emails by Client

If you work with multiple clients, create a folder per client and filters to sort automatically:

Condition: From contains "@client-a.com"
Action: Move to "Clients/Client A"

Repeat for each client. Your incoming emails will be automatically sorted.

Isolate Automated Notifications

Service notifications (GitHub, Trello, Slack, etc.) clutter your inbox:

Condition: From contains "notifications@" OR "noreply@" OR "no-reply@"
Actions: Move to "Notifications" AND Mark as read

You can check this folder when you have time, without being interrupted.

Prioritize Management Emails

Condition: From contains "management@company.com" OR From equals "ceo@company.com"
Action: Add "Important" flag

Forward Quote Requests

Condition: Subject contains "quote" OR Subject contains "pricing"
Action: Forward to "sales@company.com"

Combining Conditions

You can combine multiple conditions with AND (all must match) or OR (at least one must match). For example: "From contains @supplier.com" AND "Subject contains invoice" to isolate invoices from a specific supplier.

Vacation Auto-Reply

For automatic out-of-office replies, create a special filter:

Condition: All incoming messages (or specific senders)
Action: Reply with "I am out of the office until [date]. For urgent matters, contact [colleague]."

Don\'t forget to disable this filter when you return!

Filter Order

Filters execute in the order they\'re listed. This matters because:

An email can match multiple filters
The "Stop processing" action halts execution of subsequent filters

Place the most specific filters first, the most general ones last. For example:

"CEO" filter (very specific) → Important flag
"Management" filter (less specific) → Management folder
"Newsletters" filter (general) → Newsletters folder

You can reorder filters by drag-and-drop in the interface.

Server-Side vs Client-Side Filters

Filters created in the Infomaniak webmail are server-side filters (Sieve). They apply before the email reaches your devices, which offers several advantages:

Work even when your computer is off
Apply across all your devices (sorting is already done)
More reliable because they\'re executed by the server

Filters created in Outlook or Thunderbird are client-side filters. They only apply when the application is open and only on that device.

Recommendation: prefer server-side filters (webmail) for important sorting rules.

Best Practices

Start Small

Don\'t create 50 filters at once. Start with 2-3 filters for the most obvious cases, then add more gradually as needed.

Test Before Deploying

To test a filter, use "Copy to" rather than "Move to" initially. You\'ll see the copied emails without risking losing anything.

Avoid Overly Broad Filters

A filter for "Subject contains RE:" will catch all reply emails. Be precise with your criteria to avoid unintended side effects.

Document Your Filters

Use descriptive names. "Filter 1" won\'t mean anything in 6 months. "Newsletters → Newsletters folder" is immediately understandable.

Review Regularly

Your needs evolve. Review your filters quarterly: disable those no longer useful, adjust criteria as needed.

Troubleshooting

The Filter Isn\'t Applying

Verify the filter is enabled (checkbox checked)
Check the criteria: does the email truly match?
Check filter order: a previous filter with "Stop processing" may be blocking
Filters don\'t apply to already-received emails, only new ones

Too Many Emails Filtered by Mistake

Your criteria are too broad. Refine them by combining multiple conditions with AND.

Emails Aren\'t Going to the Right Folder

Verify the target folder still exists. If you\'ve renamed or deleted it, the filter may fail silently.

Conclusion

Email filters are a powerful tool for regaining control of your inbox. By automating sorting, you reduce noise and can focus on the messages that truly matter.

Start with a few simple filters and expand gradually. Over time, you\'ll develop a personalized sorting system that saves you hours each week.