A mailbox's filters set messages aside before they are handed to the handler: newsletters, automatic alerts, unwanted sendersā¦ A message set aside creates nothing (no ticket, for example); it is only recorded in the Excluded emails list.
Filters are set mailbox by mailbox: open the mailbox in Inbound mailboxes, then Filters. These screens are reserved for Administrators.
How filters decide
For each collected message, only filters that are enabled and have at least one condition count:
- if an Exclude filter matches, the message is set aside; the Reason shown is the filter's name;
- otherwise, if there is at least one Include filter, the message must match one of them; if not, it is set aside with the reason "No inclusion filter matches";
- otherwise, the message is handed to the handler.
Without any filter, all messages are processed. A message set aside is marked as read in the mailbox, like the others: it will not be collected again.
Create a filter
New filter asks for a Name and a Mode (Exclude or Include), then opens the filter's page. The filter is created disabled and without any condition: add its conditions, then tick Enabled and save.
A filter without conditions has no effect: it matches no message and cannot be enabled (the message "A filter without conditions cannot be enabled" is shown). The filter list flags it with the No condition badge. If you remove the last condition of an enabled filter, it is disabled.
Write the conditions
The filter's page lets you change its Name, its Mode and its Enabled box (Save button), then set its Conditions.
A condition compares a part of the message with a value. Choose, in order, the part and the comparator, then type the Value and click Add. The lists show the following technical names:
- part of the message:
From(sender address),FromName(sender name),Subject,BodyText(plain-text body),BodyHtml(HTML body); - comparator:
Equals,NotEquals,Contains,NotContains,StartsWith,EndsWith,IsEmpty,IsNotEmpty.
Comparisons ignore case. A condition cannot be edited: delete it (bin) and add a new one.
The group's Operator says how its conditions combine; it applies as soon as you change it:
And: all conditions are true;Or: at least one is true;Xor: an odd number of conditions is true;AndNot: the first one is true and none of the following ones;OrNot: the first one is true, or none of the following ones is.
To mix two logics (for example: the sender ends with @example.com, and the subject contains alert or outage), choose the operator of the subgroup to create, then Add subgroup: the subgroup has its own operator and conditions, and counts as one condition of the main group. There is only one level of subgroups. A subgroup is deleted with its bin, after confirmation.
Changes apply from the next collection.
View excluded emails
Excluded emails, in the filter list, shows the last 50 messages set aside for the mailbox, with the Sender, Subject, Reason and date (Excluded on). Use it to check that a filter does not set aside too much. A message set aside by mistake is never replayed, even after the filter is corrected: only the following messages benefit.
Delete a filter
The bin in the filter list deletes a filter and its conditions, after confirmation. To stop it without losing it, untick Enabled.
See also
- "Collect mailboxes": set up mailboxes and collection.