Don’t care to see certain emails in your inbox and still want to be able to refer to them when needed? Find out here how to auto-archive emails in Gmail using smart filters for less distractions and retaining full discoverability.
First, When You Remove Something, You Might as Well Say So
Thought Joseph Priesltey on Monday, August 1, 1774, as he focused sunlight on a lump of mercury oxide.
He found the resulting gas thoroughly breathable and highly flammable—because, free of phlogiston, it could absorb lots of the substance supposedly produced during combustion.
Consequently, Priestley called the oxygen he had discovered “dephlogisticated air.”
Now, let’s focus in analogous a manner on emails in Gmail and produce desinboxicated emails—automatically:
How to Auto-Archive Emails in Gmail
Time needed: 5 minutes
To have Gmail archive certain emails for you automatically as they arrive (so they do not show in your inbox but will be stored and available through Gmail search, for instance):
- Click the Show search options triangle in the Gmail Search mail field.
- Set up the conditions for automatically archiving emails using the search fields.
Sender and text: Use the From field to archive messages from a particular sender and Has the words to search for text in the message body.
Example: Use From heinz@ladedu.com and Has attachment, for instance, to automatically archive messages from heinz@ladedu.com that also come with at least one file attached.
Expert use: You can also employ all advanced Gmail search operators, of course; do type them in the Search mail field. - Click Create filter.
- Check Skip the inbox (Archive it) under When a message arrives that matches this search:.
Optional: You can check Never send it to Spam as well for extra protection against overly zealous junk mail filtering.
To a label: Gmail can also move emails to a label or folder automatically, of course. - Click Create filter.
Where to? Gmail will now automatically archive new emails that match the criteria to the All Mail label, where you can easily view or unarchive them.
Another way to auto-archive: How to Mute a Conversation in Gmail
How to Auto-Archive Email in Gmail: FAQ
Can I archive all old emails (older than 1 month, e.g.)?
Yes.
To archive old emails in one go in Gmail:
- Click in the Search mail box in Gmail.
- Type
older_than:1m label:inbox.
Days, months, and years: replace 1m with the desired time interval using the following codes:
– d: days
– m: months
– y: years
Example: As in the example above, 1m archives all emails older than 1 month. - Hit Enter.
- Click the Select box for the search results.
Gmail keyboard shortcut: You can also press * followed immediately by A. - Now click the Select all conversations that match this search link if it appears above search results.
- Click the Archive button or press E.
Can I archive old emails in Gmail automatically?
No, Gmail filters can, alas, not work on emails using their age.
What you can do is apply a filter to emails already in your account.
To automatically archive old email while setting up a filter:
- Do check Also apply filter to matching conversations. on the filter creation sheet.
Can I set up basic HTML Gmail to archive emails automatically?
Yes.
To set up a filter for archiving automatically in Gmail basic HTML:
- Follow the Create a filter link in simple HTML Gmail.
- Type the criteria for automatic archiving.
Advanced search: Use the Has the words: field for advanced search operators.
Example: Typefrom:heinz@ladedu.com AND in:inboxto automatically archive emails from heinz@ladedu.com. - Click Next Step.
- Check Skip the Inbox under Choose action.
Archive existing emails: Check Also apply filter to __ conversations below to automatically archive emails already in your account that match the criteria. - Click Create Filter.
How can I set up archiving filters on a mobile device?
While neither the Gmail apps for Android and iOS nor Gmail’s mobile browser version let you create filter to archive emails atomically, you can do the following:
- Open Gmail desktop version in a mobile browser.
Not working? If the full desktop version is not working, try basic HTML Gmail. - Set up the rules as above.
(How to auto-archive emails in Gmail tested with Gmail on a desktop browser; updated March 2024)