How to Forward All Email Messages and Set Up Filters

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Setting Up a Forwarding Email Address

Forwarding E-mail through the use of Gmail's filter system allows you to target specific e-mails and specific information within those e-mails to sort them and forward them off to another e-mail address.

  1. Sign into your Oakland University Webmail Powered by Google which can be found at http://webmail.oakland.edu.

Oakland University login page displaying fields for username and password, with a sign-in button. A sidebar offers quick links to university resources.

  1. Select the gear icon in the top right corner of the page then select "All settings"

A dark-themed Gmail interface featuring a search bar at the top, displaying "Inbox" with an unread email count of nine. Icons are on the right corner.

Gmail settings panel showing options for 'Chat and Meet' and email density preferences: Default, Comfortable, and Compact.

  1. Select "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" from the top bar, and select "Add a Forwarding Address"

Email settings page showcasing options for forwarding, POP, and IMAP access. Features radio buttons, dropdown menus, and text links. Calm, organized layout.

  1. Enter in the email address you would like e-mails forwarded to in the box, and select "Next" and "OK"

Screenshot of an email settings page with a pop-up window titled "Add a forwarding address." A text field prompts the user to enter an email address, with "Cancel" and "Next" buttons below.

How to Create a Filter

  • Log in to webmail.oakland.edu
  • Click the drop down arrow next to the search bar
  • Select the action(s) you want the filter to take by checking off items in the list. These actions will be applied to messages matching your filter criteria in the order in which the actions are listed.
  • If you'd like to apply this filter to messages already in Gmail, select the Also apply filter to x matching conversations checkbox.
  • Click Create Filter.
  • To filter messages that are to OR from the domain, use the "Has the words" field: to:company.com OR from:company.com
  • Please note: When you create a filter to forward messages, only new messages will be affected. Any existing messages that the filter applies to will not be forwarded.

How to Create a Filter from Within a Message

  • Log in to webmail.oakland.edu
  • Select the message in your message list.
  • Click the More button, then Filter messages like these.
  • Enter your filter criteria in the appropriate field(s).

How to Edit or Delete Existing Filters

  • Log on to webmail.oakland.edu
  • Click the gear icon in the upper-right.
  • Click Settings.
  • Click Filters.
  • Find the filter you'd like to change and click its edit link, or click delete to remove the filter.
  • If you're editing the filter, enter the updated criteria for the filter in the appropriate fields, and click Continue.
  • Update any actions and click Update Filter.
  • You can create an unlimited number of filters, but only 20 filters can forward to other addresses. You can maximize your filtered forwarding by combining filters that send to the same address.

How to Deal with Legitimate Mail that is Marked as Spam

If you find a message wrongly classified as spam, you can unmark the message.

  • Log into webmail.oakland.edu
  • Click on your Spam folder.
  • Select the message.
  • Click the Not Spam button at the top of your folder.

Another way to deal with legitimate mail being marked as Spam is to add that address to your contacts lists. Gmail will always deliver messages from members of your Contacts list to your inbox.

  • Click the icon made up of nine squares in the upper right corner of your Gmail
  • Select Contacts.
  • Select New Contact in the upper left corner of the page.
  • Enter your contact's information in the appropriate fields. Any information you add will save automatically.

  • Email addresses are automatically added to your Contacts list each time you use the Reply, Reply to all, or Forward functions to send mail to addresses that don't already exist in your Contacts list. Each time you mark a message as 'Not Spam,' your Contacts list is also automatically updated so that future messages from that sender are received in your inbox.

    If you don't want contacts to be automatically added, follow these steps:

  • Click the gear icon in the top right.
  • Select Settings.
  • In the General tab, find the “Create contacts for auto-complete” setting and choose I’ll add contacts myself.

How to Set Up Filters for Forwarding to an Email Address

  1. Select "Filters" on the top bar, and click "Create New Filter"

Screenshot of email settings showing filters under "Filters and Blocked Addresses." Includes five filters with options to edit or delete. No blocked addresses listed.

  1. Enter in the information on the e-mails you would like forwarded and click "Next step >>"

Email search filter interface showing fields like From, To, Subject, and others. Options for email size and attachments are also visible. Tone is functional.

  1. Choose the checkbox next to "Forward it to: " and it will default to the newest account. If you have more than one account set up for forwarding, select the one you wish to forward to for this particular filter.

Screenshot of an email filter settings page in Gmail. Checkboxes offer actions like skipping the inbox, marking as read, starring, and forwarding.

Once you select "Create Filter", any emails that come through to your account that fall within the confines of your filter will be forwarded or treated however you select in the last step. If you would like all current messages already in your mailbox treated this way, you can select "Also apply filter to X conversations below."

Additional Support

  • OU Technology Center
  • 44 Oakland Center
  • Rochester, MI 48309-4479
  • (248) 370-4357
  • Office Hours: M-F 8:00am - 5:00pm
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