Managing Your Gmail Filters: How to Edit and Remove Filters

These days, everyone has more email than they know what to do with. Fortunately, Gmail has filtering capabilities that allow you to manage incoming mail more efficiently so you're not overwhelmed by a cluttered in-box. As your needs change, edit and delete Gmail filters to maintain your efficiency using the steps below.

If you're new to the subject, read part 1 to find out how to create Gmail filters.

To edit an existing Gmail filter:

1. Click the Gear icon located in the top right corner of any open Gmail window. Then click Mail Settings.

2. Select the Filters tab (fourth tab to the right).

3. Choose the filter that you would like to make changes to and click the Edit link.

4. Enter the new criteria that you wish to establish in the fields provided.

5. Click Next Step.

6. Choose the desired actions for incoming email and click Update Filter.

You have now successfully edited an existing Gmail filter to accommodate your needs. The new filter will be applied to any new incoming mail, but will not apply to messages that were filtered using the old filter.

When you no longer need an existing filter, removing it takes a few simple steps:

1. Click the Gear icon and then Mail Settings.

2. Click the Filters tab (fourth tab to the right).

3. Choose the filter that you would like to delete.

4. Click the delete link located to the right of the filter name.

You have successfully deleted an existing Gmail filter. If you choose to create another filter, you can create the new filter from the Settings menu or by clicking on the Create a Filter link located next to the Search the Web box in any open Gmail Window.

Remember, you can create and edit as many Gmail filters as you like, but only 20 of the filters can be used to forward mail to other email addresses.