Using this method I save time when checking my emails and create a prioritized reading and response time when browsing emails.
If you’ve followed me for any longer than a day or two, you know that I am a Mozilla man. I love Firefox for web browsing. I also highly recommend Thunderbird for Email management.
Running Filters
This has been a life saver for me. Especially, when I KNOW I had that email from so and so but couldn’t find it. Because I have my email organized into folders I know exactly who is emailing me each day and I find it easier to locate older emails when I need to.
1) Create folders to move your emails to. In Thunderbird highlight your main inbox then select File > New > Folder. It will create a new folder as a subfolder of your inbox.
See how I have the different folders set up under my “Bellsouth” account? That’s my main account. I put all my folders as a sub-folder of the inbox for my main account.
2) Notice how in the inbox my facebook subfolder is higlighted in blue. That means that I have a new message from facebook! Maybe somebody wants to be my friend, or they made a comment on my photo, or something of the sort. I’ll check that later :)
3) What I want to to do is create “FILTERS” that tell thunderbird to organize my incoming emails for me. That way whenever I get a notification from facebook it goes directly to my facebook folder. Whenever Fred McKinnon emails me to tell me about The Worship Community that message goes directly to my Fred McKinnon folder. Whenever my parents, brothers, or sister email me it goes directly to my “Hutto” folder.
You can see how this is helpful, especially if you receive a ton of emails daily. I do.
This basically gives me a heads up on who has emailed me before I even look at my inbox. I can also prioritize reading my emails by looking at which folders are showing they have new messages. For example, when I come in to work, check my email, and have new emails in the “Pastor” folder and the facebook folder, I know that it’s probably a better use of my time to read and respond to the Pastor (my boss) folder first!
To create filters follow these steps:
Create your folders first so that you have somewhere to tell Thunderbird to send your incoming messages to.
Then open TOOLS > Message Filters.
Select the inbox you’d like this filter to run on (if you have more than one) and select NEW.
Name Your new filter. Example: “EMAILS FROM BOB” - I find it easiest to use the “FROM” option for incoming emails. Type in the email address of the sender. This will tell every message that comes from that sender to go to the folder you set up for it. At the bottom select “Move Message to” and then select the folder that you want Thunderbird to move all the emails from the sender to.
Hit Ok.
Select the filter you’ve just created. Hit “Run Now” and the filter will send all the emails from Bob to the “EMAILS FROM BOB” folder.
Personally I have tons of filters. I don’t make them for every single email that comes in to my box, but I do make folders and filters for people/websites that I get regular emails from. This keeps the clutter down in my regular inbox, and like I said before it really helps me prioritize my incoming emails each day.
Additional Tips: You could also create ONE BIG FOLDER for several people. For example, I have a “Worship Team” folder that has a filter called “Worship Team” – you can see it in my list above. You can add as many “FROMS” as you want to. I have all emails that come from any member of my worship team go to one “Worship Team” folder. Notice how I’ve got a ton of “FROMS” and only one action.
You can also go back and find emails a whole lot easier with this system implemented.
