xing certain characters ($ and _), these 3 folders all have the same name but by adding a prefix to 2 gives 3 separate folders;

$myfolder
_myfolder
myfolder
suffixed folders will still be listed higher than others in a higher alphabetical order;

$myfolder
_myfolder

Your inbox is the nerve centre to your incoming email, but all too often is clogged up with dozens or even hundreds of emails, it makes sense to keep the numbers in the Inbox small or even empty it at regular intervals.

What sort of things can you do to improve things? Key issues are simple - delete stuff not of interest and MOVE and therefore keep important items.

If you have a computer based email client such as MS Outlook you can set up RULES to sort your email based on certain conditions such as;

who sent you the email? - perhaps a business contact or special friend

to whom was the email sent? - perhaps a certain name or department (sales, orders)

what does the subject say? perhaps a unique subject in a web site form

perhaps it is important - a sale, a payment, an enquiry and you need to respond

you need to track it for results - a web site registration, a newsletter subscriber - you do not need to take any action

First create FOLDERS to suit each person or subject. If needed you can create subfolders off a main one for example

pets
birds
canaries
parrots
cats
dogs

You can usually place important folders higher up by prefixing certain characters ($ and _), these 3 folders all have the same name but by adding a prefix to 2 gives 3 separate folders;

$myfolder
_myfolder
myfolder
suffixed folders will still be listed higher than others in a higher alphabetical order;

$myfolder
_myfolder

tuff not of interest and MOVE and therefore keep important items.

If you have a computer based email client such as MS Outlook you can set up RULES to sort your email based on certain conditions such as;

who sent you the email? - perhaps a business contact or special friend

to whom was the email sent? - perhaps a certain name or department (sales, orders)

what does the subject say? perhaps a unique subject in a web site form

perhaps it is important - a sale, a payment, an enquiry and you need to respond

you need to track it for results - a web site registration, a newsletter subscriber - you do not need to take any action

First create FOLDERS to suit each person or subject. If needed you can create subfolders off a main one for example

pets
birds
canaries
parrots
cats
dogs

You can usually place important folders higher up by prefixing certain characters ($ and _), these 3 folders all have the same name but by adding a prefix to 2 gives 3 separate folders;

$myfolder
_myfolder
myfolder
suffixed folders will still be listed higher than others in a higher alphabetical order;

$myfolder
_myfolder

email sent? - perhaps a certain name or department (sales, orders)

what does the subject say? perhaps a unique subject in a web site form

perhaps it is important - a sale, a payment, an enquiry and you need to respond

you need to track it for results - a web site registration, a newsletter subscriber - you do not need to take any action

First create FOLDERS to suit each person or subject. If needed you can create subfolders off a main one for example

pets
birds
canaries
parrots
cats
dogs

You can usually place important folders higher up by prefixing certain characters ($ and _), these 3 folders all have the same name but by adding a prefix to 2 gives 3 separate folders;

$myfolder
_myfolder
myfolder
suffixed folders will still be listed higher than others in a higher alphabetical order;

$myfolder
_myfolder

r subscriber - you do not need to take any action

First create FOLDERS to suit each person or subject. If needed you can create subfolders off a main one for example

pets
birds
canaries
parrots
cats
dogs

You can usually place important folders higher up by prefixing certain characters ($ and _), these 3 folders all have the same name but by adding a prefix to 2 gives 3 separate folders;

$myfolder
_myfolder
myfolder
suffixed folders will still be listed higher than others in a higher alphabetical order;

$myfolder
_myfolder

xing certain characters ($ and _), these 3 folders all have the same name but by adding a prefix to 2 gives 3 separate folders;

$myfolder
_myfolder
myfolder
suffixed folders will still be listed higher than others in a higher alphabetical order;

$myfolder
_myfolder
albertsfolder
georgesfolder
marysfolder
myfolder
Then set the rule based on one or more conditions

FROM a certain email address
TO a certain email address
With a certain SUBJECT
Whilst you can use rules to sort spam email it is best NOT to, and use rules only to sort GOOD EMAIL

You can sort automatically most of your regular email leaving less mail to check for spam or other matters. Vital email shown in special folders can be dealt with first, you do not have to search your Inbox.

Mail sorted is then filed for future easy of reference. You can usually set each folder to show new emails coming in (best) or total emails in the folder (hard to spot new arrivals)

Retention of sorted email

You may wish to retain email indefinitely OR delete by age. Click PROPERTIES for the folder and if an archive tab available set this to delete mail after a certain age say 1 year or 6 months. Set retention policies for each folder or subfolders.

For more information see our pages on sending email and managing your address book.