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Filters don't always work on Inbox.

  • 2 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by Hwedhlor

Hwedhlor
Hwedhlor
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Filters don't always work on new messages in the Inbox.

Most of my filters are set to look for specific "From" entries then move them to the appropriate folders for each message. When email is downloaded from the server some filters work, but some hang up and require me to click on the displayed message to acknowledge that message. Once all the acknowledgements have been done, and while I am still in the Inbox, I then click on "Tools/Run Filters on Folder" and ALL of the messages that did not originally get moved to the correct folders per the filters set for them, now work beautifully!

Why won't some filters work when first run on Inbox, but they work later, and how can I avoid the laborious manual response requirement for those that don't work the first time? I should add that there is no consistency to which filters run, or do not run. Even when I go to the folder for a message that did not get moved to that folder, and "fix" that folder, some future messages still don't get moved the first time through running filters when those messages arrive in the Inbox.

Filters don't always work on new messages in the Inbox. Most of my filters are set to look for specific "From" entries then move them to the appropriate folders for each message. When email is downloaded from the server some filters work, but some hang up and require me to click on the displayed message to acknowledge that message. Once all the acknowledgements have been done, and while I am still in the Inbox, I then click on "Tools/Run Filters on Folder" and ALL of the messages that did not originally get moved to the correct folders per the filters set for them, now work beautifully! Why won't some filters work when first run on Inbox, but they work later, and how can I avoid the laborious manual response requirement for those that don't work the first time? I should add that there is no consistency to which filters run, or do not run. Even when I go to the folder for a message that did not get moved to that folder, and "fix" that folder, some future messages still don't get moved the first time through running filters when those messages arrive in the Inbox.

Modified by Wayne Mery

Chosen solution

Is your account IMAP? If so have your filters been set to run after classification? If not try setting them to that. It delays the filters just a little and makes the body available is my guess, but it does appear to reduce apparent failures to run.

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Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Chosen Solution

Is your account IMAP? If so have your filters been set to run after classification? If not try setting them to that. It delays the filters just a little and makes the body available is my guess, but it does appear to reduce apparent failures to run.

Hwedhlor
Hwedhlor Question owner
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Matt,

Thanks very much for your reply! My account is a POP account.

Your suggestion was right on the money! Unfortunately there is no convenient way to change all filters from running before classification to running after classification, but after changing all 480 of my filters to running after classification I no longer get the popup messages advising me a message cannot be filed!

I have over 900 folders, and this was a convenient way to review the filters I have set, so I was able to delete several filters that I no longer require. Getting rid of the very annoying popups was a considerable improvement to efficient running. I've worked with/operated/programmed/maintained computers since 1964. The first ones I worked with had vacuum tube amplifiers. :-) I carry on considerable e-mail correspondence and filters help me avoid having to manually file incoming messages.

Thanks once again for your very useful recommendation!

All the best,

John