How to Delete (or Edit) a Filter in Gmail

To delete a filter in Gmail, open Gmail on a computer, click Settings (the gear icon) > See all settings, and go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Find the filter, click Delete, then click OK. New emails that match it will no longer be sorted, labeled, forwarded or archived automatically.

These steps come from Google’s Gmail Help article Create rules to filter your emails, which covers creating, editing, deleting, importing and exporting filters. Google describes filters as a computer feature, so you manage them in Gmail in a web browser rather than in the Gmail app on a phone. Below you’ll also find how to edit a filter instead of deleting it, how to back up your filters first, and how to remove a blocked sender, which lives on the same settings tab.

How to delete a filter in Gmail

1. Open Gmail in a web browser on your computer.
2. In the top right, click Settings (the gear icon), then See all settings.
3. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
4. Find the filter you want to remove. Each one shows its search criteria (such as from: an address) and what it does.
5. Click Delete, then click OK to confirm.

Result: the filter disappears from the list and stops acting on incoming mail.

Deleting a filter doesn’t move or relabel emails it already handled. If a filter archived messages or sent them to a label, those messages stay where they are, and you can move them back yourself. You can delete several filters at once by checking the box next to each one and using the Delete button at the bottom of the list.

How to edit a Gmail filter instead

If a filter catches too much, or the wrong messages, editing it is often better than starting over.

1. Go to Settings > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses.
2. Click Edit next to the filter.
3. Change the search criteria, such as the sender, subject or words, then click Continue.
4. Change what the filter does, such as Skip the Inbox, Apply the label, Mark as read or Forward it.
5. Click Update filter.

Result: the filter applies its new rules to email that arrives from now on.

Back up your filters before you delete them

Google lets you export filters as a file, so you can restore them later. To save your messages as well, see how to back up Gmail.

1. On the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, check the box next to the filters you want to save.
2. At the bottom of the page, click Export. Gmail downloads an .xml file, which Google notes you can edit in a text editor.
3. To restore later, click Import filters at the bottom of the page, choose the file, click Open file, then Create filters.

Result: you have a copy of your rules that you can bring back into Gmail, even on another account.

How to create a new filter

1. In the Gmail search box at the top, click Show search options.
2. Enter your criteria. Google suggests clicking Search first to check which emails match.
3. At the bottom of the search window, click Create filter.
4. Choose what you’d like the filter to do, then click Create filter.

You can also check the box next to an email, click More, and choose Filter messages like these. Google notes that a filter that forwards messages only affects new mail. For common uses, see how to automatically forward emails in Gmail or create folders (labels) in Gmail.

Removing a blocked sender

Blocked addresses appear on the same tab, below your filters. According to Google, mail from a blocked sender goes to Spam. To undo it, check the box next to the address and click Unblock selected addresses; future emails from that sender go to your inbox. Our guide on blocking an email address in Gmail covers the other direction.

Frequently asked questions

Can I delete a Gmail filter on my phone?

Google’s filter instructions are for Gmail on a computer, and the Gmail app doesn’t include the Filters and Blocked Addresses settings. Use Gmail in a web browser on a computer to delete or edit filters.

Why are emails still skipping my inbox after I deleted the filter?

Check the list for another filter with similar criteria, and check your blocked addresses. Messages a filter already moved won’t return to the inbox on their own.

Will deleting a filter delete my emails?

No. Deleting a filter only removes the rule. Your emails and labels stay in your account.

If you’re cleaning up Gmail settings, you might also want to set up an out-of-office reply in Gmail.