Highlights
- Email filters help you manage emails automatically to block spam, forward important emails, or sort them into folders.
- You can set filters at two levels: At User-Level Filters, where you can apply to one email ID, while at Account-Level Filters, it applies to all email IDs under your domain.
Introduction
Whether you are trying to block spam, redirect specific messages, or sort emails into folders, Email Filters in cPanel is a powerful tool for automatically managing incoming emails based on specific rules. It helps you streamline your inbox without manual effort.
This step-by-step guide will help you configure email filters in cPanel, both at the user level and account level. Whether you’re a beginner or a regular cPanel user, this article will make the process easy to follow.
Before we move forward to configure email filters in cPanel, let’s quickly understand email filters!
Also Read: How to Reset Email Account Password in cPanel?
What Are Email Filters in cPanel?
Email Filters in cPanel let you define conditions and actions for your email accounts.
For example:
- If an email contains the word ‘offer,’ send it to the Promotions folder.
- If the sender is blacklisted, automatically discard the message.
By this:
- You can reduce spam and unwanted emails.
- You can automate sorting into folders like ‘Support,’ ‘Invoices,’ or ‘Newsletters.’
- You can improve productivity by saving time.
- You can prevent phishing or suspicious emails from reaching your inbox.
You can create:
- User-Level Filters – These filters apply only to a specific email address.
- Account-Level Filters – These filters apply to all email accounts under your domain.
Also Read: Simple Steps to Set Up Email Forwarding in cPanel
Steps to Configure Email Filters in cPanel?
➔ Log in to your cPanel with your assigned username & password.
➔ For user-level filters, you need to follow these steps:
- In the ‘Email’ section, click on ‘Email Filters.’
- Select the email account you want to manage.
- Click ‘Manage Filters’ next to the email address.
➔ For Account-Level Filters, you need to follow these steps:
- In the ‘Email’ section, click on ‘Global Email Filters.’
- This will apply filters to all email accounts on the domain.
That’s the only difference between the two filters — just the steps mentioned above. From this point onward, the configuration process is the same for both. Let’s check out the steps below!
➔ You have to click ‘Create a New Filter.’
➔ There, you need to enter a ‘Filter Name’ (For e.g, Block_Spam).
➔ Set the Rules/Conditions. You have to choose from:
- From – Filter by sender email.
- Subject – Match subject text.
- To – Match recipient.
- Body – Filter based on content.
- Any Header – Match any email header.
- Spam Status – Filter spam-assessed emails.
Example Rule:
Subject → contains → ‘Win Money’
Once you choose the conditions, it’s time to choose the action!
➔ Choose the Action to take:
- Discard Message – Delete the email automatically.
- Redirect to Email – Forward it to another address.
- Deliver to Folder – Send it to a specific folder.
- Pipe to a Program – Send the content to a script.
- Stop Processing Rules – End filter processing.
Also Read: How to Block Spam Emails in cPanel?
Example Use Cases for Email Filters in cPanel
Use Cases |
Condition |
Action |
|---|---|---|
To block spam from one address |
From → equals → spam@domain.com |
Discard message |
To sort client emails |
Subject → contains → ‘Invoice’ |
Deliver to folder → Invoices |
To forward support queries |
To → equals → support@yourdomain.com |
Redirect to → team@email.com |
To catch phishing keywords |
Body → contains → ‘urgent login’ |
Discard message |
➔ Once done, click ‘Create.’
That’s it! Your email filter is configured in cPanel successfully!
Best Practices for Email Filters in cPanel
- You have to use clear and descriptive names for filters.
- It is recommended to avoid overly broad rules that could cause important emails to be discarded.
- It is important to test each filter with a sample email.
- Once the filter is set, don’t leave it alone! You should regularly review filters to ensure relevance.
Also Read: How to Create a Basic SPF Record in cPanel?
Conclusion
Setting up email filters in cPanel is a simple but powerful way to take control of your inbox. Whether you are looking to filter spam, auto-sort messages, or protect your domain from suspicious emails, email filters improve productivity and email hygiene.
If you are hosting your email with cPanel, don’t miss out on this time-saving feature. Just try configuring your first filter today and see the difference it makes!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the difference between user-level and account-level filters?
User-level filters apply only to individual email addresses, whereas account-level filters affect all email addresses on the domain.
2. Can I use multiple conditions in one filter?
Yes, cPanel allows multiple rules with logical operators, such as ‘AND or OR.’
3. Will Email Filters work for forwarded emails?
No, filters apply before forwarding. So filters will act on the original message first.
4. Can I back up my email filters?
There is no direct option, but you can copy filter rules manually or take a cPanel backup.
5. Why is my Email filter not working?
There could be these common reasons regarding why your email filter in cPanel is not working:
- Typo in rule condition.
- Wrong logic (e.g., AND vs OR).
- Rule order affecting processing.