Filter Glossary

With Eudora

This page describes what many of Eudora's filter options do. (We've skipped some of the more complicated and less useful combinations.)

For information on creating and using filters, please see our Getting Organized and Filter Examples pages.

Header
Match Options
Conjunctions
Actions

Header

The dropdown list includes individual fields (To, Cc, From, Subject, and Reply-to); if you select one of these, only that field will be examined for a match.
You can also type in the exact name of other header fields.
The dropdown list also includes

Any Recipient, which looks at To, Cc, and Bcc;

Any Header, which looks at all Header fields (including hidden fields); and

Body, which examines the text of the message itself.

Using Any Recipient is usually better than using To or Cc.

Match Options

Most of these options require that you type some text (refered to as "the text string") in the field next to the option dropdown list.

Contains: If the specified header item contains the text string, filter the message. It allows other text to surround the text string.
Does not contain: If the specified header item does not contain the text string, filter the message.
Is (Is not): If the specified header item is (or is not) an exact match of the text string, filter the message.
Starts with (Ends with): If the specified header item starts with (or ends with) the text string, filter the message. The starts with item refers to the first non-whitespace character after the colon, so any spaces after the colon are ignored.
Appears: If the header item appears in the message, filter the message (the text field is ignored). This is useful for filtering messages based only on the types of fields they contain. For example, some messages contain a Reply-To: header, some don’t.
Does not appear: The same, only backwards.
Intersects nickname: This options works inconsistently, so we don't recommend using it
Intersects address book: In the text field, use the dropdown list to specify an address book, <<All>> address books, or <<History>>. If the address or nickname that appears in the header of the message is in the address book, Eudora filters the message accordingly. This match criteria is good to use if you wish all messages that are not from the entries in your address book to go in other mailboxes. This is an alternate method to control SPAM.
Doesn’t intersect address book: The same as the previous choice, only backwards.

Conjunctions

Each filter can use either one match or two. The conjunction defines how Eudora will link the two terms.

Ignore: Ignore the second term. If the message matches the first term, filter the message. Do not use the second term (anything entered will be ignored).
And: If the message matches both the first and second terms, filter it.
Or: If the message matches either term (or both), filter it.
Unless: If the message matches the first term, filter it unless the message also matches the second term, in which case do not filter it. (This lets you exclude certain variations of the first term.)

Actions

You can specify up to five actions to be performed when a filter finds a matching message.

Make Status: Assigns the selected status (read, unread, replied, etc.) to message summaries.
Make Priority: Assigns the selected priority level to messages. If you select a set level from the drop-down menu, messages are set to that priority. If you select Raise or Lower, messages are raised or lowered one priority level based on their pre-filter level.
Make Label: Assigns the selected label to messages. Label colors and names are set in the Labels options window.
Make Personality: For incoming messages, all your responses to the message will be from the assigned personality until you change the personality associated with the incoming message or your response.
Make Subject: Assigns the new subject to message summaries (does not affect the subject you'll see in the message itself). If you choose this option, the entire subject of the message is replaced with the new subject. Use the “&” symbol to stand for the old subject if you want to add the new subject to the old subject. For example, entering New Subject [was &] results in New Subject [was Old Subject].
Open: Opens the mailbox and/or message when a message is received. If you set a previous action to filter messages into a mailbox, then that mailbox is opened.
Print: Prints one copy of the message.
Forward To: Forwards messages to the email address given. Forwarded messages are placed in the queue in the Out mailbox and sent the next time you send queued messages.
Redirect To: Redirects messages to the email address given. Redirected messages are placed in the queue in the Out mailbox and sent the next time you send queued messages.
Reply with: Replies to messages with the selected stationery message. Replies are placed in the queue in the Out mailbox and sent the next time you send queued messages. One typical use of this action is to reply to specific senders with stationery telling them that you’re on vacation: “I’m out till the 10th. I’ll reply to your message when I get back.”
Server Options (Works only with POP, not IMAP): Sets the message’s server status to Fetch and/or Delete.
Copy To: Copies messages to the selected mailbox (the original is left where it was).
Transfer To: Transfers messages to the selected mailbox.(the original is NOT left where it was).
Skip Rest: Stops filtering for the message. The message is not matched to the rest of the filters in the filter list. MOST filters benefit from ending with this command. It also speeds up filtering. Remember that filters are checked in the order they appear.

Last modified: May 24, 2007