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Best Practices for Configuring Email Filters

Best practices for effectively configuring email forwarding.

Best Practices

Following is a list of good and bad practices when you are configuring mail filters.

Do

Don’t Do

  1. Start with broad parameters and then refine them.

  2. Begin with permissive default filters.

  3. Add domain-specific overrides as you identify patterns.

  4. Use the Exclude keywords for noise reduction:

    • Block common non-order terms: "quote", "invoice", "reminder", "receipt"

    • Add "test", "draft", "sample" to prevent processing test emails

  5. Combine Include and Exclude keywords:

    • Include: "PO", "purchase order", "urgent"

    • Exclude: "quote", "estimate", "inquiry"

    • Must be order-related; (not a quote for an order)

  6. Document your filter logic:

    • Keep notes on why specific domain overrides were created

    • Track buyer-specific requirements

  7. Test changes carefully

    • Add one keyword at a time

    • Monitor for unintended blocks

    • Have buyers send test emails

  1. Don't make the Include keywords too restrictive

    • Bad requirement: "URGENT PO APPROVED"

    • Good: requirement: "PO", "purchase", "order"

  2. Don't forget about email variations

    • Add all common variations

    • Consider using the following for “purchase order”: "P.O.", "PO", "P O", and "purchase order"

  3. Don't rely solely on file formats

    • Combine with Include and Exclude keywords

    • File format alone may catch unwanted emails

  4. Don't create conflicting rules

    • Bad: Include "order", Exclude "order"

    • Good: Include "order", Exclude "order confirmation"

  5. Don't Over-Complicate Default Filters

    • Keep default filters simple and permissive

    • Use domain overrides for complex cases