TL;DR:
A filter is an if-then rule: if a message matches, then move, label or mark it.
Match by sender when you can, by words in the message when you must, and test on old mail before trusting it.
Skip the inbox for newsletters, but keep a time to read them.
Newsletters are the easiest mail to automate. They come from the same sender, on a pattern, and none of them need an answer today. Yet in most inboxes they sit between the messages that do, and every one costs you a glance. A filter moves them out of sight so your inbox shows people, not publications.
Mail apps differ in names and menus. Gmail calls these rules filters and uses labels. Outlook calls them rules and uses folders. Both do the same job. The menu paths change from time to time, so this guide describes the steps in general terms and tells you what to look for. Check the app's own help page if a button has moved.
What a filter really is
A filter has two halves. The condition says which messages it applies to, such as "from this address" or "subject contains this word". The action says what to do with them, such as "move to a folder", "apply a label", "mark as read" or "skip the inbox". Everything else is detail.
Folders vs labels matters here. In a folder-based app, a message lives in exactly one folder, so the rule moves it. In a label-based app, a message can carry several labels, and "skip the inbox" simply removes it from the main view while the label keeps it findable. Either way, the message is not deleted.
Choosing what to match
Sender address. The most reliable. A newsletter sent from news@example.org always matches. Use the full address, not just the name shown, because display names are easy to change.
Sender domain. Useful when a company sends from several addresses on the same domain. Be careful: it may also catch messages from real people at that company.
Words in the subject or body. Useful when senders vary. Phrases such as "unsubscribe" appear in nearly all newsletters, but also in receipts and account notices, so a words-only rule can swallow mail you need.
Steps that work in most mail apps
Open a newsletter you want to sort: Find a typical one. You will build the rule from it.
Start a new rule from that message: Most apps have a way to create a rule or filter from an open message, or a rules area in settings. Look for words like "filter", "rule" or "create rule".
Set the condition: Choose "from" and the sender address. Add a second condition only if needed.
Set the action: Move to a folder or apply a label. Add "skip the inbox" or "mark as read" if you want them out of the main view.
Test on old mail: If the app can apply the rule to existing messages, do that first and look at what moved. Or search with the same condition and check that every result is a newsletter.
Turn it on and check after a week: Open the folder or label once and make sure nothing important is in it.
Worked example: a Gmail filter and an Outlook rule for newsletters
Say you get a weekly design newsletter from news@designweekly.example, and three more from other senders. You want them in one place that you read on Friday afternoon.
In a label-based app such as Gmail. Create a label called "Read Friday". Build a filter whose condition is the sender address, with the actions "apply the label Read Friday" and "skip the inbox". Create the filter from a search or from an open message, and let the app apply it to matching old mail if it offers that option. Each newsletter then shows up under the label, not in the inbox.
In a folder-based app such as Outlook. Create a folder called "Read Friday". Create a rule whose condition is "from" the same address, and whose action is "move to the folder Read Friday". If the app offers to run the rule on messages already in the inbox, do so. New mail from that sender now lands in the folder.
Test on old mail: before you rely on either rule, search your mail for that sender. Say it returns 12 messages and, after running the rule, the new folder or label holds exactly those 12. If it holds 14, two other messages matched, so tighten the condition. If it holds 9, some came from a different address, so add that address.
Mistakes to avoid
Matching on common words alone. A rule on "sale" can bury an invoice titled "Final sale of equipment".
Skipping the inbox for mail that is time sensitive, such as account security notices.
Never reading the folder. A folder you never open is a slow delete. Block out ten minutes weekly, or unsubscribe.
Forgetting that senders change addresses. If a newsletter shows up in your inbox again, edit the rule.
Building many rules. Five good rules beat thirty overlapping ones, which will conflict.
A short routine
Each time a new newsletter lands in your inbox that you want to keep, make a rule for it right then. For ones you do not read, unsubscribe instead. If your inbox is already out of hand, run the 20-minute inbox routine first, then add filters to prevent the pile from coming back. For the mail that does stay, email templates save typing.
If you cannot find the filter settings in your mail app, you can press the DuckyHelper key and ask out loud where they are; it can see your screen and point. That is optional, and the app's help page works too.
Frequently asked questions
Will a filter delete my newsletters?
Not unless you tell it to. Moving, labeling and skipping the inbox keep the message.
Can I filter on several senders at once?
Many apps let you combine addresses in one rule. Otherwise, make one rule per sender pointing to the same folder or label.
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