How to Create a Mail Filter in Thunderbird

In this section, I will explain how you can create a rule that directs unwanted emails to a specific folder. For example, junk mail that fills up your Inbox can easily be sent to another folder each time you execute Thunderbird. Below is email claiming to be from Fidelity Life Partner (more than likely it is a scam) and I want future emails from this email address to go directly into my Trash folder.

First, open Thunderbird and locate an unwanted email.

Double-click on the unwanted email. DO NOT click on any links in the message and DO NOT change the Preferences to display images within the email.

Next, right-click on the name in the From section and click on the option Copy Email Address within the pop-up dialog box.

Then click on the Message menu at the top and select Create Filter From Message...

When the Filter Rules dialog box appears, enter a name in the Filter name section. Then make sure you select the filters Getting New Mail, Match all of the following (From, Is, and the email address), and Perform these actions (Move Message To, Choose Folder --> Trash).

Here's a close-up view of the settings in the Filter Rules dialog box. Click the OK button when you're finished.

Click the Run Now button when the Message Filters dialog box appears. This will move the junk mail from your Inbox to the Trash. Close the dialog box when you're finished.

Now emails from that address will be sent to your Trash folder when you open Thunderbird.

Thunderbird also uses an adaptive filter that learns from your actions which messages are legitimate and which are spam or junk. You have to enable these features in order for them to work. Click on the Edit menu and then on Preferences. 

Then click on the Privacy & Security option on the left. Under the Web Content section make sure you have Remember websites and links I've visited and Send websites a "Do Not Track" signal that you don't want to be tracked checked. Under the Junk section make sure you have When I mark messages as junk: Delete them and Mark messages determined to be Junk as read and Enable adaptive junk filter logging checked.

You can scroll down and check some additional boxes to enhance your security.

This won't stop all the "junk" or "spam" email, but it will help remove a lot of the junk that used to make it in your Inbox.

I hope this helps reduce the amount of unwanted email in your Thunderbird Inbox.

Take care!
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​May 28, 2022