"Mark as read" for incoming messages in GMail

May 4, 2007 7:52 PM

In GMail, is there a way to mark incoming emails as read, if it has a specific word or sender? I thought I had seen this in the filter options before, but now that I am trying to do it, I don't see it.
posted by catburger to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

If you go to Settings (upper right) and then choose the Filter tab, you can assign different criteria (sender, specific words, etc) and then choose from the following options to create the filter: Skip the Inbox (Archive it), Star it, Apply a Label, Forward it, or Delete It. Is that what you're after?
posted by iconomy at 8:02 PM on May 4, 2007

Ooo I didn't see that you've already tried the filter section....d'oh.
posted by iconomy at 8:05 PM on May 4, 2007

No, this isn't possible.
(You're not the only one who wants it - googling gmail filter "mark as read" brings up quite a lot...)
posted by dmd at 8:22 PM on May 4, 2007

I don't see an obvious way to do it, but a workaround might be to apply a Label and archive them (Skip the Inbox). That way they don't crowd your inbox, but on the left side of the main screen you can click on that Label to bring up those emails.
posted by shinynewnick at 8:23 PM on May 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

I have all my bulk emails auto-archive and auto-label (as "Bulk"). Occasionally, I'll click on that label in the left margin, hit "SELECT ALL," and the choose "Mark as read" under "More actions..."

Not the same as having Gmail do it for you, but you can take care of a hundred at a time that way.
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:16 PM on May 4, 2007

Response by poster: I'm not doing this for spam, I just don't want this folder to show how many new messages there are.

I don't see an obvious way to do it, but a workaround might be to apply a Label and archive them (Skip the Inbox). That way they don't crowd your inbox, but on the left side of the main screen you can click on that Label to bring up those emails.

That's what the current setup is, but it'd be better if the messages showed as read..
posted by catburger at 2:13 AM on May 5, 2007