How to Create and Manage Email Filters in Roundcube

Roundcube includes a built-in filtering system (powered by Sieve) that lets you create rules to automatically sort, redirect, or discard incoming emails. Filters can help you organize your inbox, block spam, and manage email forwarding. This guide covers how to create and manage filters in Roundcube.

Creating a New Filter

1. Log in to Roundcube Webmail at yourdomain.com/webmail.
2. Click the Settings icon (usually a gear icon) in the left sidebar or top-right corner.
3. Select Filters from the settings menu.
4. Click the Create button (or + icon) to create a new filter.
5. Fill in the filter details:
   • Filter name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Move Newsletters" or "Block Spam").
   • Scope: Select "All messages" to apply to every incoming email.
6. Under Conditions, define the rule:
   • From: Matches the sender email address (e.g., [email protected]).
   • Subject: Matches words in the subject line.
   • To: Matches the recipient address.
   • Body contains: Matches text within the email body.
   • Size: Matches messages larger or smaller than a specified size.
7. Under Actions, choose what happens when the condition is met:
   • Move message to: Moves the email to a specific folder.
   • Copy message to: Copies the email to a folder (keeps the original).
   • Redirect message to: Forwards the email to another address.
   • Send copy to: Sends a copy to another address while keeping the original.
   • Discard message: Silently deletes the email.
   • Delete message: Deletes the email.
   • Reply with message: Sends an automatic reply (vacation/auto-responder).
8. Click Save to activate the filter.

Managing Existing Filters

To edit, disable, or delete filters:

1. Go to Settings → Filters.
2. Select the filter you want to modify from the list.
3. Edit: Change the conditions or actions and click Save.
4. Disable: Toggle the Filter enabled switch off, then click Save. The filter is preserved but will not run.
5. Delete: Click Delete and confirm.

Filter Priority (Order Matters)

Filters are executed in the order they appear in the list. You can drag and drop filters to reorder them:

• Place your most important filters at the top.
• Be careful not to place a "discard all" filter above more specific filters.
• If an email matches multiple filters, only the first matching filter is applied (unless configured otherwise).

Common Use Cases

• Auto-sort newsletters: Condition: Subject contains "newsletter" → Action: Move to "Newsletters" folder.
• Block a specific sender: Condition: From equals [email protected] → Action: Discard.
• Forward work emails: Condition: Subject contains "urgent" → Action: Redirect to [email protected].

Important Notes

• Filters only apply to incoming emails, not messages you send.
• The target folder for "Move" actions must already exist. Create folders first in the Folders tab.
• Roundcube filters are server-side (Sieve), which means they run even when you are not logged in to webmail.

Troubleshooting

Filters are not working:

• Check that the filter is enabled (the toggle is on).
• Ensure the filter conditions match the email you are testing (check for typos in addresses or subjects).
• Check the filter order — another filter above it may be intercepting the email first.

"Discard" action does not work:

• Some hosting providers disable the discard action for security reasons. Contact your hosting provider.

Cannot see the Filters option in Settings:

• Your hosting provider may not have the Sieve filter plugin installed. Contact support.