How to Set Up Email Filters in Plesk

Plesk lets you create email filters (also called mail rules) to automatically sort, forward, or manage incoming messages. This is useful for organising newsletters, filtering spam, or redirecting specific emails.

How to create an email filter

1. Log in to Plesk.
2. Go to Mail → click the email address you want to add a filter to.
3. Click the Filters tab.
4. Click Add Filter.
5. Enter a filter name to identify the rule.
6. Set the conditions — choose which part of the message to check (From, To, Subject, etc.) and the matching criteria (contains, is equal to, etc.).
7. Set the action — what happens when a message matches (move to folder, redirect, delete, etc.).
8. Click OK.

Available filter actions

• Move to folder — automatically sorts the email into a specific mailbox folder.
• Redirect to — forwards the email to another address.
• Delete — removes the message automatically.
• Mark as read — marks the message as already read.
• Reply with — sends an automatic reply to the sender.

You can combine multiple conditions using all conditions (AND) or any condition (OR) logic.

Editing or removing a filter

1. Go to Mail → click the email address → Filters tab.
2. Click the filter name to edit it, or select the checkbox and click Remove to delete it.

Filters are processed in the order they appear. Use the Move Up / Move Down buttons to change priority.

Server-wide mail filters (admins only)

Administrators can create filters that apply to all mailboxes on the server:

1. Go to Tools & Settings → Mail Server Settings.
2. Click Filters and add a server-wide rule.

Server-wide filters run before individual mailbox filters.

Important notes

• Filters only apply to new incoming messages — they don't process existing emails in your mailbox.
• If you use an external email client (Outlook, Thunderbird), Plesk filters run on the server before your client downloads the message.
• Too many redirect filters can cause mail loops. Avoid redirecting to addresses that redirect back.
• SpamAssassin is separate from mail filters. Configure spam filtering under the Spam Filter settings for the mailbox.

Troubleshooting

• Filter not working: Check that the condition matches exactly. Email headers are case-sensitive in some configurations. Test with a simple "Subject contains" rule first.
• Filters tab missing: Your hosting plan may not include mail filtering. Contact your provider.
• Emails still appearing in inbox: Check filter order — an earlier filter may be catching the message first. Also verify the action is set correctly.

Need help? Contact our support team.