Definition
💡 Auto-delete is a feature that allows you to automatically remove emails after a certain period or based on predefined criteria. You can use it by setting up filters or rules specifying the criteria for messages to be deleted, i.e., by sender, keyword, or older than a certain date.
Auto-delete helps you manage your inbox by eliminating clutter from messages you no longer need, such as old newsletters and low-priority messages. The top mail service providers and third-party tools like Clean Email offer this feature.
How to Auto-Delete Email in Gmail
You can auto-delete emails in Gmail using filters:
- Sign in to your Gmail account using your credentials.
- Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. Select See all settings from the dropdown menu.
- Click on the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
- Click on the Create a new filter option.
- In the popup window, add the criteria for your auto-deletion (e.g., sender email address, keywords, etc.). Click on Create filter.
- Check the box next to Delete it.
- Optionally, check other actions like marking as read or categorizing emails.
- Click on Create filter to save your settings.
Auto-Delete Specific Emails with Clean Email
Clean Email's Auto Clean feature allows you to set up specific rules that automatically delete or archive emails based on various criteria. You can also define multiple conditions and actions for each rule, giving you more control over your email management.
For instance, you can set an Auto Clean rule like below:
You can also replace Seasonal Sales with any folder from your Smart Folders that correspond to unwanted emails, say Social Notifications or Dating Apps.
How to Auto-Delete Emails After Marking Them as Read in Outlook
While Outlook doesn't provide a direct option to "delete if read," you can create a custom rule that moves these emails to the Deleted Items folder based on certain criteria.
Here’s how you can do it on Outlook for Windows:
- Launch Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
- Access rules and alerts. Click on the File tab in the top-left corner of the Outlook window. Select Manage Rules & Alerts.
- In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click on New Rule.
- In the Rules Wizard, select Apply rule on messages I receive under the Start from a blank rule section. Click Next.
- You need to set conditions to identify read emails.
- Choose Delete it or Permanently delete it. Click Next.
- If there are any exceptions to this rule, specify them here. Otherwise, click Next.
- Give your rule a name, such as Auto-Delete Read Emails. Review the settings and make sure the Turn on this rule checkbox is checked. Click Finish.
- To save and activate your new rule, click on Apply and then OK in the Rules and Alerts dialog box.
Unfortunately, Outlook does not have a direct condition for the read status within the rules wizard. You need to use another approach, such as flagging an email that you've already read for auto-delete later on. For example, select Flagged for action and click the action. Select Read, then click Next.
