Email blocking or junking by subject and / or content

[#1]

I know I can block people on email, and auto file my emails in to categories.

But, can I block or file in categories by keyword/s?

For example if I didn't want to read emails containing the word/s "pet" and "vet"?  

[#2]

Are we talking about some particular email client software here?  For example, I use the 2003 version of Microsoft Outlook.  Under Tools - Rules and Alerts I can set up a filter and one filter option is to filter on words in the body of the email.  To apply the filter the software must download the email so it's not (AFAIK) literally possible to block an email but I can direct the filtered email to a folder of my choosing so that could be Deleted Items or Trash.

So the answer to the question is 'Yes' - if you use the right software.

[#3]

@ReedRichards Thanks I'm not thinking of any particular email client software, just the business process.

If I wanted to say, junk "brexit" emails from everyone, I could search "brexit" and move to junk on mass. However, that is time and labour intensive and not automated.

I would just like to define the criteria and go auto. I don't really want to write a script for it.

[#4]

You've lost me, @Leapy.  That's like asking: "Can I get from London to Birmingham?  I'm not thinking about any particular means of transport or whether I just walk".  

[#5 · Accepted solution]

@Leapy - how many email accounts do you have? If only the one, there is a free program 'MailWasher' which enables you to define spam based on content, sender, email domain &c. I've been using the Pro version for about 10 years now (because I have about 10 different addresses) and can recomend it. It means you don't even have to d/l the emails - the program checks on a definable schedule for messages and downloads the subject, sender &c - you then decide which you want and away you go.

[#6]

@Leapy, @ReedRichards has already answered this for you, you need to use your email client to do it, unless you are running your own mail server which I doubt. The client 'reads' the email and takes the appropriate action based on the filters / action you have defined. In your example when it encountered the word brexit in the email or subject it would junk it and you'd never see it in your inbox.

[#7]

@jab1@Anonymous@ReedRichards Thanks I have few emails and I will download mailwasher pro and have a play as it might do the trick.

Thinking about it some more, I need to alert a few people on some subjects, and mentions, so  I will also look at MS Flow and see if I can set simple cross programme macro to run in the background.

[#8]

The trouble with Mailwasher is that it's really just another email program that doesn't actually show you your emails.  If it doesn't download the body of the email (as @jab1 indicates) then you cannot filter on what is in the body of the email.  If you change your email password then you have to change in it Mailwasher as well as everywhere else.  You can receive emails on many devices but Mailwasher only works if the device running it is on and awake.

[#9]

@ReedRichards - Sorry, I didn't explain the capabilities of Mailwasher very clearly - was in a bit of a rush. If you don't know the program a quick explanation:

It will download the sender and  subject to the machine being used, and if that information is insufficient for you to determine whether or not you can regard it as spam, you can right-click and view it in plain text.

As for having to change passwords - what's the problem?

I'm not 100% sure, but seem to remember that the current MW Pro liciense allows you to install it on as many devices as you like, and includes a free mobile version. I'm not sure of this as I have a lifetime registration for the previous version, which I prefer.

As to the device only being 'on and awake' that surely applies to any program - or am I missing something?

[#10]

I'm only peripherally familiar with Mailwasher but I stand by most of my original comments:

• The main purpose of Mailwasher was to avoid spending valuable time and bandwidth downloading emails that you did not want to read in the days when we paid by the minute for our internet.  For those of us who now have fast unlimited broadband it brings no benefit.  
• It's just a second email program that you have to run alongside your main email program.  If you collect emails on your mobile then you need either Mailwasher on that mobile or running continuously on some other device.
•   According to @jab1 it's not as capable of filtering emails as the email program I use. 

[#11]

OK @ReedRichards - I accept that is your view - it just differs from mine.Merely out of curiosity, what is your email program?

[#12]

Fair enough @jab1, each to his/her own.  I was just trying to achieve a balanced evaluation by listing what I saw as the cons to counterbalance your pros.  I use Outlook 2003 (as I mentioned earlier in the thread).  This has the capability to do a lot of filtering of incoming mail (or existing mail folders).  I presume this is still present in later versions of Outlook.  

[#13]

@ReedRichards

Off Topic - have you managed to get it working with Win 10

I ask because I will need to replace my better half's computer soon and I will probably be stuck with Win 10 but would still like to use Office 2003

[#14]

I have not encountered any problems using Office 2003 with Windows 10.  You have open an Office program using Run as Administrator to achieve activation successfully after installation but that one-off issue is well-documented, not confined to Windows 10 and is the only one I can think of.  Office 2002 ('XP') (specifically Outlook 2002) does have compatibility problems with Windows 10. 

[#15]

thanks - that solves one problem - and leaves the question as to whether to buy one or build one

nominally there isn't much difference except that you can get a very cheap deal on Win 10 pro via Amazon