Yahoo! Mail can automatically filter incoming messages into the folders of your choice, so that you don't need to read through each message to organize your incoming mail. Filters function according to rules you set up. For example, you could create a filter to automatically deliver messages from your family members to a folder called "Family."

You can create up to 100 filters in your free Yahoo! Mail account. If you need more filters, check out Yahoo! Mail Plus, which offers up to 200 filters. (Note that Yahoo! Mail Plus is not offered in all regions.)

There are two ways to set up a filter: 

Using the Mail Options menu:

1. Click the gear icon () in the upper-right corner of the window, and select Mail Options from the menu that appears. (In Mail Classic, select Options | Mail Options.)
2. From the list on the left side of the page, click Filters.
3. Click + Add (in Mail Classic, click Add Filter).
4. Provide the information about your filter:

• Filter name: Type a unique name for the new filter in the Filter Name box -- for example, "From Mom" or "Company Picnic."
• Filter condition(s): In the section If all of the following rules are true:, specify at least one characteristic of the messages you want to filter. For example, if you want to filter all messages from your sister, next to Sender, select Contains and enter your sister's address.
• Where filtered messages should go: In the section Then deliver the email to the following folder:, click the pull-down list and choose the name of the folder where you want the message to go.

5. Click Save. (In Mail Classic, click Save Changes.)

Right-clicking on a message:

1. Right-click on a type of message you would like to filter, and select Filter emails like this from the menu that appears.
2. Enter the filter criteria (see step 4 above for more details).
3. Click Save.

If you create more than one filter, pay attention to the order. Messages are filtered according to the order in the list. If you leave your filters in the order listed, Yahoo! Mail might put messages in folder you do not expect to find them in.