# Email and mailbox rules

> Control which emails from a connected mailbox reach External Inbox, and add category and urgency hints to the ones that do.

Source: https://flopinio.com/help/email-and-mailbox-rules · Last updated: 2026-10-27 · Status: Shipped

## Overview

Connected mailboxes, such as Zoho Mail and ProtonMail Bridge, sync email threads into External Inbox. Mailbox rules decide which threads come in and how they are labeled.

## Conditions

Each rule needs at least one condition. Every condition you fill in must match, and matching ignores letter case.

- Sender email: exact address.
- Sender domain: exact domain, such as example.com.
- Subject contains: text anywhere in the subject.
- Body contains: text anywhere in the message.

## Actions

- Skip: the thread is not brought into External Inbox.
- Ingest: the thread is brought in, with an optional category hint (such as client request, billing, or scheduling) and urgency hint (low, medium, high, or urgent).
- Threads that match no rule are ingested normally.

## Order

Rules run in order, and the first enabled rule that matches wins. Disable a rule to pause it without deleting it. Rules apply to mail synced after the change; they do not remove items already in External Inbox.

## Example: Letting Northstar in, keeping newsletters out

- Rule 1: Sender domain is `northstarhealth.example`. Action: Ingest, category hint "client request", urgency hint "high".
- Rule 2: Subject contains "newsletter". Action: Skip.
- Northstar's emails come in labeled high urgency. Newsletters never reach External Inbox. Everything else comes in as normal.

## FAQ

### Do new rules clean up my External Inbox?

No. Rules apply as new mail is synced. Dismiss items already in External Inbox yourself.