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An email filter is a type of program that filters and separates email into different folders based on specified criteria. It provides a way to organize email into different categories automatically, such as separate folders or locations for work, personal, subscriptions and other services.
Email filters primarily help in managing and organizing the flow of incoming email messages. They can be classified by criteria such as sender's email address, subject or message content. Email filters work when an email is received at the email server. The email server or email software forwards and stores each email based on the filter(s) applied. For instance, any email addresses which are marked as work, will automatically be transferred into the "work" folder. Similarly, for non-configured email addresses, the email program uses its default email filtering capabilities that usually send email to the primary inbox, while suspicious emails are sent to the junk or spam folder.