Gmail Filters & Labels

Jeff H
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Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by Jeff H »

In Gmail I’ve added my Yahoo account. In my Inbox (I only use the Primary tab) I want to see which incoming messages were sent to me using Gmail and which using Yahoo.

To do this, I created labels for Gmail and Yahoo, then I created filters for “To: <gmail.address>” and “To:<yahoo.address>” and set them to attach the corresponding labels. It’s working fine for Gmail, and if I mail myself a test to the Yahoo address, the label is attached. But when I receive an outside message to the Yahoo address, there’s no label.

Any ideas what I’m doing wrong?

- Jeff

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HansV
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by HansV »

I'm afraid I have no idea, sorry. You might try asking on the Gmail Community.
Best wishes,
Hans

Jeff H
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by Jeff H »

I went to the Gmail Community and there were a couple of very helpful people there (so I'm bookmarking it). They gave me what seem to be good instructions, but for some reason I couldn't make the connection with my Yahoo account. I'm posting what I learned in case it might help someone else here.

The upshot is that when you link an outside account in Gmail, the process used is "gmailify", and gmailify does not allow the use of Gmail filters. The work-around is to use "Check mail from other accounts" instead of "Import mail and contacts". When I followed all the steps, in the end I got an error from Yahoo. I haven't figured out why yet. Here are the steps:

After creating the label you want to use, go to:
Settings
See all settings
Accounts and Import
<scroll to> Check mail from other accounts [don’t use Import mail and contacts; that’s gmailify]
<click> Add a mail account
<enter the other email address>
<select> Import emails from my other account (POP3)
<click> Next
<select> Label incoming messages [select your label from the dropdown]
<click> Add Account

- Jeff

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HansV
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by HansV »

What was the error? Do you use two-factor authentication for Yahoo?
Best wishes,
Hans

Jeff H
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by Jeff H »

I'm not using two-factor authentication, but I have a pretty complicated password. In fact that password is so old I don't remember why I made it like that. Anyway, the error I got was: "Server returned error: 'Connection timed out: There may be a problem with the settings you added. Please contact your other email provider to verify the correct server and port.' "

I checked the POP info for Yahoo and the Gmail app had it right. I was able to log out of Yahoo and log back in, so I had the right password. I also thought that maybe there was a conflict because I had previously enabled Gmail access to the account and now I was "adding a new email account". So I removed Gmail access then tried again. In Yahoo the permission was restored but I still got the error. Meanwhile, I found a request for confirmation on my phone (not my PC Gmail). I confirmed, but still no good.

I'll give it some time and try again, unless you can suggest something else to try.

- Jeff

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HansV
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by HansV »

I'd try again and keep watch of your phone.
Best wishes,
Hans

Jeff H
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by Jeff H »

I just tried again ... still no luck.

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HansV
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by HansV »

I'd go back to the Gmail Community. If anyone knows how it works, they should know.
Best wishes,
Hans

Jeff H
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by Jeff H »

The guy that helped the most (screenname: icantchooseone) left me with that same invitation and a link to try again. So if I get curious about this later and have some time I'll do just that.

The task is not critical, though I'm interested in learning how to use gmail better. In the process of trying to get this filter/label think straight, I have learned a lot about gmail it didn't know before. In the end, being able to identify my yahoo email in my gmail inbox is not that important.

Thanks for following up with me, Hans.

- Jeff

Jeff H
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by Jeff H »

Ok, here's part 2 of the answer. The guy who originally replied to my question, Keith, was away yesterday but got back to me today. It turns out that Yahoo now requires a one-time App Password whenever you connect from another app.

So before applying the steps in Gmail that I wrote out in my previous post above, you need to generate an App Password in Yahoo. That's the password to use for accessing your Yahoo account from Gmail.

In Yahoo do this:
Click your avatar
Account Info
Manage app passwords
Other app <from the Choose Your App dropdown>
<type in> Gmail
Copy the password

Then return to Gmail and set up "Check mail from other accounts". I did it and tested it this morning. The filtering and labeling work fine now.

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HansV
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Re: Gmail Filters & Labels

Post by HansV »

Great to hear that. Thanks for the update.
Best wishes,
Hans