Focus the inbox on work mail

A connected Gmail inbox can be focused on the mail you actually work: client questions, business conversations, vendor threads, or any senders and domains you choose. Filtering changes what the assistant lists; it does not delete or move anything in Gmail.

Turn on the work-mail defaults

1. Open Inbox assistant → Settings.
2. Expand the Gmail inbox you want to configure.
3. In Focus this inbox, choose Use work-mail defaults.
4. Review the preview, then choose Save changes.

The defaults hide Gmail's Promotions, Social, Updates, and Forums categories and common automated senders such as noreply and notifications. The assistant already starts in Gmail's inbox, so Spam and Trash are not included. The underlying Gmail API query uses the same search operators documented by Google.

You can turn any category back on. For example, keep Updates visible if your vendors send important delivery or account notices there.

Show only clients, business, or vendors

In Only from these senders or domains, enter a comma- or newline-separated list such as:

acme-client.com
vendor.example
billing@partner.com

This is an allow list: when it contains anything, only messages from those addresses or domains pass this rule. You can combine it with the work-mail defaults and the Hide these senders or domains deny list. An empty allow list means “do not restrict by sender.”

Use domains when a company has several people or addresses. Use full addresses when only one contact should appear. Add both a client and a vendor domain to show both kinds of work in the same inbox.

Add more focus rules

The visual controls are combined with AND logic:

• Hide automated senders removes common noreply and notification sender patterns. It is a useful noise reduction rule, but it is not a perfect classification system; add a specific sender or domain to the deny list when needed.
• Only newer mail keeps mail from the last 7, 30, 90, or 365 days.
• Hide these senders or domains removes known newsletters, recruiters, or other sources without changing Gmail itself.

The preview checks a bounded first page of Gmail results. If it says more matches may be available, use the inbox's paging controls to continue.

Use an advanced Gmail query

For a rule without a visual control, enter Gmail search syntax in Advanced Gmail query. It is combined with the visual controls and applied to every fetch. Some useful examples:

| Goal | Query | | --- | --- | | Messages with files | has:attachment | | Important mail | is:important | | Starred mail | is:starred | | A particular label | label:customer-work | | Mail after a date | after:2026/01/01 | | Exclude one sender | -from:newsletter@example.com | | Match a subject phrase | subject:(renewal contract) |

Gmail supports combining search operators, including from:, category:, newer_than:, and negative terms. See Google's complete operator reference when you need something more specific. The assistant keeps its normal in:inbox scope even when you write an advanced query, so use Gmail directly when you need to inspect Spam or Trash.

If a client email is missing

First clear the focus rules temporarily and save. Then search Gmail directly, including Mail & Spam & Trash, to determine whether Gmail categorized or quarantined the message. If the message is in Gmail but not in the assistant, check the sender/domain allow list, the deny list, the age rule, and the advanced query one at a time.

The filter only narrows the assistant's list. It does not delete, archive, mark read, or alter messages in Gmail, and you can change it at any time from Settings.

Provider note

The visual focus rules are available for Gmail. The existing Standing filter field on other providers accepts that provider's own search behavior; operator support is not identical to Gmail's. The raw query is retained as an advanced escape hatch so your team can add provider-specific filtering without waiting for a new visual control.