How to Automatically Forward Specific Emails in Gmail

Not every email needs to be forwarded — just the ones that matter. Whether it’s invoices going to your accountant, reports sent to your team, or job alerts to your personal email, Gmail makes it easy to forward specific messages automatically.

Here’s how to set it up without forwarding your entire inbox.

Step 1: Add a Forwarding Address

Before Gmail lets you forward anything, you need to verify the forwarding address.

1. Open Gmail.
2. Click the gear icon in the top right, then See all settings.
3. Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. Under Forwarding, click Add a forwarding address.
5. Enter the email you want to forward messages to.
6. Gmail will send a confirmation code to that address. Open that inbox, grab the code, and enter it in Gmail to verify.

Step 2: Set Up a Filter to Forward Specific Emails

Once the address is verified, it’s time to get selective.

1. Back in Gmail, click the Show search options icon (the little funnel) in the search bar.
2. Enter the filter criteria — for example:
   • From: alerts@yourbank.com
   • Subject: Invoice
   • Has the words: monthly statement
3. Click Create filter.
4. In the next window, check Forward it to: and select the email you verified.
5. Click Create filter again.

That’s it. Gmail will now automatically forward emails that match your filter rules.

Pro Tips

• Combine filters to narrow results (e.g., only forward if the subject includes “Invoice” AND it’s from a certain address).
• Label before forwarding: Apply a label in the same filter so you can track what’s been forwarded.
• Test your filter with a dummy email to make sure it works.

What If You Want to Stop?

To turn off forwarding or delete a filter:

• Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses, find the filter, and delete it.
• Or go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and turn off forwarding.

Bottom line: You don’t have to forward your whole inbox just to stay organized. Gmail’s filters let you forward only the stuff that counts. Set it once, and let automation handle the rest.

Need help setting up a specific use case? Drop a comment below — I’ve got your back.