I’m looking for an easier way to create Gmail filters that can handle different word forms and multilingual variations. Since I get emails in multiple languages, I need to filter similar words without writing long filter rules.
Word variations I need to catch:
subject:{+notification +notify +notified +notifying}
subject:{+confirm +confirmation +confirmed}
Similar words in different languages:
subject:{+account +akaun +cuenta}
subject:{+receipt +resit}
subject:{+security +sekuriti +seguridad}
Words with different formats:
subject:{+e-receipt +ereceipt +receipt}
subject:{+"sign up" +signup +"sign-up" +"signed up"}
Is there a simpler syntax or wildcard pattern I can use instead of listing every variation? Gmail’s AI is pretty advanced so I’m hoping there’s a shortcut for this kind of filtering.
Gmail doesn’t have wildcard or regex support for filters, which is a limitation for handling multilingual variations. Based on my experience, I suggest grouping filters by email type, such as banking or notifications. This allows you to include relevant multilingual terms more effectively. I also find focusing on sender domains to be beneficial. For instance, using ‘from:[email protected] OR from:[email protected]’ captures more variations than solely depending on subject lines. Additionally, for format variations, such as ‘e-receipt’ and ‘ereceipt’, using the core term ‘receipt’ along with common variations will help you cover most scenarios without needing to list every combination.
Gmail doesn’t support regex or wildcards in filters, which is a significant limitation. I’ve been working with multilingual filtering for a while and have discovered some strategies to simplify the process. You can use broader terms that often encompass multiple languages; for example, ‘account’ can suffice for both English and Spanish variations like ‘cuenta’. When dealing with different word forms, concentrating on the root word and the most common variations can reduce the number of entries needed. Additionally, consider organizing your filters by function—having separate filters for financial emails, notifications, and so on—makes management more straightforward and improves your ability to handle language variations. The closest alternative to a shortcut might be Gmail’s search suggestions, which occasionally reveal related terms you hadn’t considered. Nonetheless, the exhaustive listing method you’ve described is still the most effective way to construct filters currently.
gmail’s filtering is pretty basic for this stuff. i focus on the most common variations and ignore the rest - you can’t catch everything anyway. try searching email bodies instead of just subjects since spammers often repeat keywords there. also, your email client might have better filtering options than gmail’s web interface.