Filter setup to archive unprocessed threads only if they weren't already in inbox?

[dbarnett]

The suggested filters to hook up to Gmail Automata will temporarily archive all unprocessed threads, something like: Matches: from:([email protected]) -in:chats -{label:mute} Do this: Skip Inbox

That means even if a thread was already intentionally moved to the inbox, any new message on the thread will move it back to archived while it waits to be processed. Is there any way to dodge around that in Gmail filters so active threads won't keep jumping in and out of inbox?

Note: This issue is on the Gmail side, not the Apps Script.

[ranmocy]

I don't have a good answer for now. But I imagine that it could only be resolved if Gmail supports it, or there is some better way to intercept into newly arrived emails.

[dbarnett]

Yep, a few approaches that came to mind:

• Don't skip inbox (based on some thread criteria?) but use something like in:inbox -label:0unprocessed as your default inbox view? — Lots of problems with this, but the one advantage that it doesn't clobber original inbox/archived status.
• Add an explicit 0dontarchive label if you want a thread to stay in your inbox instead of hopping back and forth.
• Use important or starred as a more natural signal somehow, or muted from the other direction?

I might escalate the question to Gmail and can report back here if I do get anywhere with that.

[mlsad3]

Hi @dbarnett ,

I don't think this is still the case with Gmail. I did the following:

• Sent an email to myself
• It came in, archived, into 0unprocessed
• 5 minutes later, it was in inbox with some labels
• I sent a reply to the same email
• It came in, and I saw my 0unprocessed count increase to 1
• BUT, even if I refresh the page, the original email (which was in inbox with labels) remained in the inbox

Maybe in the past 2-3 years this has been fixed by Gmail team?