Auto-forward mail into Deck

You don't have to forward every message by hand. Configure Gmail or Outlook to auto-forward the mail you care about to your assistant address, and Deck files it the moment it arrives — same as if you'd hit Forward yourself.

This is the highest-leverage configuration step for most users. Five minutes of setup turns Deck into a passive filing system for entire streams of mail.

Three patterns worth setting up

• Auto-forward by label. Apply a label like "Customers", "Hiring", or "Deals" and forward only those messages.
• Auto-forward by sender. Forward everything from your CRM, broker list, or specific colleagues and contacts.
• Auto-forward by subject keyword. Forward anything containing "Invoice", "Renewal", "NDA", or other tells.

You can combine them — a single filter can match a label and a sender, or a subject keyword and a date range.

Start with one filter for the highest-signal mail you receive (your top-customer inbox, your CRM digest, your boss). Live with it for a week. Add more once you've seen Deck file the first batch correctly.

How to forward in Gmail

Manual forward. Open any message, click the three-dot menu (or Forward arrow), and send it to your assistant address.

Auto-forward by filter.

1. In Gmail, click the gear icon → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address. Enter your assistant address and confirm.
2. Switch to Filters and Blocked Addresses → Create a new filter.
3. Define the matching rule — a label, a sender, a subject keyword, whatever you use to mark messages worth filing.
4. Click Create filter, then tick Forward it to and pick your assistant address.

Gmail's full instructions: Automatically forward Gmail messages.

Gmail will send a verification code to your assistant address. Open Deck — you'll see the verification email in your assistant's activity. Copy the code (or the verification link) into Gmail's settings to complete the setup.

How to forward in Outlook

Manual forward. Open the message, click Forward, and send it to your assistant address.

Auto-forward with a rule.

1. In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon → View all Outlook settings → Mail → Rules → Add new rule.
2. Give the rule a name (e.g. Deck — auto-file).
3. Pick a condition (from a sender, with words in the subject, marked with a category).
4. Choose Forward to as the action and enter your assistant address.

Microsoft's full instructions: Use rules to automatically forward messages.

Some Microsoft 365 tenants disable external auto-forwarding by default. If your rule never fires, ask IT to allow forwarding to @agent.hellodeck.ai — most admins are willing once they see the destination domain.

Filter recipes worth copying

Pattern	Gmail filter	What it does
Everything from a single domain	from:(@acme.com)	All Acme correspondence files automatically.
Anything you've tagged for filing	label:Deck/auto-file	You drag mail into a label; Deck files it.
Receipts and invoices only	subject:(receipt OR invoice OR statement)	Builds a passive expense paper trail.
All-hands and internal updates	from:(announcements@yourco.com)	Your Brain always has the latest company context.
Anything starred	is:starred	Star-as-file-this — one motion, no thinking.

The Outlook equivalents use the same conditions through Rules → Add new rule.

When to forward vs. subscribe directly

Auto-forwarding is for mail that already arrives in your inbox. If a system lets you specify where to send notifications — newsletter signups, GitHub watch lists, status alerts — skip the forwarding step and use your assistant address as the direct recipient instead. One fewer hop, one fewer place a rule can break.

Situation	Use
You already get the mail; you want it filed	Auto-forward (this page)
You're signing up for something new	Direct recipient (use Deck's address)
You want Deck to see a thread without replying	CC the assistant (here)

What this is not good for

• Two-way mail. If you need to respond from your assistant address, forwarding won't help — Deck's replies go only to you.
• Encrypted or restricted mail. Some enterprise inboxes block external auto-forwarding entirely. Ask IT first.
• High-volume, no-signal traffic. A rule that forwards everything drowns Deck in noise. Be selective.

Common questions

What happens to forwarded mail in my original inbox?

Nothing — it stays where it is. Gmail and Outlook both leave the original untouched when forwarding. You can additionally apply a label or move-to-folder action in the same filter to clean up your inbox view.

Can I forward from multiple accounts to the same Deck address?

Yes. Multiple inboxes can forward into a single assistant address. Deck reads the original sender to make routing decisions, not the forwarder, so it doesn't get confused.

How do I stop a forwarding rule?

Delete or disable the filter in Gmail / the rule in Outlook. Deck never receives mail it isn't sent — there's nothing to disable on the Deck side.

Related

• Set up your assistant — the basic two-minute setup.
• Use your assistant address directly — when you are the one picking the recipient.
• Project structure — design projects so forwarded mail routes cleanly.
• How to engage with your assistant — what Deck does once mail arrives.