Searching Mail

Rather than scrolling through you email to find the message you are looking for, just enter the details you remember about the message you are looking for into the search field.

Smart Mailboxes

Just as you can create a Smart Playlist in iTunes, you can create a Smart Mailbox in Mail that automatically updates its contents to match criteria that you set.  For example, you can use it to keep all messages that are seven days old about a specific project, making it very easy to see that set of emails.

Note: Smart Mailboxes are not like folders where you move an email out of your inbox. Rather, Smart Mailboxes are like saved searches that update as you receive new mail. If you find you are always using the Search bar to locate a group of emails, Smart Mailboxes are an easier solution.

To create a Smart Mailbox:

1. From the Mailbox menu, choose New Smart Mailbox… .
2. The Smart Mailbox sheet will drop down and allow you to set the criteria you want to have for your messages to appear in the Smart Mailbox.
3. Click OK when you have it configured to your liking.

Instructions adapted from Apple's Support site.