Using the filter block in automations

The filter block lets you control automation flow based on conditions. When a condition is met, the automation continues to the next step. When it's not met, the flow stops.

Use filters to route emails, apply labels, or trigger actions based on sender, content, model predictions, or other criteria.

Add a filter block

In the automation builder:

1. Hover over an existing block (like "Tekst Processing")

2. Click the + icon that appears

3. Select Conditions > Filter

Configure the filter

After adding the filter, set your condition:

1. Select a variable from the dropdown (e.g., From > Email, Subject, Priority)

2. Choose an operator (varies by data type - see below)

3. Enter the value to check against

The configured filter appears with yes/no paths:

Available operators

Operators change based on the variable type you select:

Text fields (email, subject, body, domain):

• EQUAL / NOT_EQUALS

• CONTAINS / NOT_CONTAINS

• STARTS_WITH / ENDS_WITH

• EXISTS / DOES_NOT_EXIST

Numbers (custom extracted fields):

• EQUAL / NOT_EQUALS

• GREATER_THAN / GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUALS

• LESS_THAN / LESS_THAN_OR_EQUALS

• EXISTS / DOES_NOT_EXIST

Arrays (predictions like category, tags):

• CONTAINS_ANY / NOT_CONTAINS_ANY

• IS_EMPTY / IS_NOT_EMPTY

Dates (message created, updated):

• BEFORE / AFTER

• EXISTS / DOES_NOT_EXIST

Most text operators are case-insensitive by default, so "urgent" matches "URGENT" or "Urgent".

How filters work

When an automation runs, the filter checks your condition:

• Condition met (yes): Continue to the next block on the yes path

• Condition not met (no): Stop the flow

Add another block to the yes path by hovering over the filter and clicking the + icon below the yes arrow.

Example: Label emails from a specific sender

Create a filter to check if the sender email equals support@tekst.com. On the yes path, add an "Add Labels" action to tag the email as "Important" in Outlook.

Condition examples

Filter by sender domain:

From > Domain EQUAL "tekst.com"

Check for urgent keywords:

Subject CONTAINS "urgent"

Route high-priority emails:

Priority EQUAL "HIGH"

Filter by category prediction:

Classification > Category CONTAINS_ANY "Order", "Invoice"

Check if attachment exists:

Attachments IS_NOT_EMPTY

Filter by date range:

Message Created At AFTER "2024-01-01"

Check custom extracted field:

Extraction > Customer ID EXISTS

Variables like Priority, Category, Intent, and Sentiment come from Tekst's AI model predictions on your messages.

Multiple conditions

Click + add condition in the filter block to combine multiple checks:

• AND logic: All conditions must be true (e.g., From domain = "tekst.com" AND Priority = "HIGH")

• OR logic: At least one condition must be true (e.g., Subject contains "urgent" OR Priority = "HIGH")

You can also chain multiple filter blocks sequentially for more complex routing.

Common use cases

• Route emails from specific domains to different teams

• Apply tags based on Tekst model predictions (priority, category, sentiment)

• Trigger actions only for emails containing certain keywords

• Filter by sender to automate replies or forwarding

• Check if custom fields exist before processing orders or invoices

Chain multiple filters to handle complex routing. Each filter adds another condition to check sequentially.

Next steps

Combine filters with actions like "Forward Email," "Assign to Team," or "Send Reply" to build complete automation workflows. See Create your first automation flow for a step-by-step example.