Gmail: How to Delete Old Emails Automatically

Automatically delete old emails with these scripts:

Credits :

Scripts available at GitHub Repository.

Setting Up

• Create a new Google Apps Script at script.google.com.
• Overwrite the placeholder with the JavaScript code below.

Script 1: Delete All Old Emails in Promotions Category

const OLD_EMAILS_ON_PROMOSTIONS_CATEGORY = "category:promotions older_than:4m";
const PORMOTION_EMAILS_PAGE_SIZE = 500; // for pagination
function deleteOldCategory() {
  const threads = GmailApp.search(
    OLD_EMAILS_ON_PROMOSTIONS_CATEGORY,
    0,
    PORMOTION_EMAILS_PAGE_SIZE
  );
  for (let i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
    const thread = threads[i];
    Logger.log(thread.getFirstMessageSubject());
    threads[i].moveToTrash();
  }
}

This script will get all emails in the Promotions category, delete them in batches of 500, and create a trigger to run the deleteOldPromotionsEmails function daily.

Script 2: Delete Labeled Emails

const LABEL_TO_DELETE = "TO_BE_DELETED";
const DELETE_AFTER_DAYS = 2;
const TIMEZONE = "CET";
const PAGE_SIZE = 150;

function assertThatLabelExist() {
  const labels = GmailApp.getUserLabels();
  const foundedLabels = labels.filter(
    (label) => label.getName() === LABEL_TO_DELETE
  );
  if (foundedLabels.length <= 0) {
    Logger.log(`Would you like to create ${LABEL_TO_DELETE}`);
    throw Error(`${LABEL_TO_DELETE} label not found`);
  }
  Logger.log(`${foundedLabels[0].getName()} label found`);
}

function moveToTrashLabeledEmails() {
  assertThatLabelExist();
  const age = new Date();
  age.setDate(age.getDate() - DELETE_AFTER_DAYS);
  const purge = Utilities.formatDate(age, TIMEZONE, "yyyy-MM-dd");
  const searchCriterion = `label:${LABEL_TO_DELETE} AND before:${purge}`;
  Logger.log(searchCriterion);
  const threads = GmailApp.search(searchCriterion, 0, PAGE_SIZE);
  Logger.log(threads.length);
  for (let i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
    const thread = threads[i];
    Logger.log(thread.getFirstMessageSubject());
    thread.moveToTrash();
  }
}

This script will get all emails labeled TO_BE_DELETED and delete them in batches of 150. Make sure to create a label TO_BE_DELETED in your Gmail account.

Script 3: Delete All Social Emails from Blacklisted Sources

const LINKED_IN_EMAILS = [
  "invitations@linkedin.com",
  "jobs-listings@linkedin.com",
  "messages-noreply@linkedin.com",
  "jobalerts-noreply@linkedin.com",
  "newsletters-noreply@linkedin.com",
  "messaging-digest-noreply@linkedin.com",
];
const APP_SCRIPT_NOTIFICATION_EMAIL =
  "noreply-apps-scripts-notifications@google.com";

const ALL_BLACKLIST_SOURCE_EMAILS = [
  ...LINKED_IN_EMAILS,
  APP_SCRIPT_NOTIFICATION_EMAIL,
];

const MATCH_MULTIPLE_FORM_TERM = ALL_BLACKLIST_SOURCE_EMAILS.map(
  (fromEmail) => `from:${fromEmail}`
).join(" OR ");

const SOCIAL_CRITERION = "category:social";
const SOCIAL_EMAILS_PAGE_SIZE = 500;
const FINAL_SOCIAL_QUERY = `${SOCIAL_CRITERION} AND (${MATCH_MULTIPLE_FORM_TERM}) AND older_than:5m`;

function deleteAllReceivedEmailFromBlackListedEmails() {
  const threads = GmailApp.search(
    FINAL_SOCIAL_QUERY,
    0,
    SOCIAL_EMAILS_PAGE_SIZE
  );
  for (let i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
    const thread = threads[i];
    Logger.log(thread.getFirstMessageSubject());
    threads[i].moveToTrash();
  }
}

This script will get all emails in the Social category from specified blacklisted sources and delete them in batches of 500.

Credits

Scripts available at GitHub Repository.

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