These 5 steps take less than 10 minutes, and you only have to do this once...
1) First, create a label you can use to identify emails sent to your old account:
Go to *Settings *and click the *Labels *tab*.* Create a new label that says
something like "Legacy Mail", "Sent to old email address", or whatever makes
sense to you.
2) Next, we will activate the *Canned Response* Google Lab function, and
create an email message to automatically send (only) to those using your old
address:
-While in *Settings* and in the *Labs* tab enable *Canned Response* lab.
Save this. (*Canned Response* allows you to automatically send the notice
that you are going to write next.)
-Now write your auto-reply message notifying people of your new email
address
-Select *Compose Mail* and create a message with info about your change of
address. It could say something like:
This is an automated reply to let you know that you sent an eMail to my old
address (<your old address here>) As you may know, the university is
changing eMail services to Google Apps for
Education<
http://google.alaska.edu/
>.
Consequently our eMail addresses are being updated.
My new address is <your new email address here>. Please update your address
book as my old address will be retired by the end of this year.
By-the-way, your eMail was forwarded to my new address, so there is no need
to re-send it.
-After you have finished the mail message (as though you are ready to send
it...) select the *Canned Responses* drop down menu located above the
content of the email.
-Then Select *New Canned Response* and name it something like "Legacy Mail
Auto-reply".
-Save this.
4) Now lets create the *Filter* that ties this all together and makes it
work:
Under *Settings*/*Filters* create a *New Filter*.
-In the "To:" field type in your old email address.
-Click the *Next Step* button
-Check *Apply the Label:* and select the label you created in step 1,
above.
-Check *Send Canned Response:* and select the Canned Response you created in
Step 3.
-Click the *Create Filter* button (this saves your filter and activates it.)
5) Test your new filter:
Have a friend send a test email to your old eMail address. They should
receive the *Canned Response* you composed. In addition, you will notice
that your Canned Response is appended to the email they sent you, confirming
for you that your auto-reply was sent.
