Inbox Rules for Outlook

How rules help you manage email messages

A rule is an action that Microsoft Outlook takes automatically on received or sent messages that meet the conditions you specify. You can choose many conditions and actions by using the Rules Wizard.

Rules fall into one of two categories - organization or notification. Organization rules perform one or more actions on an email while a notification rule might send a message to your cell phone.Rules don't operate on messages that have been read, only on those that are unread.

Also, rules can exist in two different locations. They can be server-based rules, ugamail.uga.edu, or client-only based, your Outlook desktop application. Client-based rules can be more sophisticaed than server-based rules.

Back to Outlook home

Create a rule

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Manage Rules and Alerts.
3. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, on the E-mail Rules tab, click New Rule.
4. Under Step 1: Select a template, select the template that you want from the Stay Organized or Stay Up to Date collection of templates.
5. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value. For example, if you click the people or public group link, the Address Book opens.
6. Click Next.
7. Under Step 1: Select condition(s), select the conditions that you want the messages to meet for the rule to apply.
8. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any condition that you added, and then specify the value.
9. Click Next.
10. Under Step 1: Select action(s), select the action that you want the rule to take when the specified conditions are met.
11. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any action that you added, and then specify the value.
12. Click Next.
13. Under Step 1: Select exception(s), select any exceptions to the rule, and then click Next.
14. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any exception that you added, and then specify the value.
15. Click Next.
16. Under Step 1: Specify a name for this rule, enter a name.
17. Under Step 2: Setup rule options, select the check boxes for the options that you want.
• If you want to run this rule on messages that already are in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox" check box.
• By default, the new rule is turned on. To turn off the rule, clear the Turn on this rule check box.
• To apply this rule to all email accounts set up in Outlook, select the Create this rule on all accounts check box.
18. Click Finish.

Back to Outlook home

Create a rule based on senders or recipients of a message

1. Click the message for which you want to create a rule, and then on the Home tab, in the Move group, clickRules. Suggested rules appear based on the message sender and recipients.
2. Do one of the following:
• Click one of the suggested rules, click a destination folder, and then click OK.
• For more rules options that are based on the sender, recipients, or subject of the message, click Create Rule.

If you chose Create Rule in step 2, the Create Rule dialog box appears. Continue with the following steps.

1. Under When I get e-mail with all of the selected conditions, select the check boxes for the conditions that you want.
2. Under Do the following, select the check boxes for the action that you want the rule to take when the specified conditions are met.
3. Select the Move the item to folder check box.
4. Click an existing folder or click New to create a folder to store the messages.

To add more conditions, actions, or exceptions to the rule, click Advanced Options, and then follow the rest of the instructions in the Rules Wizard. This is the same wizard that appears when you click Manage Rules and Alerts in the Backstage view (by clicking the File tab). See Design a custom rule for more information.

5. Click OK.

Back to Outlook home

Appendix

Information taken from: Office Help