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OIT Home > OITConnect > E-mail & Calendar > Create Rules in Outlook

Create Rules in Outlook

Rules can help you stay organized by automatically sorting messages into folders or adding messages to a project.

Create a Rule from a template or from scratch

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click Mail.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Rules and Alerts.
  3. If you have more than one e-mail account, in the Apply changes to this folder list, click the Inbox you want.
  4. Click New Rule.
  5. Do one of the following:
    • Use a template with pre-specified actions and conditions (Select the template you want.)
    • Create the rule by specifying your own conditions, actions, and exceptions (Note: This option is not available when you create a rule for a public folder.)
      • Click Start from a blank rule, and then click Next.
      • Under Select when messages should be checked, select Check messages when they arrive or Check messages after sending, and then click Next.
  6. Follow the rest of the instructions in the Rules Wizard.

Tip: If you want to run this rule on messages already in one of your folders, select the Run this rule now on messages already in "folder" check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.

Tip: To have this rule apply to all your e-mail accounts and Inboxes, select the Create this rule on all accounts check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.

Create a rule based on a message in a folder

  1. Open the folder that contains the message.
  2. Right-click the message you want to base a rule on.
  3. Click Create Rule.
  4. In the Create Rule dialog box, select the conditions and actions you want to apply.
  5. 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.

Tip: To run the rule as soon as you have created it, select the Run this rule now on the messages already in "folder" check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.

Create a rule based on a message you are composing

  1. Add a recipient or type a subject for the message.
  2. Click Create Rule.
  3. In the Create Rule dialog box, select the conditions and actions you want to apply.
  4. 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.

Create a rule based on a name or subject

  1. Open the message you want to base a rule on.
  2. On the toolbar, click Create Rule.
  3. In the Create Rule dialog box, select the conditions and actions you want to apply.
  4. 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.

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