Create Outlook rule: a step-by-step guide

More than 280 billion e-mails are sent every day – most of them in a professional context. In view of such figures, it is not surprising that even a company’s own mailbox is quickly full. It is important to keep a cool head. How many unread messages are piled up in your Outlook mailbox? Do you have an overview? Our tip for Outlook users: e-mail rules. Automatic rules for incoming and outgoing messages sort your inbox and keep you up to date, so you won’t miss a thing.

You can learn how to create Outlook rules with and without a template from us.

Creating a new outlook rule

With Outlook, you can easily create e-mail rules using pre-set choices. To start the Rules Wizard, follow these steps.

Step 1: Navigate to the “Start” tab and click the “Rules” button in the “Move” panel.

Outlook Menu: “Start” tab
The “Rules” button in the “Move” menu field

Step 2: Select the “Manage rules and alerts” option. Outlook will then open the “Rules and Alerts” dialog box.

Outlook menu: “Start” tab
You can use the Outlook e-mail rules to configure various sorting and notification functions.

Step 3: Click on the “New Rule...” button in the “E-mail Rules” menu to start the Rules Wizard.

Outlook: The "Rules and Alerts" dialog box
The "Rules and Alerts" dialog box displays all Outlook rules that have already been configured.

With the Rules Wizard, you can create Outlook rules according to your preferences and needs, with or without a template.

Create an Outlook rule without a template

The Outlook Rules Wizard allows you to create individual e-mail rules based on predefined modules.

First consider whether you want to create an inbox rule or an outbox rule.

Inbox rules

Inbox rules are applied to the messages you receive, provided they meet the conditions you define. To create an inbox rule without a template, follow these steps.

Step 1: Under "Create rule without template," select "Apply rule on messages I receive" and click “Next.”

The Outlook Rules Wizard: rule selection
In the lower window of the Outlook Rules Wizard, you will find the rule description - a linguistic description of the settings you have selected

Step 2: Outlook will now ask you which condition(s) you want to attach to your inbox rule. To do this, the Rules Wizard offers the following options. Select at least one condition:

  • From people or public group
  • With specific words in the subject
  • Through the specified account
  • Sent only to me
  • My name in the "To" box
  • Marked as importance
  • Marked as sensitivity
  • Flagged for action
  • Where my name is in the "Cc" field
  • Where my name is in the "To" or "Cc" field
  • Where my name is not in the "To" field
  • Sent to people or public group
  • With specific words in the body
  • With specific words in the subject or body
  • With specific words in the message header
  • With specific words in the recipient’s address
  • With specific words in the sender’s address
  • Assigned to “category” category

If required, you can combine several conditions.

Outlook Rules Wizard: selection of condition
In this example, we specify that incoming e-mails will only be treated according to the rule if the subject line of the message contains specific keywords.

Step 3: Edit the selected condition(s) according to your needs or your personal wishes by clicking on the blue highlighted word groups in the rule description.

Outlook Rules Wizard: editing the rule condition
In this example, we define "invoice" as the keyword for the rule condition.

Click "Add":

Step 4: Determine what to see with messages that meet the condition(s) you have defined. You can choose from the following actions:

  • Move it to a specified folder
  • Assign it to the “category” category
  • Delete it
  • Permanently delete it
  • Move a copy to the specified folder
  • Forward it to people or public group
  • Forward it to people or public group as an attachment
  • Redirect it to people or public group
  • Have the server reply using a specific message
  • Reply using a specific template
  • Flag message for follow up at this time
  • Clear the message flag
  • Clear message’s categories
  • Mark it as important
  • Print it
  • Play a sound
  • Mark it as read
  • Stop processing more rules

If required, you can combine several actions with each other.

Outlook Rules Wizard: action selection
As an inbox rule action, we define that Outlook will make a copy of all incoming messages that meet the rule condition and store it in a specific folder in the inbox.

Step 5: Edit the selected action(s) by clicking on the blue highlighted word groups in the rule description.

Outlook Rules Wizard: target folder selection
In this example, we select the folder "Invoices" as the target folder for the mail copy.

Click "OK."

Step 6: Define exceptions if required. You can also choose from the conditions listed above.

Once again, you can link several conditions together.

Outlook Rules Wizard: exception condition selection
In this example, we specify a specific sender address as a condition for an exception. Incoming messages from this sender are not subject to the inbox rule

Step 7: Configure the conditions for an exception by clicking the blue phrases in the rule description.

Click on “Next”

Step 8: Give your new inbox rule a name and specify whether to apply the rule retroactively to all messages in the inbox folder.

Activate the rule by selecting the corresponding checkbox and clicking "Finish."

Outlook Rules Wizard: naming and rule options
Check the rule description before you activate the incoming post rule by clicking on "Finish."

Your new inbox rule now appears in the “Rules and Alerts” dialog box. Close it by clicking on "Apply."

Dialog Box "Rules and Alerts"
In the “Rules and Notification” dialog box, you can get an overview of all rules created with Outlook.

Outbox rules

Outgoing mail rules apply to all messages you send, provided they meet the conditions you define. To configure an outgoing mail rule, follow these steps.

Step 1: Under "Start from a blank rule" select Apply rule on messages I send."

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule selection
Outgoing mail rules take effect when sending messages.

Click “Next” to start the configuration process.

Step 2: Define conditions for your outgoing mail rule. Outlook gives you several options to choose from, and you can combine them if necessary.

Step 3: Edit the condition(s) you have selected by clicking on the word groups highlighted in blue in the rule description.

Click on “Next”

Step 4: Specify which action Outlook should perform with messages that meet the conditions you define. Select any number of the presented options.

Step 5: Edit the selected action(s) in the rule description and click “Next”.

Step 6: Define exceptions – if necessary. The same conditions as in step 2 are available for this.

Step 7: Name the rule and specify whether to apply it retroactively to all messages in the inbox folder. Check "Activate this rule" and complete the configuration process by clicking "Finish."

Your outgoing mail rule now appears in the “Rules and Alerts” dialog box. Click “Apply” to close the window.

Create Outlook rules with a template

Outlook offers preconfigured templates for the most common e-mail rules. A total of 8 rule templates are available in the "keep track" and "keep up to date" categories.

The configuration processes essentially correspond to the procedure described above:

Step 1: Select the desired rule

Step 2: Adjust the rule description according to your requirements

Step 4: If necessary, add additional conditions or define exceptions

Step 5: Name the rule and complete the configuration with "Finish"

Move messages from a specific sender to a folder

This template is an inbox rule that moves all messages from a specific sender to a destination folder you define.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
Rule template for moving messages from a specific sender
Tip

How to transfer address information to your Outlook address book is explained in the guide article about importing Outlook contacts.

Outlook Rules Wizard: address selection
Dialog window for selecting the sender address.

Move messages with certain words in the subject to a folder

Use this template to create an Outlook rule that automatically moves messages with keywords you specify in the subject to a specific destination folder.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
You can customise the keywords and the destination folder by clicking on the word groups highlighted in blue in the rule description.

Move messages sent to a public group to a folder

Select this rule template to automatically move messages addressed to one of your public groups to a folder in your mailbox that you select.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
Select the desired group and the destination folder by clicking on the word groups highlighted in blue in the rule description

Mark messages from a specific person for tracking

This inbox rule ensures that messages sent by a person or group you specify are automatically flagged for tracking.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
Adjust the sender address and tracking time in the rule description to suit your requirements.

E-mails that you have flagged for tracking will appear in your task overview.

Tip

The tracking function prevents you, for example, from forgetting messages that you want to reply to later.

The Outlook Rules Wizard: flag message
You can limit the tracking to different time periods – for example "today," "tomorrow," "this week," "next week," etc.

Move RSS items from a specific RSS feed to a folder

Use this rule template to sort subscribed RSS feeds. Elements of the selected RSS feed are automatically moved to a destination folder of your choice.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
Rule template for automatically moving RSS feeds.

If you have subscribed to RSS feeds, the respective titles are displayed in the dialog box of the same name.

The Outlook Rules Wizard: selecting the feed
Your RSS feed will appear under "Select RSS Feeds."

Viewing a message from a specific person in the “New Item Notification” window

Use this rule template to define a text that is displayed in the notification window for new items when messages from a specific sender are received.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
Rules for incoming alerts.
Outlook Rules Wizard: notification text dialog box
Enter a notification text of any length.

Play a sound when receiving messages from a specific person

Do you want Outlook to play different beeps when receiving messages from different people? Then this rule template is just right for you.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
Rule template for custom signal tones.

Select a person or group of persons from your Outlook address book and assign them a sound file on your hard disk.

Outlook Rules Wizard: sound file selection
Windows Media files contain a number of beeps for e-mail alerts. Alternatively, you can use your own audio files.

Send a notification to my mobile device when I receive messages from a specific person

With this rule template, you can keep track of your inbox on the go. Receive e-mail alerts from selected contacts via a mobile device.

Outlook Rules Wizard: rule template selection
In order to use this function, you need a separate e-mail address for your mobile device.

Edit existing Outlook rule

You can also edit existing Outlook rules in the “Rules and Alerts" dialog box. Proceed as follows:

Step 1: Select the Outlook rule that you want to edit.

Step 2: Click on “Change rule" and select "Edit rule settings ..." in the context menu. Outlook will then open the selected e-mail in the Rules Wizard.

Dialog Box “Rules and Alerts”
The “Change Rule” button opens a context menu where you can change the rule or rename the selected rule.

Step 3: Modify the Outlook rule in the Rules Wizard. Proceed in the same way as when creating a new rule: For example, add conditions or exceptions, or edit the rule description.

Step 4: Confirm the adjustments with a click on "OK."

Then close the "Rules and Alerts" dialog box by clicking "apply."

If you want to delete an Outlook rule you have created, mark it and then click on "Delete." The rule is deleted as soon as you have accepted the changes in the "Rules and Alerts" dialog box.

Tip

Further practical tips for using Outlook can be found in our other guide articles about the popular Microsoft e-mail program.

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