Outlook's rules provide you with a basic sorting mechanism when messages arrive in your Inbox or are sent. It is basic because one cannot use any Boolean expressions in their creation. The later versions of Outlook have an auto-rule function when creating a rule, but I've always found it better to skip that and go right into the nitty-gritty of creating a rule.
Before you create the rule, you should first decide what you want the rule to do. If you wish to place messages in another folder, make sure the folder already exists. If you are going to forward the message, make sure the address it will be sent to already exists. If you wish to have an auto-reply sent out, make sure it is prepared and ready for action. Now you can start to create your rule.
Click on Tools | Rules and Alerts when you have Outlook open. Click on New Rule and then, down near the bottom of the first section of the window that opens, under Start from a blank rule click on Check when messages arrive, then click the Next button. This opens to a screen that gives you a number of choices. Select the one that fits how you want to sort out a particular group of messages. If you have a number of criteria to sort on, check the criteria that apply. You will note that many of the choices have a blue underlined word or phrase. After you have selected the criteria, they appear in the bottom section of the window, here you click on the underlined portion and are prompted to fill in the appropriate address, word, or phrase that you want to use. Then click on the Next button again.
The next screen provides choices on how you wish to handle the message. Most commonly, it is to place the message in another folder, but you do have other choices. You may wish to send a message in response to the sorted message—an auto-response, or you may wish to just delete it, or you may wish to forward it to someone or a group of people. Once you make you selection, it will again appear as part of the rule being formed below, and you will need to select the underline work or phrase and place the appropriate action there.
At this point, select also "stop further processing of rules", so no further rules are processed on this message. Then click on the Finish button. If you have exceptions you wish to make, select the Next button.
Choose your exception, and fill in the exception type if offered. Note that your choice will appear above the stop processing line. Then choose the Finish button.
When you are finished creating the rule, it will appear on the initial screen with a check mark in the box showing that it will run when a message is received. If you wish, the rule can be run now by selecting the Run Rules now choice above, or you can just wait until the messages the rule is intended to sort is received. If you wish to run the rule now, select that choice, and select the rules you wish to run, the folder they are to be run in, normally the Inbox, against all messages, unread messages, or read messages. This is a good way to test the rule before you place it into active service. Whether you are running the rule immediately or not, you can now start on another rule or just close out the dialog.
Remember, whatever you need in the way of help, you can count on LAN Doctor, your It Department, to be ready to help you. Send us an e-mail at support@landoctor.com or give us a call at 703.356.3070.
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