Understanding Outlook Rules: How to Create, Edit and Delete Rules on Microsoft Outlook

Outlook rules are an amazing organization technique. They allow for e-mail that comes into the Inbox to be filtered into destination folders that are specific to the e-mail.

For example, a rule can be set up to move all e-mails that contain the word "Associated Content" in the subject or body to a particular folder. Another example is that a rule can be set up to move all emails from a specific person, such as from a spouse, to a specified folder.

· Setting Up the Rule

1. Begin by selecting "Tools" from the dropdown menu and then "Rules and Alerts..."
2. The Rules and Alerts Dialog Box will appear.
3. In the upper left corner, press the button marked "New Rule..."
4. The Rules Wizard dialog box will open.
5. Click the radio button "Start from a blank rule"
6. Under Step 1, the question is posed: "Select when messages should be checked"

· Select "Check messages when they arrive" to sort incoming mail
· Select "Check messages after sending" to sort outgoing e-mail

7. Press "Next >" to continue.
8. "Which condition(s) do you want to check?" is now the question. In Step 1 use the check boxes to select specific conditions.

Note: Multiple conditions can be selected!

9. In Step 2, the Rules Wizard will describe the action that needs to be taken. Click on the hyperlinked text to specify the conditions.

· For example purposes, select "With specific words in the subject."
· The Search Text dialog box will appear.
· Enter the text to search for.

10. In Step 2 specify the folder.
11. Press "Next >" to continue.
12. A popular saying is that there are exceptions to every rule, and the same is true in Outlook. Exceptions can be specified under Step 1 to maximize organization and to prevent rules from conflicting.
13. Press "Next >" to continue.
14. Under Step 1, Outlook asks that you name the rule. Give the rule a name of significance so that you can easily remember the purpose of the rule in the future.
15. The box marked "Turn this rule on" will already be checked.
16. Place a check in the box that says "Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox" to sort messages already in the Inbox.

· Edit a Rule

1. To edit a rule return to the Rules and Alerts dialog box (Tools à Rules and Alerts...)
2. Double left-click on the name of an existing rule.
3. The Rule Wizard will Open and each step of the rule can be viewed and changed.

· Delete a Rule

1. To delete a rule, start from the Rules and Alerts dialog box.
2. Left-click once on the rule so that it is highlighted.
3. Press the "Delete" button.

Knowledge Application

By properly using rules, the Inbox becomes merely a destination for low priority e-mail, which no more time will need to be spent sorting through, because all important messages have been properly delivered to their own folders.