How to Create a Rule in Outlook

The same newsletter lands in the inbox every morning and gets dragged to the same folder every morning. A rule does that move automatically, but a new rule only applies to mail that arrives after it is saved, which is why the inbox looks unchanged until the rule is run against existing messages.

Start from a message

Right-click a message that is typical of the ones to be handled, choose Rules, then Create rule. Outlook fills in the sender for you. For a rule built from scratch instead, open Settings, then Mail, then Rules, and click Add new rule.

Name the rule

Type a name that says what the rule does, such as Newsletters to Reading. The name is the only label visible later in the rules list.

Pick a condition

Choose a condition from the first dropdown: From for a specific sender, Subject includes for a keyword, My name is in the To box, and so on. Add more conditions with Add another condition; all of them must match for the rule to fire.

Pick an action

Choose what happens: Move to a folder, Mark as read, Pin, Categorize, Forward, or Delete. Several actions can be stacked on one rule.

Stop further rules if needed

Tick Stop processing more rules when this rule should be the final word on a message. Without it, later rules can move or mark the same message again.

Save and run it

Click Save. If the option Run rule now is offered, tick it so the rule sweeps mail that is already in the inbox. Otherwise it only touches new arrivals.

In classic Outlook for Windows. Rules live under File, then Manage Rules & Alerts, with a wizard that offers a longer list of conditions and exceptions, plus a Run Rules Now button.

Order matters. Rules run top to bottom in the list, and the arrows beside each rule move it up or down. Rules stored on the server keep running when Outlook is closed; client-only rules, which classic Outlook marks as such, need the app open.