Creating Rules

Before you start creating rules, it's helpful to understand what types of rules you can create. The following are examples of rules you can create in Outlook:

• Move all messages from your sister to the Family folder

• Play a special sound when messages from your supervisor arrive

• Send an alert to your mobile phone or pager when you receive messages from a distribution list

You can use the Rules and Alerts Wizard to create all these rules as well as more complicated rules with multiple actions. For example, you could send an alert to your mobile device when a message from a distribution list arrives, and you can also configure Outlook to reply to the same message with a standard reply template. You could also move that message to another folder and set the message's Quick Flag to an orange flag. Such complicated rules as these often need several separate rules to fire one right after another.

You can choose a variety of conditions and a variety of actions for each rule. Some of the rules you can create are

• Take action when a message arrives

• Take action after a message is sent

• Move messages to a specific folder

• Notify you when a specific message arrives

• Delete messages that meet certain criteria

• Assign a Quick Flag to an incoming or outgoing message

• Automatically reply to messages

There are two general types of rules: server-side rules and client-side rules. Server-side rules are stored on the Exchange Server. Client-side rules are stored on the local machine. You can have both client-side rules and server-side rules in the same Outlook profile.

If you're using Outlook as a client for Microsoft Exchange Server, you can often choose whether to run a particular rule on the client or on the server. Which option you choose will depend on how and when you want the rule to run.

For more information about client-side rules and server-side rules, see "Server-Side Rules Versus Client-Side Rules," p. 658.

Using the Organize Pane

The easiest way to create some simple rules is through the Organize pane. To display the Organize pane, select Tools, Organize to display Figure 27.1. The Organize pane works by selecting a message in your current folder and enabling you to create rules based on properties of the selected message.

Figure 27.1. The Organize pane can help you create simple rules.

NOTE

Unlike previous versions of Outlook, the Organize pane is no longer accessible through a standard toolbar button. You can customize the toolbar to add the Organize button or you can simply launch the Organize pane from the Tools menu.

Using the Organize Pane to Move Received Mail to a Specific Folder

To use the Organize pane to move an email from a specific sender to a folder other than the Inbox, use the following steps:

1. Display the Organize pane as shown in Figure 27.1.

2. Select a message in the current folder from the desired sender. You can navigate to a different folder, but doing do closes the Organize pane and you'll have to launch it again.

3. Click the drop-down box in the Organize pane to choose a folder to receive your selected message(s). The drop-down box displays some of your most recently used folders. If the folder you want isn't displayed, click Other Folder to display the Select Folder dialog (see Figure 27.2). The Select Folder dialog box enables you to choose any folder including subfolders of other Personal Folders files.

   Figure 27.2. Choose a folder to receive your moved messages.

   

4. After you've chosen your folder, click Move to move the selected message(s).

The previous example enables you to move a selected number of messages to a specific folder. However, that's not really a rule. A rule is an action or set of actions that happens in response to a condition or set of conditions. If you want to create rules that process your messages automatically, you'll have to utilize Outlook's Rules and Alerts functionality.

You can access the Rules and Alerts dialog in two ways. From the Organize pane, you can click the Rules and Alerts button in the upper-right corner, or select Tools, Rules and Alerts. Creating and modifying Rules and Alerts is covered later in this chapter.

Creating a Rule in the Organize Pane to Color Incoming Messages

Although not exactly a rule, you can also use the Organize pane to color messages from an individual a certain color. Using a separate color for messages received from certain individuals can help you determine at a glance whether you have important messages you need to attend to. I color all messages from my boss in purple and all messages from my dad in blue. This helps me identify at a glance which messages I want to read first, or which messages need my immediate attention.

To color messages from your supervisor in red, use the following steps:

1. Open the Organize pane by selecting Tools, Organize.

2. Select a message from your supervisor.

3. Click Using Colors along the left side of the Organize pane. Your Organize pane should now look similar to Figure 27.3.

   Figure 27.3. You can use different colors to display messages from specific people.

   

4. Select either From or Sent to From the first drop-down list to apply a color to messages from a specific person or messages sent to a specific person.

5. By default, the sender of the currently selected message is already entered in the text box. You can either accept the default value or enter another individual's name in this box.

6. Choose a color from the drop-down box.

7. Click Apply Color to save your changes. All messages from the selected individual already in the current folder will be displayed in the chosen color.

You can further edit your automatic formatting rules by selecting Automatic Formatting from the upper-right corner of the Organize pane to display the Automatic Formatting dialog box.

NOTE

In previous versions of Outlook, you were able to manage your junk email settings through the Organize pane. In Outlook 2003, with its new junk email settings, you manage junk email separately. Detailed information about managing your junk email settings is discussed later in this chapter.

Using the Rules and Alerts Wizard

If you need to create more sophisticated rules than those available in the Organize pane, you can use the Rules and Alerts Wizard. Outlook 2003 provides more rule options and a simpler interface to the Rules and Alerts Wizard. To display the Rules and Alerts Wizard, select Rules and Alerts from the Tools menu to display Figure 27.4.

Figure 27.4. You can use the Rules and Alerts window to perform advanced editing of your rules.

Server-Side Rules Versus Client-Side Rules

Depending on the criteria you select when creating your rule, it might be either a server-side rule or a client-side rule. Certain rule conditions or actions require that a rule be stored on the client. Some examples of conditions that require a rule to be stored on the client are

• With specific words in recipient's address

• With specific words in sender's address

• Flagged for action

• Assigned to a category

• With specific words in the subject or message

These conditions depend on certain features found only on the Outlook client. For example, categories aren't stored on the Exchange Server, so applying a rule based on a category assigned to a message is always a client-side rule.

Certain actions also can force a rule to be stored on the client, rather than the server. The actions that require the rule be stored on the server are as follows:

• Notify Me Using a Specific Message

• Flag Message for Action

• Flag Message with a Colored Flag

• Start Application

• Run a Script

• Display a Specific Message in the New Item Alert Window

• Display a Desktop Alert

• Clear the Message Flag

• Assign It to a Category

• Play a Sound

• Move It to the Specified Folder (where the folder is located in a Personal Folders File)

• Move a Copy to the Specified Folder (where the folder is located in a Personal Folders File)

• Reply Using a Specific Template

• Perform a Custom Action

Client-side rules will run only when Outlook is open. If a message arrives at the server and the rule associated with that message is a client-side rule, Outlook will not process that rule until after Outlook is opened. For this reason, you might open Outlook to find numerous messages in your inbox until your client-side rules run. When the rules are run, the messages will be dispersed according to your existing rules.

Using the Rules and Alerts Wizard

If you need to create more sophisticated rules than the options available in the Organize pane, you can use the Rules and Alerts Wizard. To display the Rules and Alerts Wizard, select Tools, Rules and Alerts to display Figure 27.3. There are two tabs: one for rules and one for alerts. The Rules tab displays all of your current rules and provides an interface for creating new rules.

NOTE

If you have an HTTP account such as Hotmail in your Outlook profile, Outlook warns you that rules don't work on HTTP mail messages. Click OK to display the Rules and Alerts Wizard.

The Rules and Alerts dialog box enables you to create a new rule, change an existing rule, copy a rule, delete a rule, and run existing rules. You can also export or import rules through the Rules and Alerts dialog box. You can create a new rule by clicking the New Rule button to display Figure 27.5. You can also create a new rule from scratch or use one of Outlook's built-in templates to help you create your rule.

Figure 27.5. Create a new rule from an existing rule or from a template.

Creating a Rule from a Template

There are two types of templates you can use to create your rules: templates to help you stay organized and templates to help you stay up to date. The templates to help you stay organized move messages, delete messages, and flag messages sent to or received from specific people. The templates to help you stay up to date provide you with visual or audible notification when you receive messages from specific people. When you choose a rule template in Step 1: Select a Template, the details of that rule are displayed in Step 2: Edit the Rule Description (Click an Underlined Value). Outlook also provides an example of the type of rule you want to create. You can then click the underlined values in step 2 to customize your rule. The following steps show you how to create a rule to move messages from [e-mail] into a folder called Customers:

1. In Step 1: Select a Template, choose Move Messages from Someone to a Folder.

2. Click the first underlined phrase, people or distribution list, in the Step 2 dialog box to display Figure 27.6.

   Figure 27.6. Choose a contact or an entry in the Global Address List.

   

3. Choose an entry from either the Global Address List or one of your Contacts folders. You can select more than one name to create a rule that runs on messages from any one of the addresses selected. You can also type in an address that's not stored in any of your address books. Type the address or addresses in the From field. When you're done choosing a name, click OK to return to the Rules Wizard.

4. Click on the second underlined phrase, specified, to display Figure 27.7.

   Figure 27.7. Choose an existing folder or click New to create a new folder.

   

5. Choose the folder to which you want your moved message sent from the folder list. You can select any folder in your default message store, or choose a folder from another Personal Folders file or Exchange Server Public Folders. Click OK to select a folder or New to create a new folder. Your Rules Wizard should now look similar to Figure 27.8.

   Figure 27.8. Your Rules Wizard dialog box should look similar to this figure.

   

   

   If you're having problems with your rules after choosing to move a message to a folder, see "Not All of My Rules Fire" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter.

   
   

6. Click Next to display Figure 27.9 and add additional conditions to your rule.

   Figure 27.9. You can add additional conditions to your newly created rule.

   

7. Use this dialog box to add other conditions to your rule. For example, you could choose to move a message to a different folder only if the message was sent with high importance. To add additional criteria to your rule, check the box in Step 1: Select Condition(s) for the Criteria and then click the underlined phrase in the Step 2: Edit the Rule Description (Click an Underlined Value) box.

8. To add the additional criterion that the message must be sent with high importance, check the box marked Marked as Importance and click Importance in the Step 2 box. Choose the Importance level from the drop-down list and click OK. Click Next to display Figure 27.10.

   Figure 27.10. You can choose additional actions for your rule.

   

9. You can also specify additional actions for your rule. For example, you might want to move the message to another folder and assign it to a category at the same time. You also might want a specific sound to alert you of a new message. To specify additional actions, check the box for the action in the Step 1 box and configure your action in the Step 2 box. To assign a category to an incoming item, check the box marked Assign It to the category Category in the Step 1 box, and click the underlined word category in the Step 2 box to display the Categories dialog box. Choose one or more categories and click OK.

10. Click Next to display the Exceptions dialog box shown in Figure 27.11.

    Figure 27.11. Add any exceptions to your rule.

    

11. Use this dialog box to add any exceptions to your rule. For example, if the incoming message is marked confidential, you might not want to move it to a folder. To add this exception, check the box marked Except If It Is Marked as Sensitivity in Step 1 and click the underlined word Sensitivity in Step 2. Choose Confidential from the drop-down box and click OK. Click Next to display Figure 27.12.

    Figure 27.12. Use this dialog box to name your rule.

    

12. Enter a name for your rule in Step 1: Specify a Name for This Rule.

13. Choose options for this rule in Step 2: Setup Rule Options. You can choose from the following options:

    • Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox"

    • Turn on this rule

    • Create this rule on all accounts

14. Review your rule in Step 3: Review Rule Description. You can click any underlined value to change it.

15. Click Finish to complete editing your rule and turn your rule on. If you've chosen certain actions for your rule, such as assigning to category or playing a sound, Outlook will inform you that your rule is a client-only rule and will process only when Outlook is running. Click OK to return to the Rules and Alerts dialog box. Your new rule will appear at the top of the list.

16. Click OK to exit the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

Creating a Rule from Scratch

The previous steps described how to create a rule from an existing template. If you don't want to start with one of Outlook's existing templates, you can create a new rule from scratch. You can choose from all the same options, but Outlook doesn't start you off with pre-existing rule options.

To create a new rule from scratch, click New Rule from the Rules and Alerts dialog box. Select Start from a Blank Rule. You can choose when the message should be checked; either Check Messages When They Arrive or Check Messages After Sending. Click Next to display the dialog box previously shown in Figure 27.10. The remainder of the rule creation process is the same regardless of whether you're creating a rule from scratch or starting with an existing template.

Creating a Rule from an Existing Message

You can save yourself time when creating rules by using an existing message as the basis for your rule. Much like using the Organize pane, creating a rule from an existing message can populate many of the rule criteria for you, ensuring that your rule is correct.

There are several methods you can use to create a rule from an existing message:

• Right-click a message and choose Create Rule

• Open an existing message. Select Actions, Create Rule

• Click the Create Rule button on the standard toolbar

All three methods will display a dialog box similar to Figure 27.13.

Figure 27.13. Creating a rule from an existing message enables you to choose from several conditions.

Choose from the following options to create your rule:

• From <message sender> Choose this option to create a rule to action all messages from a specified sender.

• Subject Contains Check this option to create a rule based on the message subject. The subject of the current message is listed in the text box. You can enter any text you want in the text box.

• Sent To Choose this option to run a rule on messages sent only to you or to other message recipients.

After you've chosen the criteria, you can select from the following actions:

• Display in the New Item Alert Window You can create a rule to display an alert about a new item. This alert is different from Outlook's desktop alert. A New Item Alert is a dialog box that informs you of a newly received message. It's not transparent like a desktop alert and must be dismissed before you can continue working in Outlook.

• Play a Selected Sound Choose this option to customize the sound played when a message meeting this criteria arrives. Click the Browse button to select a sound other than the default notification sound. You can also preview the selected sound.

• Move E-mail to Folder: Checking this box displays the Select folder dialog shown previously in Figure 27.8. Choose the folder to receive your messages.

If you need additional conditions or actions, click the Advanced Options button to go through all the steps of the Rules and Alerts Wizard. Click OK to save your rule.