Outlook rules: Optimize your correspondence!

9 a.m., at the office.

As usual, you take a sip of coffee before logging into your email, not without some trepidation. Deep down, you know what awaits you: a cacophony of emails, where urgent correspondence, newsletters, and customer follow-ups battle for your attention. You open your inbox and suddenly feel like you're caught in a virtual whirlwind...

But today, dear internet user, the confusion is over thanks to email rules. These easy-to-set-up automatic settings can help you restore harmony to your inbox and optimize your email management.

Here are our top tips for organizing your emails and the steps to follow to create a rule in Outlook.

(To find out how to set up an Outlook rule, go to the section "How Do I Create a Rule for Emails in Outlook?")

How Can You Organize Your Emails Effectively?

Did we mention that we're good friends with Marie Kondo? We're not kidding! In fact, the other day, we asked her for her opinion on the importance of organizing emails. The "queen of tidying" is adamant: a well-managed inbox means a clear mind and good energy flow.

The first tip for a tidy inbox and smooth communication is to plan ahead! Set aside some time during the day, week, or month to clean up your inbox and sort through your emails.

By consciously scheduling time in your calendar for tidying up, whether it's 30 minutes, two hours, or half a day, you create a firm intention in your mind.

This makes virtual cleaning easier and more efficient. Because let's face it: no one likes spending hours dusting...

What's more, regular sorting ensures you don't end up with a mountain of emails to deal with at the end of the day/week/month.

Between you and me, do you really care about that newsletter on 1,000 ways to fold a napkin?

Not all the mail in your inbox is created equal. But a buildup of useless emails can lead to a cluttered inbox, putting you at risk of missing important messages.

So make your life easier by unsubscribing from newsletters and mailing lists that don't offer you much. Also, remember to check that your spam filters are active and ready to stop worthless emails.

We promise, no one will miss the swan-shaped napkin...

Did you know? All email software worth its salt includes Outlook filters that automatically sort incoming emails.

You can activate filters based on the subject, certain keywords, or even the sender. These emails can then be sorted into different folders or categories.

Define the relevant filters according to how you use your email, then create email categories. For example: "Personal," "Professional," "E-shopping," or "Tableware newsletter."

This way, you can be sure you won't miss any important emails.

You are bound to find yourself away from the office from time to time, whether for a business trip or a vacation. During your absence, emails can pile up and all your hard work sorting them will need to be redone.

To keep your inbox tidy, use an automatic reply! A well-written out-of-office message will encourage your contacts not to spam you while you're on vacation or away.

It also shows your professionalism, letting people know that you're still there for them! Speaking of professional communication, don't forget to end your emails with a nice professional email signature.

For balance in all areas of life, Marie Kondo (yes, we're big fans) recommends decluttering your closets, drawers, and (probably) your email inbox on a regular basis.

We couldn't agree more! Get into the habit of clearing out the different sections of your email inbox (inbox, sent, junk, etc.) of old emails to free up mental and virtual space.

You'll see your communications more clearly and attract positive energy and prosperity.

There's nothing like an effectively worded email subject line to save time! With a concise and explicit subject line, you won't waste precious minutes sorting through important emails and junk mail.

A simple email subject line makes it easier to categorize correspondence. It also makes it easier to find a specific message using search terms or email filters.

What's more, a well-written email subject line can significantly boost your email marketing strategy by making your recipient want to read your message.

And to further improve your communication (as if that were necessary!), use an email signature solution to add a professional, impactful signature.

You don't trust machines and prefer to rely on your good old brain? Okay, we get it. It's true that a world ruled by robots isn't exactly our dream either.

But sometimes automation has its advantages! Email rules, for example, allow you to systematize certain tasks without having to think about them. This is a real asset, especially for keeping your emails organized.

You can define a rule to set up an automatic message, categorize your emails, or even automatically empty your inbox. It's just a little technological help; you're in control of everything else (for now...).

How Many Rules Are There in Outlook?

What Is the Maximum Space for Creating Rules?

First, it's important to know that Outlook does not impose a limit on the number of rules that can be created, meaning that you can configure as many rules as you want.

However, there is a space limit for the number of active rules. These are the rules that actually take up space in your Outlook mailbox. The amount of space used depends on the type of rule, its name, and its conditions.

You can activate as many rules as you want within the 256 KB limit, regardless of your version of Outlook.

How Many Types of Rules Are There in Outlook?

If by "How many rules are there in Outlook?" you mean the number of possible types of rules, there is no official list. Since rules consist of combinations of instructions, the number of possible combinations is at least in the tens!

These combinations can be categorized as follows:

• Actions, to configure the specific action. For example: delete certain emails, sort emails according to a term or sender, or flag emails for follow-up.
• Conditions, to determine specific conditions for applying action rules to certain senders or types of emails. For example, apply only in the case of a first email, or apply only if the email is encrypted
• Exceptions, to not apply action rules based on certain factors. For example, do not apply to a specific sender or if the message comes from an external provider.

How Do I Create a Rule for Emails in Outlook?

So, are you ready to restore harmony to your inbox? Without further ado, here are the steps to follow to create an email rule in Outlook depending on your version and device.

Please note! Command names or sections often vary from one version of Outlook to another. We have tried to list the different commands/sections according to the version, but if you cannot find the exact command/section mentioned in this guide, look for a similar command.

Depending on the Version

To set up a rule on Outlook.com:

1. Go to Settings (the cogwheel icon in the top right corner)
2. At the bottom of the panel, select View all Outlook settings.
3. Go to Mail > Rules.
4. Select Add a new rule.
5. Name your rule.
6. Add your conditions (example: "The email contains" followed by a specific term).
7. Add an action (example: "Move to folder X").
8. Add an exception if necessary.
9. Save

To create a rule in Outlook 365, you can either start from a message:

1. Right-click on your message, then select Rules > Create a rule.
2. Select the conditions and actions to apply to the message.
3. Click OK.
4. Select Run this new rule now on messages already in the active folder.
5. Click OK

You can also configure a rule from a template:

1. Go to File > Manage Rules and Alerts > New Rule.
2. Select a template.
3. If you want, you can change the rule description.
4. Click Next.
5. Choose your conditions, enter the necessary information, and click OK
6. Click Next
7. Name your rule
8. Choose your rule options and modify its description if necessary
9. Click Finish
10. Click OK under the warning message

Depending on the Device

Unfortunately, it is not possible to create an email rule directly in the Outlook app, regardless of whether you have an Android or iPhone.

To do this, you must go through the Outlook website or Outlook 365, the desktop version of the email software. Create your rules on your computer or via your smartphone's browser by following the steps described above!

The same applies to other features, such as professional signatures. Here are the steps to add an email signature to Outlook.

Creating Outlook rules on Windows is the easiest and most intuitive process. This makes sense: Microsoft simplifies protocols for its products!

To create an Outlook email rule on Windows:

1. Open the app
2. Go to File in the top left corner
3. Select Manage Rules and Alerts.
4. A window will open; click on New Rule.
5. Choose your basic rule.
6. Click on Next, then set your conditions.
7. Click on Next, then set your action.
8. Define other characteristics, such as the name of your rule or exceptions.
9. Select Finish, then OK.

Please note! Some rules created in the desktop version of Outlook only work when Outlook is open: these are called local rules. If you need a rule to be active at all times, it is best to define server rules via the web settings.

On Mac, creating an Outlook rule is also quite simple:

1. Go to the menu, then go to Message > Rules > Edit Rules.
2. Select your account type (IMAP, POP, or Exchange).
3. Click on "+ Add a new rule."
4. Name your rule, define its conditions, actions, and exceptions.
5. Finish by clicking on OK.

Note that you can also choose the order in which rules are applied in your inbox. To do this, go to the rules section and change the order using the Up Arrow and Down Arrow commands.

Create a Specific Rule for Outlook Mail Filtering

Knowing how to create an Outlook mail rule is good. Learning how to define a specific rule according to the desired action is even better! Here's how to set up five practical rules that will turn your inbox into a Zen garden.

To Forward/Redirect Emails in Outlook

Redirecting or forwarding emails can be useful for redirecting an email to a colleague's address when you are away, or for gathering all your emails in one place.

To create a redirection rule in Outlook:

1. In the rule settings menu, add a condition such as "Apply to all messages" or "If the sender is X."
2. Choose the action "Forward to" or "Forward as an attachment," and enter your forwarding/redirection address.
3. Add an exception if you wish.
4. Click Save

Our extra tip: add a common Outlook email signature to your teams for consistent and impactful communication!

To Set Up Automatic Messages in Outlook

Going on an adventure or just out for a business meeting? Set up an automatic message rule to stay available even when you're thousands of miles away from the office!

Here's how to do it:

1. Start by creating your automatic reply
   • Write your message as if you were writing a new email
   • Go to File > Save As > Type: Outlook Template (.oft)
2. Create your automatic reply rule by defining your conditions and selecting the "Reply using a specific template" action.
3. Select your template.
4. Save

To Create Categories and Sort Emails by Keywords

What could be more satisfying than a well-organized drawer/cupboard/email inbox? Create a rule to categorize your emails by specific terms, giving you optimal visibility of all your correspondence.

To create a sorting rule based on keywords in the subject or body of the email:

1. Create a new rule by selecting the condition "Subject contains," then enter the term(s) you want to target for sorting.
2. Select the action "Assign to category," then choose your folder or category.
3. If you wish, create a rule for each category.

Outlook How to Make Rule That Flags New Emails

Important customer emails, marketing reports, or newsletters on minimalist design... There are some emails you really don't want to miss! To easily identify these valuable messages, you can set up a rule that flags them with a small colored flag.

To set up a flagging rule:

1. Create a rule with the condition "From," then add the sender(s) whose emails you want to highlight.
2. Select the "Flag message for follow-up" action, then choose the color of the flag (we're big fans of fuchsia, which symbolizes elegance and beauty...).
3. If you want, add other actions that make sorting and finding emails easier, such as moving them to specific categories.

To Delete Emails and Clean Up Your Inbox

Ah, if only weekend cleaning could be done with a wave of a magic wand... Until you find the right spell, you can already use digital magic to clean up your inbox with a deletion rule!

To set it up:

1. Create a rule by selecting "Received before [ ] days" as the condition, then enter the desired number of days.
2. Set the action to 'Delete' or "Move to" and choose your archive folder, for example.
3. For even more effective virtual cleaning, you can add additional actions that allow you to delete or move specific messages. For example, those that contain certain terms or come from specific senders

Applying Rules in Outlook

When you set up several rules, it can be easy to lose track of which ones are active. To view the active rules, simply go to the rules section and check which ones are ticked. A ticked box means the rule is active, while an unticked box means the rule is inactive. It's as easy as pie!

Editing Rules in Outlook

Need to modify an existing rule? Editing rules in Outlook is straightforward. Go to your rules section, select the rule you want to modify, and click on the edit option. You can then adjust conditions, actions, or exceptions as needed.

How Do I Delete an Outlook Rule?

Deleting an email rule in Outlook is just as easy. Again, go to the rules section, then click on the rule you want to delete. Depending on your version of Outlook, simply click on the Delete button next to the rule, or on the ellipsis and then on Delete.
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Now you're a pro at email rules in Outlook! All you have to do is apply them to your inbox for smoother, more professional communication.

One last tip for the road: create your own Outlook signature template to take your professional communication to the next level.