Creating Outlook rules to organize your email

Overview
Understanding Outlook rules
Creating a rule in Outlook for Windows
Creating a rule in Outlook for Mac
Creating a rule in Outlook 365 (online)

Overview

This guide provides steps for creating rules in Outlook. You can set up rules in Outlook to help automatically organize your email.

Understanding Outlook rules

Outlook rules can help you automate your email organization by automatically taking action on your incoming emails if they meet certain conditions. An Outlook rule is typically composed of two parts:

Conditions: Outlook will only apply the rule to an email if it meets certain conditions you specify. For example, you can create a rule that looks for emails from a specific sender address, for emails containing specific words in the subject or body, or for emails that are marked as important.
Actions: If an email meets your specified conditions, Outlook will act on the email. For example, Outlook can move the email to a specific folder, make a copy of the email, delete it, or forward it to specific recipients.

You can also add exceptions if there are emails which meet the rule's conditions but which you do not want the rule to be applied to.

Examples of Outlook rules

Example 1: Prevent emails from USC colleagues from being auto-deleted after 16 months

Situation: You want to ensure that emails from USC colleagues are not automatically deleted after 16 months (USC's retention period for emails). To do this, you create a rule with these settings:

Condition: The email sender address includes @usc.edu
Action: Make a copy of the email and move the copy to another folder (make sure the folder meets the requirements discussed in "Retaining emails")

Example 2: Save a copy of all outgoing emails and prevent them from being auto-deleted after 16 months

Situation: You want to always be able to access emails that you sent in the past, and you want to ensure that you will have access to these emails even after 16 months (USC's retention period for emails). Since you cannot create a rule to target outgoing emails, as a workaround you BCC yourself on any emails you send. Then, you create a rule with these settings:

Condition: You are the email sender
Action: Move the email to another folder (make sure the folder meets the requirements discussed in "Retaining emails")

Example 3: Auto-route notification emails to another folder

Situation: You receive daily announcements and system notifications, and you want them to automatically go to a separate folder so they don't clutter up your Inbox. To do this, you create a rule with these settings:

Condition: The exact email sender address
Action: Move the email to another folder

Creating a rule in Outlook for Windows

New Outlook for Windows

Quick guide

In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage rules.
If you have more than one Outlook account, select the account you want to set the rule on.
Click + Add new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage rules.
If you have more than one Outlook account, select the account you want to set the rule on.
Click + Add new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Classic Outlook for Windows

The following steps will allow you to set rules on your Outlook account. To set rules on a shared org account, we recommend instead using Outlook 365 (online) in your browser.

Quick guide

In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage Rules and Alerts.
Click New Rule.
Select a rule template or select the option to start from a blank rule, and click Next.
In the upper box, select the conditions. In the lower box, click the underlined values and customize them. Then, click Next.
In the upper box, select the actions. In the lower box, click the underlined values and customize them. Then, click Next.
(Optional) In the upper box, select the exceptions. In the lower box, click the underlined values and customize them. If you don't need exceptions, leave both boxes as-is.
Click Next.
Name the rule. To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run this rule now. Then, click Finish.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive. Click OK.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage Rules and Alerts.
Click New Rule.
Select a rule template or select the option to start from a blank rule, and click Next.
In the upper box, select the conditions. In the lower box, click the underlined values and customize them. Then, click Next.
In the upper box, select the actions. In the lower box, click the underlined values and customize them. Then, click Next.
(Optional) In the upper box, select the exceptions. In the lower box, click the underlined values and customize them. If you don't need exceptions, leave both boxes as-is.
Click Next.
Name the rule. To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run this rule now. Then, click Finish.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive. Click OK.

Creating a rule in Outlook for Mac

New Outlook for Mac

Quick guide

In the menu bar, click Tools and select Rules.
If you have more than one Outlook account, select the account you want to set the rule on.
Click New Rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

In the menu bar, click Tools and select Rules.
If you have more than one Outlook account, select the account you want to set the rule on.
Click New Rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Legacy Outlook for Mac

Be aware that the rule options in Legacy Outlook for Mac are limited: for more options, we recommend upgrading to New Outlook for Mac or using Outlook 365 (online) in your browser. For instance, in Legacy Outlook, you can only set rules for your own Outlook account, not for accounts that you have delegate access to.

Quick guide

In the menu bar, click Tools and select Rules.
In the left menu, make sure that you are in Server Rules, not Client Rules. (If you add a rule in Client Rules, the rule will only run on your specific computer rather than on your Outlook account everywhere.)
Click the [+] icon to add a new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions. If you do not edit the rule name, it will autofill based on the conditions you select.
Click OK.
To save the rule, close the window and click Save when prompted.
The rule is added and is active. You can edit it or delete it at any time.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

In the menu bar, click Tools and select Rules.
In the left menu, make sure that you are in Server Rules, not Client Rules. (If you add a rule in Client Rules, the rule will only run on your specific computer rather than on your Outlook account everywhere.)
Click the [+] icon to add a new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions. If you do not edit the rule name, it will autofill based on the conditions you select.
Click OK.
To save the rule, close the window and click Save when prompted.
The rule is added and is active. You can edit it or delete it at any time.

Creating a rule in Outlook 365 (online)

Create a rule for your own Outlook account

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/office365 and sign in using your USC email address.
In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage rules.
Click + Add new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/office365 and sign in using your USC email address.
In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage rules.
Click + Add new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Create a rule for a shared org account

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/office365 and sign in using your USC email address.
In the upper right, click your account icon and select Open another mailbox.
Type the org account name or email address, and select it from the list. Click Open.
The org account mailbox opens.
In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage rules. If you do not see this option, you may need to click the … icon first.
Click + Add new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/office365 and sign in using your USC email address.
In the upper right, click your account icon and select Open another mailbox.
Type the org account name or email address, and select it from the list. Click Open.
The org account mailbox opens.
In the Outlook ribbon, click Rules and select Manage rules. If you do not see this option, you may need to click the … icon first.
Click + Add new rule.
Fill out the form with the rule name, conditions, and actions.
(Optional) To run the rule immediately on existing emails, select the checkbox Run rule now.
Click Save.
The rule is added and is active. You can run it manually, edit it, delete it, or set it to inactive.