Auto-routing emails in Outlook 365
This guide builds on "Retaining emails under the USC employee email policy" by explaining how to auto-route incoming Outlook emails into top-level personal folders to avoid being auto-deleted in 16 months.
Note that this guide applies to incoming Outlook emails only: if you want to auto-route outgoing Outlook emails into top-level personal folders, one workaround is to CC or BCC yourself when sending email.
Step 1: Create top-level personal folders
Quick guide
- Log into https://usc.edu/office365 using your USC NetID.
- First, create a top-level personal folder:
- In the left-side navigation, right-click (control + click) on Folders. (Do not right-click on your Inbox or any of the other folders, as that will just create a subfolder.)
- In the dropdown menu, click Create new folder.
- A new folder appears toward the end of your left-side navigation. Rename the folder as desired.
- If you like, you can "favorite" your new folder so that it also shows up at the top of your navigation:
- Right-click (control + click) on the folder and click Add to Favorites.
- Your new folder now shows up at the top of your navigation (as well as in its current location toward the end of your navigation).
- Now, you can move emails into the newly created folder and they will no longer auto-delete after 16 months.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Log into https://usc.edu/office365 using your USC NetID.
- First, create a top-level personal folder:
- In the left-side navigation, right-click (control + click) on Folders. (Do not right-click on your Inbox or any of the other folders, as that will just create a subfolder.)
- In the dropdown menu, click Create new folder.
- A new folder appears toward the end of your left-side navigation. Rename the folder as desired.
- If you like, you can "favorite" your new folder so that it also shows up at the top of your navigation:
- Right-click (control + click) on the folder and click Add to Favorites.
- Your new folder now shows up at the top of your navigation (as well as in its current location toward the end of your navigation).
- Now, you can move emails into the newly created folder and they will no longer auto-delete after 16 months.
Step 2: Create rules to auto-route incoming emails
Quick guide
- Log into https://usc.edu/office365 using your USC NetID.
- Click on the gear icon (top right corner).
- The Settings menu opens. Click View all Outlook settings (bottom).
- Click Rules.
- Click + Add new rule.
- Fill out the fields to set up your rule.
- For example, if you want a copy of every incoming message to go to a top-level personal folder, for "Add a condition" you would select All incoming messages, and for "Add an action," you would select Copy to and select the name of the top-level personal folder.
- Once you are done, make sure that Stop processing more rules is selected, and click Save.
- Your new rule is created and active.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Log into https://usc.edu/office365 using your USC NetID.
- Click on the gear icon (top right corner).
- The Settings menu opens. Click View all Outlook settings (bottom).
- Click Rules.
- Click + Add new rule.
- Fill out the fields to set up your rule.
- For example, if you want a copy of every incoming message to go to a top-level personal folder, for "Add a condition" you would select All incoming messages, and for "Add an action," you would select Copy to and select the name of the top-level personal folder.
- Once you are done, make sure that Stop processing more rules is selected, and click Save.
- Your new rule is created and active.