Using the Rules Wizard to Filter Messages as they Arrive
You can configure your Outlook mail so that, for example, all messages that come from a particular person go automatically to a separate folder rather than your Inbox. Let's say you wanted all of your mail from Bob Bothell to go into a Bob folder.
First, set up a folder called Bob
- From the menu bar, select File, New, Folder
- Make sure Inbox is highlighted in the bottom box
- Type Bob (or whatever you want your new folder to be called) in the Name: box at the top, then click OK.
Next, set up a Rule
- From the Tools menu, select Rules and Alerts.
- Click New Rule... button at the top.
- Make sure that Move messages from someone to a folder is highlighted, then click Next.
- Since we are looking for all messages from Bob, click in the box next to from people or distribution lists in the Which conditions box.
- In the "Edit the rule description" box, click on people or distribution lists.
- Find the person or list in the box on the left and double click their name, or simply type the person's or list's email address in the From box. Either way, the email address should appear in the right-hand box.
- Then click OK.
- Click Next.
- In the What do you want to do with the message box, click in the box next to move it to the specified folder.
- In the "Edit the rule description" box, click on specified.
- Locate the folder where you want these messages to go. You may have to open the Mailbox folder, and then Inbox, to get to your list of Outlook folders. To open those folders just click on the + next to their names.
- Once you find the folder, click on it once to highlight it, then click OK.
- Click Next.
- Click Finish.
- Finally, click OK.
