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Filtering Messages into Folders in Outlook 2003

The Rules Wizard is a very powerful feature that helps you manage your e-mail messages by using rules to automatically perform actions on messages. When you create a rule, Outlook applies the rule when messages arrive in your Inbox or when you send a message. For example, you can use the Rules Wizard to automatically:

Move all incoming messages that have the words “CCRI Tip of the Week” in the Subject box to a Tips folder or even Color code all messages with a high importance level red.

You get the idea. You’re probably thinking that this powerful feature has got to be pretty complicated, right? Wrong! For all its power, the Rules Wizard is actually quite easy to set up and use. Just follow these easy steps.

(Note: if you want to filter messages into a topic-specific folder you first have to create the folder.)

Steps Screenshots
Step 1

Open Outlook. Click on Tools - Rules and Alerts...

 

   image of selecting Rules and Alerts from the Tools menu
Step 2

Click on New Rule... button

    image of selecting New Rule option
Step 3

Click on Start creating a rule from a template

 

 image of selecting creating a rule from a template
Step 4

Click on the template that is most appropriate to your goal (see graphic above). For instance if you want to filter all the mail messages sent from your department chairperson, select the rule to move messages from someone to a folder. If you want to filter messages coming in on a topic or from a student in a course, you could select to move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder. Click on the Next button.

 graphic of the first step of the Rules Wizard for creating a rule
Step 5

Scroll down under Step 2, click on the underlined links to provide the conditions. For instance if you chose to move messages from someone to a folder, you would click on the link to people or distribution list and type in the address - OK. Then click on the link to specified folder and choose the folder you created for these messages. If you chose to move messages with specific words in the subject line, click on the specific words link and type in the words that would usually appear in the subject line - for example, CCRI Tip of the Week. Then click on the Tips folder as the location to move the messages to. Once both pieces of information are in place, click on Next.

 graphic displaying the conditions choices for creating a rule
Step 6

Select the action to take with the messages that meet your conditions. For example, you would choose move it to the specified folder. Click on the Next button.

 

 graphic of the action to take for a rule
Step 7

Scroll down the list of exceptions to see if any of them apply. Click next to any that apply or leave them all blank. Click on the Next button.

 

 graphic of the choice of exceptions in creating a rule
Step 8

Type in a meaningful name for the rule, for example a person's name or the topic. Verify that the checkbox is checked next to Turn on this rule. Click on the Finish button.

 graphic demonstrating naming a rule and finishing the process
That's all there is to it! From now on every mail message that comes in that fits the criteria you set up for the Rule will be automatically diverted into the appropriate folder.  


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