Tame a busy inbox with Outlook rules
File newsletters, supplier notifications and CC-all-staff messages automatically so your inbox holds only what needs you.
A rule is an instruction Outlook applies to every message as it arrives. Ten minutes setting these up typically cuts an inbox by half.
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Create the folders first
Right-click your Inbox and choose New Folder. Keep it simple — Newsletters, Suppliers, Notifications and Receipts covers most businesses.
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Make a rule from a real email
Right-click a message that is typical of the ones you want moved, choose Rules, then Create Rule. Tick From (the sender) and "Move the item to folder", and pick your folder.
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Rule on the subject instead
For system emails that come from many addresses, use the subject line. In Create Rule, tick "Subject contains" and enter a distinctive word such as "Invoice" or "Backup report".
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Run it on messages already in the inbox
When Outlook asks, tick "Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder" — that clears the backlog in one go.
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Review the rules occasionally
File, Manage Rules & Alerts lets you edit, reorder or delete. Rules run top to bottom, so put the most specific ones first.
Tip: Do not send anything straight to Deleted Items. Use a Review folder instead, so a misfiring rule cannot lose a real order.
Common questions
Do rules work when Outlook is closed?
Server-side rules do. Rules that involve your local PC — such as playing a sound or moving to a PST file — only run while Outlook is open.