With the prevalence of e-mail as the preferred medium of choice for business communication, one of the biggest challenges facing professionals today is organizing the sheer volume of e-mail messages received on a daily basis. Thankfully, Outlook has a powerful and easy to use “Rules” filter to keep your inbox organized.
To create a rule, launch Outlook. You must be viewing mail to configure rules.
Outlook 2003 and 2007
1. Go to the Tools menu, then select Rules and Alerts… 2. Click on the New Rule button 3. The Rules Wizard will appear on the screen. You can create the rule either from a generic template or from a blank rule
Outlook 2010 and 2013
1. Go to the File tab and click Manage Rules and Alerts 2. Click New Rule. 3. The Rules Wizard will appear on the screen. You can create the rule either from a generic template or from a blank rule Some Examples of where Outlook Rules can Help Newsletter Subscriptions – If you are subscribed to daily, weekly or monthly newsletter, chances are you don’t have the time to sit and read them every time one arrives. Create a simple rule to file these messages into a “Newsletter folder”.
Periodic Reports – Do you receive automated periodic reports from an application or service? Create a rule to file them into separate folders until you are ready to deal with them.
CC the world – Most business professionals can attest to having had their inbox flooded from being “kept in the loop” via cc (carbon copy) on a single email thread. If this is a frequent occurrence, Outlook can filter messages where your name appears only in the CC: or BCC: field into a folder marked as such. If its urgent, more than likely your name will be listed in the To: field.
Social Media Notifications – Receiving annoying email alerts every time someone comments on your Facebook status can hinder productivity. Create a rule to file messages from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. to a separate folder, and even disable the alert when such messages arrive.
Out of Office Replies – If you are accustomed to sending email to a large number of recipients, Out of Office replies can clutter your inbox. Create a rule to filter Out of Office/Vacation replies to a separate folder. Just be sure to check this folder if you send an email that requires immediate attention.
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