How to Create Rules in Outlook (and Fix Them When They Don't Work)
By Clarnix, Team ·
Quick answer: in new Outlook, Outlook on the web and Outlook.com, go to Settings › Mail › Rules › Add new rule, give the rule a name, add a condition and an action, and select Save. In classic Outlook for Windows, go to File › Manage Rules & Alerts › New Rule and follow the Rules Wizard. The fastest route in any version: right-click an email › Rules › Create rule.
The hard part isn't the steps. It's that there are four Outlooks, their menus don't match, and a rule that works in one can silently stop working in another. This guide covers every version, seven rules you can copy, what "Stop processing more rules" really does, and eight fixes for rules that don't run.
First: which Outlook do you have?
Microsoft's own test is simple: if you see File at the top left of the window, you're on classic Outlook. If you don't, you're on new Outlook or a web version.
Version | Where rules live | What to know |
|---|---|---|
New Outlook for Windows | Settings › Mail › Rules | Server-side rules only. Doesn't support rules for Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud accounts added to it. |
Outlook on the web (work or school) | Settings › Mail › Rules | Same rules as new Outlook; they run on the server. |
Outlook.com (Hotmail, Live) | Settings › Mail › Rules | Some rules created in other versions can't be processed here. |
Classic Outlook for Windows | File › Manage Rules & Alerts | The only version with client-side rules (sounds, alerts, printing…), which run only while Outlook is open. |
Outlook mobile (iOS, Android) | Not available | You can't create rules in the app. Server-side rules you create elsewhere still apply to mail you read on your phone. |
Outlook for Mac has its own rules screen; Microsoft documents it separately in Create a rule in Outlook for Mac.
How to set up rules in new Outlook and Outlook on the web
The steps are identical in new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web and Outlook.com.
The quick way: from an email
Right-click an email from the sender you want to sort.
Hover over Rules and select Create rule.
Pick the folder where that sender's mail should go and select OK.
That's a complete rule. From now on, new mail from that sender goes straight to the folder.
The full way: conditions, actions and exceptions
Select Settings (the gear icon) at the top of the page.
Go to Mail › Rules and select Add new rule. If you started from an email, select More options instead.
Give the rule a name you'll recognise in six months ("Invoices → Finance", not "Rule 4").
Add a condition, for example From or Subject includes.
Add an action, for example Move to a folder.
Optional: add an exception (for example, "except if it's marked high importance").
Tick Stop processing more rules if no other rule should touch these messages (explained below).
Select Save.
Every rule needs at least a name, a condition and an action. You can stack several conditions, actions and exceptions in the same rule.
How to create rules in classic Outlook (Rules Wizard)
Select File › Manage Rules & Alerts.
On the Email Rules tab, select New Rule.
Pick a template (for example, "Move messages from someone to a folder") or start from a blank rule.
Choose the conditions, then click the underlined values in the rule description to fill them in (which sender, which folder).
Add actions and exceptions, give the rule a name and select Finish.
If Outlook warns that the rule will only run when Outlook is on, select OK. You've just created a client-side rule (more on that in the fixes section).
To create a rule from a specific email in classic Outlook, right-click the message and choose Rules › Create Rule. Outlook suggests a rule based on the sender and recipients; to apply it straight away, tick Run this new rule now on messages already in the current folder.
Conditions, actions and exceptions you can use
These are the building blocks available in new Outlook, according to Microsoft's feature comparison. Classic Outlook has all of them and more.
Type | Common options |
|---|---|
Conditions | From · To · Subject includes · Subject or body includes · Sender address includes · Has attachment · I'm on the CC line · I'm the only recipient · Message size at least · Marked with importance |
Actions | Move to · Copy · Delete · Mark as read · Categorize · Mark with importance · Forward to · Redirect to · Mark as junk |
Exceptions | Any condition, used as "except if…" |
Only in classic Outlook: playing a sound, desktop alerts, printing, permanently deleting, replying with a template and "on this computer only". If a rule uses any of those, it won't work in new Outlook.
What "Stop processing more rules" means
Outlook runs your rules from top to bottom, and several rules can apply to the same email. Ticking Stop processing more rules on a rule tells Outlook: once this rule has matched, ignore every rule below it for this message.
Microsoft's example: one rule moves "Wedding plans" emails to a folder, another deletes anything with an attachment. Without the checkbox on the first rule, a wedding email with an attachment would be moved and then deleted. With it, the second rule never runs.
Two practical habits:
Put your most specific rules (one client, one project) at the top with the checkbox ticked.
Put broad rules (newsletters, notifications) at the bottom. Reorder with the up and down arrows in Settings › Mail › Rules.
7 Outlook rules you can copy
Each one is written as condition › action, using the names you'll see in new Outlook.
Invoices in one place. Subject or body includes invoice, receipt + Has attachment › Move to "Invoices" and Mark with importance. Tick Stop processing more rules.
Newsletters out of the inbox. Subject or body includes unsubscribe › Move to "Read later". Check the folder for a week: banks and tools you rely on also include unsubscribe links.
One folder per client. Sender address includes clientdomain.com › Move to "Clients/Client name".
Automated alerts, already read. From the alerts address of your monitoring, CRM or shop › Mark as read + Move to "Alerts".
CC mail in the background. I'm on the CC line › Categorize as "CC". Don't move it yet: confirm for a week that nothing needing a reply lands there.
Your boss, always visible. From your manager › Mark with importance (high). Place it first and tick Stop processing more rules so no other rule moves those emails.
Large attachments flagged. Message size at least 10 MB › Categorize as "Large". Handy when your mailbox starts running out of space.
How to run, edit, delete or export rules
Run a rule on emails you already have
By default a rule only acts on new mail. In new Outlook and the web, go to Settings › Mail › Rules and select the run icon next to the rule. In classic Outlook, go to File › Manage Rules & Alerts › Run Rules Now, tick the rules and choose Run Now.
Edit or pause a rule
In new Outlook: Settings › Mail › Rules, then More actions (⋯) › Edit rule, and Save. To pause a rule without deleting it, use the toggle next to its name.
Delete (or undo) a rule
New Outlook: More actions (⋯) › Delete rule. Classic Outlook: File › Manage Rules & Alerts, tick the rule and select Delete. Deleting a rule doesn't move emails back: anything it already moved stays where it is.
Export or import rules
Only classic Outlook can do this. Go to File › Manage Rules & Alerts › Options and choose Export Rules or Import Rules. Rules are saved as an .rwz file that only classic Outlook can open, and imported rules are added to the end of your list. It's also the easiest way to back up your rules before changing computers.
Outlook rules not working? 8 fixes
Start by confirming your Outlook version (see the table above), because the most common causes depend on it.
1. The rule is turned off
Check the toggle in Settings › Mail › Rules, or the checkbox next to the rule in classic Outlook. Rules can be switched off after errors without you noticing.
2. It's a client-side rule
Client-side rules (any rule that plays a sound, shows an alert, prints, or uses "on this computer only") only run while classic Outlook is open on the computer where you created them. If your PC is off, they don't run, and they won't run on your phone either.
3. You moved to new Outlook and the rule came with you
New Outlook doesn't support client-side rules. A migrated one shows the message "This rule can't be edited or viewed". Create it again in new Outlook. If you can't find the condition or action you used before, new Outlook doesn't support it yet.
4. Another rule gets there first
Rules run in order. A broad rule higher up can move or delete a message before your specific rule sees it. Move the specific rule up and tick Stop processing more rules.
5. The target folder was renamed, moved or deleted
A rule pointing to a folder that no longer exists can't move anything. Edit the rule and select the folder again. In classic Outlook, File › Manage Rules & Alerts flags broken rules so you can fix them.
6. The account is Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud inside new Outlook
Microsoft states that new Outlook doesn't support rules for third-party accounts like these. Set the rule up with that provider instead (for Gmail, see how to create rules in Gmail).
7. You've hit the rules size limit
In Exchange Online, all your enabled rules share 256 KB of space. There's no cap on the number of rules, but long names and complex conditions use it up, and Outlook warns that it can't save or update rules. Delete old rules, shorten names and merge similar rules into one.
8. The email doesn't match the way you think
Senders often use a different address or subdomain than the one you see, and a rule only acts on mail that arrives after it's created. Open the email, check the real sender address and run the rule on existing messages to test it.
Where Outlook rules fall short
Rules are free and dependable, and you should use them. But once your inbox gets busy, their limits show:
They match words, not meaning. A rule on "invoice" catches your supplier's invoice and the newsletter about "cutting your invoices". A client asking "can you send me the outstanding amount?" never says "invoice".
Every rule needs maintaining. A new supplier, a changed sender address or a new project means another trip to settings.
They live in one account and one version. Your work Outlook, your personal Gmail and your domain's IMAP mailbox each have their own rules, menus and quirks.
They sort, but they don't tell you what matters. At the end of the day you still open every folder to find what needs a reply.
Plain-English rules across Outlook, Gmail and IMAP
This is where Clarnix fits. Instead of picking conditions from a list, you write the rule in your own words, for example: "archive everything from our monitoring tool unless it says critical". Clarnix shows you how it understood the rule before saving it, and tells you if it can't do exactly what you asked. More on writing rules in Clarnix.
What changes compared with an Outlook rule:
One rule list for all your mailboxes. Connect Outlook, Gmail or IMAP and choose which accounts each rule applies to.
AI handles what no rule covers. The first matching rule wins; everything else goes through AI triage, grouped into Needs action, Unresolved issues, FYI and Auto-handled.
A summary in the channel you already check, instead of opening folder after folder. See how briefings work.
Your email is processed in memory and Clarnix never stores message bodies. Details on our security and privacy page.
What Clarnix doesn't do: it doesn't forward emails. For that, the Outlook rule above is the right tool, and the two work side by side.
Plans start at €9 a month billed annually (excl. VAT), and Starter includes 10 rules. See all plans on the pricing page. If you're comparing tools, read our SaneBox alternative and Superhuman alternatives guides, or start with how to fix email overload.
FAQ
Can you create rules in the Outlook mobile app?
No. The Outlook app for iOS and Android doesn't let you create rules. Create them in Outlook on the web or on your computer; server-side rules then apply to all your mail, including what you read on your phone.
How do I make Outlook rules run automatically?
Rules run automatically on new mail as long as they're enabled. If a rule only works when Outlook is open, it's a client-side rule: rebuild it without sounds, alerts, printing or "on this computer only" so it runs on the server.
What does "Stop processing more rules" mean in Outlook?
Once a rule with that option matches an email, Outlook ignores every rule below it for that message. Use it on specific rules so broad rules further down can't undo them.
Can I apply a rule to emails already in my inbox?
Yes. In new Outlook and the web, select the run icon next to the rule in Settings › Mail › Rules. In classic Outlook, use File › Manage Rules & Alerts › Run Rules Now.
How many rules can you have in Outlook?
There's no fixed number. In Exchange Online, enabled rules share a 256 KB limit, so how many fit depends on how long and complex they are.
Does Gmail have rules like Outlook?
Yes, Gmail calls them filters. They work the same way (conditions plus actions) but live under Settings › Filters and blocked addresses. Here's our guide on how to create rules in Gmail.
Wrapping up
Find your Outlook version, start with one rule from an email you already have, and add the rest as you spot patterns. Put specific rules first with Stop processing more rules ticked, and avoid client-side options if you want rules that run while your computer is off. When you're juggling several mailboxes, or keywords stop being enough to tell what matters, try writing your rules in plain English.
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Outlook steps checked on 29 October 2026 against Microsoft Support. Outlook's interface can change.