Managing Your E-Mail

Using Rules to Filter Unwanted e-mail

In addition to using the built-in Outlook filters, you can create custom rules to filter out specific types of unwanted messages. Custom rules include additional words or phases that are not included in the Filters.txt file. Just as with the built-in feature, you can specify that the rules you create move messages from your Inbox to the junk e-mail folder, to your Deleted Items folder, or to any other folder you specify. (top)

Create a rule

1. From the Tools menu in Outlook, click Rules Wizard.
2. Click New.
3. Do one of the following:
     a.Click Start creating a rule from a template.
     b.Click Start from a blank rule.
4. Click Next.
5. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.
If you want to run a newly created rule on messages already in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now on messages already in Inbox check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.
To have this rule apply to all your accounts and Inboxes, select the Create this rule on all accounts check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard. (top)

Change a rule

1. On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
2. In the Apply rules in the following order box, click the rule you want to modify.
3. To Change a condition, action, or exception
     a.Click Modify.
     b.Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.
4. To Rename a rule
     a.Click Rename.
     b.In the New name of rule box, type a name. (top)

To Turn a rule on or off

1. On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
2. In the Apply rules in the following order box, select or clear the check box next to the rule. (top)

Create folders for organizing related items

By default, your e-mail is delivered to the Inbox folder. You can create your own folders to further organize and track Outlook information.
By default, Outlook displays folders under Outlook Today for each of the item types: Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, and Journal. It also provides the following folders:

• Drafts: stores unfinished items you are working on
• Sent Items: stores copies of items you sent to others
• Deleted Items: stores temporarily deleted items until you permanently delete or retrieve them
• Outbox: stores items created offline that you want to send the next time you are online (top)

To Create a folder:

1. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
2. In the Name box, enter a name for the folder.
3. In the Folder contains box, click the type of folder you want to create.
4. In the Select where to place the folder list, click the location for the folder.
5. Click OK (top)

To Move an item into another folder:

1. Select the item you want to move.
2. From the Edit Menu, Choose Move to Folder and then select the name of the folder you want to move the item to. (As an alternative, you can drag the item to the appropriate folder to move it)
3. Click OK (top)

Use color or formatting to highlight e-mail messages

When looking at a long list of items such as messages, it's difficult to find key items that you need. To make specific items stand out, such as all messages from a specific supplier, Outlook can automatically highlight the messages using color and text formatting.

1. On the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View.
2. Click Automatic Formatting.
3. Click Add.
4. In the Name box, type a name for the rule.
5. Click Condition, and then select the options you want.
6. Click OK.
7. Click Font, and then select the options you want.

This can also be done by clicking the Organize button on the Standard toolbar, and then click Using Colors. In the first bulleted item, click the options you want, and then click Apply Color. (top)

To stop highlighting items in a view

1. On the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View.
2. Click Automatic Formatting.
3. In the list, click the rule you want to delete.
4. Click Delete. (top)