📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓
In this article
Most people’s rules grow one at a time until mail goes missing. Plan them as a set.
How Outlook runs rules
- Top to bottom, in the order in File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
- Every matching rule runs, unless a rule has stop processing more rules.
- Exceptions (“except if from my own team”) stop a rule for specific mail without needing a second rule.
A sensible order
- Rules that only mark (flag the boss, category for CC-only): no stop.
- Rules that move important mail (invoices to Finance): stop.
- Bulk rules (newsletters, system alerts): stop.
Example from the planner: a mail from the boss containing “invoice” gets flagged by rule 1, then moved by rule 2, which stops. Put rule 2 first and the flag never happens.
Server-side vs client-only
Rules that only use mailbox actions run on the server, even when your PC is off. A rule that moves mail to a .pst file, plays a sound or runs a script shows “(client only)” and runs only while Outlook is open on that PC.
Common mistakes
- Rules that delete: move to a folder instead and review weekly.
- “Run rules now” on the whole inbox without testing: try on one folder first.
Practice
Open the rules planner, answer the quiz, then build rules 1-3 in Outlook in the planned order.
📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Rules plannerFive planned rules plus a quiz on which rules fire.⬇ XLSX · 6 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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