How to filter Outlook emails on all your devices

Which mail rules are server-side and which are client-side

In Windows and on the web, you won’t see any controls in Outlook to specify whether a mail rule is server-side or client-side; that’s because your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Exchange server will determine whether a rule is server-side or client-side. You will see what seems to be such a control in Outlook for Mac, but don’t be fooled; all the “Server Rules” option there means is that the rule is stored on the server for syncing to all your Windows and macOS Outlook email clients. (That syncing is automatic for rules created in Windows or via the web.)

Office 365/Microsoft 365 and Exchange make a mail rule server-side unless it contains any of the following conditions or actions (these make it client-side).

Outlook mail-rule conditions and exceptions that force a mail rule to be client-side are:

• With [specific words] in the subject or body
• With [specific words] in the message header
• With [specific words] in the recipient’s address
• With [specific words] in the subject
• With [specific words] in the body
• With [specific words] in the sender’s address
• Marked as [importance]
• Marked as [sensitivity]
• Flagged for [action]
• Assigned to [category]

Outlook mail-rule actions that force a mail rule to be client-side are:

• Assign it to a [category]
• Permanently delete it
• Flag message for [follow up at this time]
• Clear the Message Flag
• Print it
• Mark it as read
• Display a [specific message] in the New Items Alert window
• Display a Desktop Alert

Note: There is one kind of mail rule that is explicitly set up as server-side: out-of-office reply rules. These have to run from the server, because you are gone and presumably have shut down your devices. But they run only when you have set up an out-of-office schedule in Outlook, so you can’t use them as a way to force server-side rules all the time. Out-of-office mail rules are also limited in what they can do, so even if you set yourself as permanently out of the office to trick Outlook into running server-side rules all the time, your rules will need to be simple. The section “How to set up out-of-office mail rules” later in this story explains how to get to these settings in Outlook for Windows, Mac, web, iOS and Android as well as in Apple Mail for macOS and iOS.

You can also set mail rules to be “on this machine only” — for instance, if you don’t want it to run on other devices (that is, not be synced). There are some conditions and exceptions that force a mail rule to be “on this machine only”:

• If forwarded messages are going to a contact in your local contacts or corporate address book (that is, if the server has to look up the contact to find the corresponding email address)
• If you specify an account to use, such as an IMAP or POP account you have set up in Outlook in addition to your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Exchange account

There are also actions that force a mail rule to be “on this machine only”:

• Moving a message to a folder not in the user mailbox (examples of such external folders are a PST file, a public folder, and a SharePoint list)
• Forwarding messages to a contact in your local contacts or corporate address book (that is, if the server has to look up the contact to find the corresponding email address)
• Replying using a specific template
• Playing a sound
• Starting an application
• Running a script
• Performing a custom action

What all this means is that some of your mail rules will run on the server and some will not. So, you’ll get different message experiences on your computer and mobile clients as a result, with server-side rules applying to all devices and client-side ones only to computers running Outlook or an email app that supports Outlook’s mail rules.

How to set up mail rules in Outlook for Windows

Outlook for Windows provides users with more mail rule options than either Outlook for Mac or the Outlook web app.

To create or edit mail rules, in the Outlook ribbon, click the Rules button’s drop-down menu and choose Manage Rules & Alerts. The Rules and Alerts window opens.

 

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Click New Rule to add a mail rule. Tip: Select Create Rule from the Rules button’s menu in the ribbon to go straight to creating a new rule.

To edit an existing rule, select it click Change Rule, or just double-click the rule you want to change.

When you create a rule, you are guided through a sequence of five windows in the Rules Wizard. You can navigate among the windows using the < Back and Next > buttons while creating or editing the rule.

The first window appears only when you create a new rule. It shows several predefined templates, such as “Move messages from someone to a folder”; select one if desired to have a new rule created using the template’s settings, which you then adjust in the subsequent windows. If you don’t want to start with such a template, go to the “Start from a blank rule” section and select either Apply rule on messages I receive or Apply rule on messages I send. Either way, click Next > to continue.

 

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The second window is where you set the conditions for the rule — for example, if an email comes from a specific sender. In the Step 1 section, check each condition you want applied. All checked conditions must be met for the rule to run. The Step 2 section shows the conditions you selected in Step 1. Some conditions require you to specify information, such as a person or text; in the Step 2 section, click the blue underlined link in a condition to provide those specifics.

 

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(Note: The blue underlined text in the Step 1 section does nothing; it’s meant to let you know what you will need to supply in Step 2.)

Click Next > when done to move on to the next window.

The third window is where you select the actions to take on any emails that meet the conditions set in the second window — for example, moving the message to a specified folder. In the Step 1 section, check each action you want applied. The Step 2 section shows the actions you selected in Step 1 plus the conditions you selected in the second window. Some actions require you to specify information, such as a folder; in the Step 2 section, click the blue underlined link in an action to provide those specifics. You can also edit the specifics here for the conditions you selected in the second window.

 

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Important: Be sure to select the stop processing more rules action in the Step 1 section so additional rules are not applied to the emails that satisfy the conditions here. You typically would stop processing rules if you need to apply OR logic, where several rules might share some base conditions, but some have their own additional specific conditions and actions. If you don’t stop processing, then those subsequent rules could be applied where you don’t want them to be.

For example, maybe rule 1 checks for all messages from specific senders and then moves them to a specified project folder, while rule 2 checks for messages from those same senders that contain “Important” in the subject and then moves them to your Priority Items folder. In other words, rule 2 moves “Important” emails from those senders to the Priority Items folder, while rule 1 moves all other messages from the same people to the designated project folder. You might think the rule order would take care of this situation, where putting rule 2 before rule 1 would have the more specific rule run first and the general rule run later on messages that don’t meet rule 2, but Office 365/Microsoft 365 and Exchange don’t necessarily run the rules in the order displayed in Outlook. Selecting stop processing more rules will ensure that rule 2 takes priority if its conditions are met.

Click Next > when done to move on to the next window.

The fourth window is where you select exceptions to the conditions you set in the second window — for example, if a message is marked as high importance. As on the previous screens, check each exception you want applied in the Step 1 section up top, then detail those exceptions as needed in the Step 2 section below.  

Click Next > when done to move on to the next window.

The fifth window is where you name your rule, immediately enable it, and optionally tell Outlook to run it on any messages already in your inbox. Click Finish when you’re done with the rule.

 

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Back in the Rules and Alerts window, you can check a rule to enable it, uncheck it to disable it, or delete a selected rule by clicking the Delete button. You can also change the order of the rules’ execution by selecting a rule and then using the ▲ and ▼ buttons in the toolbar above the rules list to move it within the list to achieve the order you prefer. However, Outlook may not run the rules in the order you specify. It will first run server-side rules, then client-side rules. Because it doesn’t identify which rules are which, you can’t really control the actual order in which rules run. But by reordering the rules, you increase the chances of them running in your preferred order.

Click OK to exit the Rules and Alerts window when you’re done working on your rules.

How to set up mail rules in Outlook for macOS

Outlook for Mac provides fewer rule options to users than Outlook for Windows and the web do. If you’d like more fine-tuned rules, consider setting them up via Outlook’s web interface, as outlined in the next section of the story.

To set up mail rules in Outlook’s macOS app, go to Outlook preferences by choosing Outlook > Preferences from the menu at the top of your Mac’s screen, then click the Rules button in the Email section. The Rules window opens. Be sure to select your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Exchange account in the Server Rules section at the top of the left pane so the rules are synced to your other Outlook clients. (Ask IT to check your account configuration if there is no such option.) Otherwise, you are creating local rules that will operate only in the current Mac’s Outlook client.

 

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Click + to create a new rule or double-click an existing rule to edit it; either way, a rule creation window opens.

Alternatively, you can start a new rule from your main Outlook mail window: in the Home tab on the ribbon, click Rules > Create Rule. Outlook takes you to the rule creation screen and suggests a rule based on the currently selected message in the mail window; you can edit the suggested rule as needed. Rules created via the Rules button on the ribbon are automatically stored on the server for syncing with your other Outlook clients.

You now can set up your rules, with the following options:

Rule name: Enter a name for the rule that will remind you what it does.

When a new message arrives that meets all these conditions: Pick a field in the first menu, such as From or Subject, for the rule to act on. Then pick a logical expression from the second menu, such as Is, Contains, or After — the specific choices are based on what is being acted on. Then specify the condition: the text to look for in a subject, a person’s email address, a date — again, the specific choices are based on what is being acted on. Click the + symbol to the right to add another condition, or the — symbol to remove the currently selected condition. If you have multiple conditions, all must be satisfied for the rule to be applied; that’s AND logic.

Do the following: Choose what happens if the conditions are satisfied, such as Mark as Read or Move to Folder. Some actions need further information, such as what folder to move an email to. Click + to add another action, or — to remove the currently selected action. If you have multiple actions, all will be applied if the conditions are satisfied.

Except if: Click + to see the options here. This section lets you set conditions that override the conditions you previously set, using the same controls. For example, you might have all emails from a specific account get moved to a folder as an initial condition and then set an exception here that excludes any whose subject contains “Urgent” so they are not processed.

Do not apply other rules to messages that meet the same conditions: Check this box so additional rules are not applied to the emails that satisfy the conditions here. You typically would stop processing rules if you need to apply OR logic, where several rules might share some base conditions, but some have their own additional specific conditions and actions. If you don’t stop processing, then those subsequent rules could be applied where you don’t want them to be.

For example, maybe rule 1 checks for all messages from specific senders and then moves them to a specified project folder, while rule 2 checks for messages from those same senders that contain “Important” in the subject and then moves them to your Priority Items folder. In other words, rule 2 moves “Important” emails from those senders to the Priority Items folder, while rule 1 moves all other messages from the same people to the designated project folder. You might think the rule order would take care of this situation, where putting rule 2 before rule 1 would have the more specific rule run first and the general rule run later on messages that don’t meet rule 2, but Office 365/Microsoft 365 and Exchange don’t necessarily run the rules in the order displayed in Outlook. Selecting stop processing more rules will ensure that rule 2 takes priority if its conditions are met.

Enabled: If checked, the rule will be run on any new email that arrives in the future. Rules don’t automatically get applied to messages that are already in your inbox.

 

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Click OK to exit the rule. You can edit or create additional rules.

In the Rules window, check a rule to enable it, uncheck it to disable it, or delete a selected rule by clicking the — button at lower left. You can also change the order of the rules’ execution by dragging the rules into the order you prefer. However, Outlook may not run the rules in the order you specify. It will first run server-side rules, then client-side rules. Because it doesn’t identify which rules are which, you can’t really control the actual order in which rules run. But by reordering the rules, you increase the chances of them running in your preferred order.

When you’re done working on rules, click the Show All button in the upper left to close the Rules window. You’ll be asked whether you want to save the rules you created and edited.

Note: Outlook for Mac offers an Apply > Apply All menu option in both the Rules button’s menu and the menu bar’s Message > Rules menu path. But it doesn’t work on existing messages; no rules are actually applied. Users have reported this issue for a decade in various versions of Outlook for Mac, and Microsoft support staff simply acknowledge that it doesn’t work on existing messages — which raises the question of why the option exists at all.

How to set up mail rules in Outlook for web

Outlook’s web interface provides more rule options to users than Outlook for Mac but fewer than Outlook for Windows.

To get started, click the Settings button (gear icon) at upper right of the Outlook for web window. At the bottom of the Settings pane that appears, click View all Outlook settings link. Click Mail in the leftmost pane if the mail settings are not shown. Then click Rules in the middle pane to open the Rules pane at right.

 

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Click + Add new rule to create a new rule. You must provide a name for the rule in the Name your rule field before you can apply any settings to it.

Use the Add a condition menu to apply a condition to the rule. If a condition requires data, like an email address for the From condition, a field will appear for you to enter it in. You can add more conditions by clicking Add another condition and selecting a new condition from the menu that appears. All conditions must be met for the rule to run.

 

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Use the Add an action menu to apply an action to be taken on emails that meet the conditions specified. If an action requires data, like a folder for the Move To action, a field will appear for you to enter it in or select it from.

 

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If you want to set exceptions to your conditions, click Add an exception, which then displays a menu from which you select the desired exceptions (you have the same options as when setting the conditions).

The Stop processing more rules box is checked by default. You typically would stop processing rules if you need to apply OR logic, where several rules might share some base conditions, but some have their own additional specific conditions and actions. If you don’t stop processing, then those subsequent rules could be applied where you don’t want them to be.

For example, maybe rule 1 checks for all messages from specific senders and then moves them to a specified project folder, while rule 2 checks for messages from those same senders that contain “Important” in the subject and then moves them to your Priority Items folder. In other words, rule 2 moves “Important” emails from those senders to the Priority Items folder, while rule 1 moves all other messages from the same people to the designated project folder. You might think the rule order would take care of this situation, where putting rule 2 before rule 1 would have the more specific rule run first and the general rule run later on messages that don’t meet rule 2, but Office 365/Microsoft 365 and Exchange don’t necessarily run the rules in the order displayed in Outlook. Selecting stop processing more rules will ensure that rule 2 takes priority if its conditions are met.

In the Rules window, use the switch to the left of a rule name to enable or disable it. Click the pencil icon to the right of a rule to edit that rule, and click the trashcan icon to the right of a rule to delete that rule.

You can also change the order of the rules’ execution by clicking the ↑ or ↓ button to right of a rule to move its position in the list as desired. However, Outlook may not run the rules in the order you specify. It will first run server-side rules, then client-side rules. Because it doesn’t identify which rules are which, you can’t really control the actual order in which rules run. But by reordering the rules, you increase the chances of them running in your preferred order.

How to set up out-of-office mail rules in Outlook or Apple Mail

The process to set up an out-of-office message varies drastically from client to client, but the core automatic-reply capabilities are the same across them all: You enable the automatic reply, optionally specify start and end dates and times, and enter your out-of-office message (usually with separate messages allowed for people in your organization and for people outside it).

Here’s how to get to the controls in each major platform:

Outlook for Windows: Click File in the ribbon to open the Info section of Outlook, then click the Automatic Replies button to access the available rules for out-of-office messages. In the Automatic Replies window, you can compose your OOO message(s) and configure sending times. Click Rules at the lower left to get additional rule options. Click OK when done.

 

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Outlook for Mac: Click the ribbon’s Tools tab, then click the Out of Office button, compose your OOO message(s) and configure sending times. Click OK when done.

Outlook for web: Click the Settings button (gear icon) at upper right of the Outlook for web window. At the bottom of the Settings pane that appears, click View all Outlook settings link. Click Mail in the leftmost pane if the mail settings are not shown. Then click Automatic replies in the middle pane to open the “Automatic replies” pane at right. Set the “Turn on automatic replies” switch to On, then compose your OOO message(s) and configure sending times. Click Save when done.

Outlook for iOS: Tap your user icon at upper left (usually your photo or initials) to open the options pane, then tap the Settings button (gear icon) at the bottom left to open the Settings screen. Tap your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Exchange account and then tap Automatic Replies in the account information screen that opens. Set the Automatic Replies switch to On, then compose your OOO message(s). Tap ✓ in the upper-right corner when done.

Outlook for Android: Tap your user icon at upper left (usually your photo or initials) to open the options pane, then tap the Settings button (gear icon) at bottom to open the Settings screen. Tap your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Exchange account and then tap Automatic Replies in the account information screen that opens. Set the Automatic Replies option to On, then compose your OOO message(s). Tap ✓ when done.

Apple Mail for macOS: Right-click your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Outlook email account or any of its folders in the Mailboxes pane, then choose Out of Office from the contextual menu that appears. Compose your OOO message(s) and configure sending times, then close the window when done.

Apple Mail for iOS: Open the iOS Settings app, then tap Passwords & Accounts. Tap your Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Exchange account to open its settings, then tap Automatic Reply to open the Automatic Reply screen. Set the Automatic Reply switch to On, compose your OOO message(s), and optionally set an end date. Tap Save when done.

Credit: Galen Gruman, Computerworld