How to Create Rules in New Outlook

To create a rule in New Outlook, select Settings (the gear icon) > Mail > Rules > Add new rule, name it, choose a condition and an action, then select Save. For example, you can make messages from a particular sender move automatically to a folder, be marked as read, or receive a category.

What rules do in New Outlook

A rule tells Outlook what to do when an incoming message matches criteria you choose. Conditions identify the message, such as who sent it or words in its subject; actions determine what happens next. Rules are useful for reducing inbox clutter, sorting routine notifications, and making certain messages easier to spot.

For instance, a rule could look for mail from a weekly report address and move it to a Reports folder. Another could flag messages with a particular subject phrase, or mark newsletters as read after moving them out of the inbox. A rule only acts on messages that meet its conditions; it does not change the sender’s mail or stop the message from being delivered to your account.

New Outlook uses a settings interface that is similar to Outlook on the web. The rules available can depend on the account and the mail service behind it. A Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com mailbox typically offers Outlook rules, while Gmail and other connected accounts may rely on that provider’s own filters for some sorting behavior.

Create a rule from Settings

Open New Outlook and select the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
In Settings, choose Mail, then Rules. If the settings pane is narrow, use its search field to look for Rules.
Select Add new rule. Enter a descriptive name, such as Move invoices to Finance.
Under Add a condition, select the detail that should identify matching mail. Depending on the account, options can include the sender, recipients, subject text, or message importance.
Choose the matching value. For a sender condition, enter or select the email address; for a subject condition, enter the word or phrase Outlook should look for.
Under Add an action, choose what Outlook should do, then supply any required details. To file mail, select a move action and choose the destination folder.
Review any additional options, such as adding another condition, an exception, or stopping other rules from processing the message. Select Save.

Labels and exact wording can change as Microsoft updates New Outlook, and some choices are account-dependent. If an action or condition described in help material is missing from your screen, check which account is selected and whether its mail provider supports that option.

Choose conditions and actions carefully

A condition should describe the messages you genuinely want the rule to catch. A sender address is often more precise than a broad subject word. If you use a phrase such as invoice, for example, messages from unrelated senders may also match. Before saving, consider whether the condition could catch legitimate mail you would rather keep in the inbox.

Sender: Useful for a known person, service, or mailing list. Use the specific address when possible rather than a display name that may not be unique.
Subject text: Helpful for recurring reports or booking confirmations, but subject lines can change or contain the same words in unrelated messages.
Recipient: Useful when mail sent to a particular alias or group address should be filed separately. Confirm whether the condition refers to the To or Cc field, if the distinction matters.
Importance or other message properties: These can support triage, but they depend on the sender or mail system setting those properties consistently.

Common actions include moving a message to a folder, deleting it, marking it as read, applying a category, or forwarding it, where those options are offered. Choose the least disruptive action that meets your goal. Moving routine mail is usually easier to reverse than deleting it, and applying a category can help distinguish messages without removing them from the inbox.

Build a practical example

Suppose a company sends a daily automated sales report from reports@example.com, and you want those messages in a folder called Sales Reports. First create the folder in the folder pane if it does not already exist. Then open Settings > Mail > Rules and select Add new rule. Name the rule Daily sales report, set the sender condition to reports@example.com, and set the action to move the message to Sales Reports. Save it.

Use a sender-specific condition if every message from that address should be filed. If the address also sends other kinds of mail, combine the sender condition with a subject condition such as Daily sales summary, if the interface lets you add conditions. That tighter match reduces the chance that an unrelated message will be moved. After saving, watch the folder and inbox when the next report arrives. If it goes somewhere unexpected, edit or disable the rule rather than adding several overlapping rules immediately.

Rule order, exceptions, and overlaps

Rules can overlap. A message might meet the conditions for both a rule that moves it to a folder and another that deletes it or marks it read. When the rules page provides ordering controls, place more specific rules before broader ones and review the available option to stop processing more rules. That option can prevent later rules from acting on a message, but its effect depends on the rule setup and the service, so do not enable it without considering what other rules need to do.

Exceptions let you exclude messages that otherwise match. For example, a rule that files all mail from a supplier could have an exception for messages marked important, if that condition is offered. Use exceptions when there is a clear, repeatable reason to treat part of a group differently. If the logic becomes difficult to explain, simplify the conditions or use separate, narrowly defined rules.

After changing the order or logic, check each rule’s conditions and actions as a set. A rule that moves a message before another rule can inspect it may affect what happens next. Rule order and processing controls are especially worth reviewing when an expected message seems to disappear from the inbox.

Create a rule from a message

For a quick rule based on a message already in your inbox, right-click the message and look for Rules or Create rule in the context menu. If that option is available, New Outlook can use details from the selected message to help set up a rule. Review the proposed condition and action before saving: a rule based on one message may use its sender or another detail, but it will not automatically know how you want all similar mail handled.

This shortcut is convenient for a simple sender-based rule, but Settings gives you more opportunity to inspect the full setup, add conditions, and configure exceptions. If the right-click menu does not show a rule option, create it through Settings instead; the menu can vary with the selected message, account, and app version.

Edit, disable, or remove a rule

Return to Settings > Mail > Rules to review rules for the selected account. Use the controls beside a rule to edit its name, conditions, actions, or exceptions; the available controls may appear as an edit button, a toggle, or a more-options menu. Turn a rule off when you want to pause it without losing the setup. Delete it only when you are sure you will not need it again.

Rules generally handle arriving mail; do not assume that creating one will reorganize messages already in your folders. To tidy existing mail, search for the relevant messages and move them yourself, or use a separate bulk-management feature if your account provides one. When testing a newly saved rule, use a new message that clearly meets its conditions and check both the inbox and destination folder.

New Outlook, classic Outlook, and other accounts

In New Outlook for Windows, the usual route is Settings > Mail > Rules. Classic Outlook for Windows has a different interface and commonly exposes rules through the Rules menu on the Home ribbon or through File > Manage Rules & Alerts. Instructions for classic Outlook may therefore not match the New Outlook settings pane.

New Outlook for Mac also uses Settings and mail-rule controls, though labels and layout can differ slightly from Windows. Outlook on the web has a similar Settings > Mail > Rules workflow. If you switch between versions, check that you are editing rules for the same mailbox; rules belong to an account, not simply to the Outlook app installed on a device.

Connected Gmail, Yahoo, or other accounts can behave differently from Microsoft-hosted mailboxes. Outlook may offer some message actions for a connected account, but provider-side filters and capabilities are not identical across services. If a rule is unavailable or does not behave as expected, check the account provider’s filter settings as well as Outlook’s rules page.

Common problems and how to fix them

The rule does not appear to run: Confirm that it is enabled, that it belongs to the mailbox receiving the message, and that the incoming mail actually matches every required condition. Check the destination folder and other folders before assuming the message was lost.
Mail is going to the wrong folder: Check for broad conditions, overlapping rules, and actions that move a message more than once. Narrow the match or add a suitable exception.
A condition or action is missing: Available choices differ by account type and service. Try the account’s own webmail settings, or consult its administrator if it is a work or school mailbox.
An existing message was not moved: Rules typically apply to messages as they arrive, rather than automatically processing the whole mailbox. Move older messages manually if needed.
The message still appears in junk or is blocked: A filing rule is not the same as junk-mail filtering or blocking a sender. Review the account’s junk-mail and blocked-sender settings for unwanted mail.

If a work or school account is involved, an administrator may control mail-flow policies or restrict some actions. In that case, a missing setting may not be something you can enable yourself. Avoid creating a second rule as a workaround until you have identified what the first rule is doing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a rule in New Outlook to move messages automatically?
Yes. Go to Settings > Mail > Rules > Add new rule, choose a condition such as the sender, and choose a move action with a destination folder. Save the rule and check that it is enabled.

Do New Outlook rules apply to messages already in my inbox?
Usually, rules are intended to process incoming messages rather than retroactively sort all existing mail. For older messages, search for them and move them manually unless your version or account explicitly provides a way to run a rule on existing mail.

Can I make a rule for a specific word in the subject?
Yes, if the account’s rule options include a subject condition. Add the relevant subject phrase and choose an action. A specific phrase is generally safer than a common word that might appear in unrelated messages.

Why is my rule not working in New Outlook?
Check that it is switched on, targets the correct account, and matches the message’s actual sender, recipient, or subject. Also review overlapping rules, exceptions, and the destination folder. Account-provider limitations can affect which rules are supported.

Can I use the same rules on my phone?
Rules for a supported mailbox are generally processed by the mail service, so their actions can affect mail even when you are not using Outlook on your computer. The phone app may offer fewer controls for creating or editing rules, so use New Outlook or the account’s webmail settings to manage them.

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