How to Set Up Automatic Email Forwarding in Outlook

To forward every new message automatically, open Outlook settings, go to Mail > Forwarding, turn on forwarding, enter the destination address, and save. If you want to forward only selected messages, create a rule instead. The exact menus depend on whether you use Outlook on the web or new Outlook, classic Outlook for Windows, or Outlook for Mac; the steps below cover each option.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Outlook account you want messages forwarded from.
The full email address that should receive forwarded messages. If it is a work or school account, check that your organization allows automatic forwarding, especially to an address outside the organization.
A browser or Outlook desktop app. Outlook for iOS and Android may not offer the same forwarding controls, so use Outlook on the web if you cannot find the setting in the mobile app.

Step-by-Step

Choose whether to forward everything or just certain messages. Use the Forwarding setting to send all new incoming mail to another address. Choose a rule if you need to forward only mail from a particular person, with a certain subject, or meeting other conditions. A rule is usually the better choice for a shared inbox or when only specific messages should leave your account.
Open the right Outlook version. For Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 Outlook in a browser, sign in at Outlook on the web. In new Outlook for Windows, open the app and make sure you are working in the account you want to configure. If you have classic Outlook for Windows, skip to step 5 for rule-based forwarding; its desktop interface does not use the same all-mail Forwarding page as Outlook on the web. Outlook for Mac also uses rules for selective forwarding; check its Mail settings for the available forwarding options in your account.
Turn on all-message forwarding in Outlook on the web or new Outlook. Select the Settings gear in the top-right corner. Open Mail, then Forwarding. If the settings panel is compact, select View all Outlook settings first, then choose Mail > Forwarding. Turn on Enable forwarding, type the destination email address, and check the spelling carefully. Select Save. The menu labels can vary slightly by account or app update, but the setting is under Mail and Forwarding.
Decide whether to retain a copy in the original inbox. If you want the messages to remain visible in the Outlook mailbox, select Keep a copy of forwarded messages before saving. This is useful for records and lets you find messages in both places. If you leave the option off, the messages may no longer be retained in that inbox, depending on the account and service. Do not assume the recipient’s mailbox is a reliable archive; check the setting and your organization’s retention rules.
Create a forwarding rule when you need conditions. In Outlook on the web or new Outlook, open Settings > Mail > Rules and choose Add new rule. Give the rule a recognizable name, such as Forward invoices to accounting. Select the conditions you need, for example a sender or words in the subject, then choose the action to forward the message to an address. Enter or select the recipient, review any exception options, and save the rule. The exact rule builder can differ by account, so make sure the action says forward and that the destination shown is correct.
Set up a rule in classic Outlook for Windows. Open classic Outlook and select File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule. Under Start from a blank rule, choose Apply rule on messages I receive, then select Next. Choose conditions or leave them blank to apply the rule to every incoming message; when prompted, confirm that the rule should apply to all messages. Select the action to forward it to people or public group, then click the underlined recipient link to choose or enter the destination. Select Next to add exceptions if needed, choose Next again, name the rule, and select Finish. Select Apply and OK if those buttons appear. If you leave conditions blank, the rule can forward every message, so verify the scope before finishing.
Use rules in Outlook for Mac when appropriate. Open Outlook, select Tools > Rules, choose the account, and create a new rule. Add a condition if forwarding should be selective, then set the action to forward the message to the intended address. Save or enable the rule and check that it is active for the correct account. Outlook for Mac versions and account types can present different rule options; if you do not see a forwarding action, try Outlook on the web or ask your administrator whether forwarding is restricted.
Test the setup. Send a message from a different email account to the Outlook address. Wait a few minutes, then check the destination inbox and its Junk or Spam folder. If using a rule, send one message that should match and another that should not. Confirm that only the expected message is forwarded and that a copy remains in the original mailbox if you selected that option.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong account or mailbox: Outlook can have several accounts connected at once. A forwarding setting applies to the account whose settings are open, not necessarily every account shown in the app. Confirm the account name or address before saving.

Confusing forward with redirect: A forwarded message usually appears to come from you, and replies generally go to your address. A redirected message preserves the original sender as the apparent sender, so replies go back to that sender. If your rule offers both actions, select the one that matches your purpose. Forwarding is generally easier for a person who needs to review or respond to messages on your behalf.

Forgetting to keep a copy: People often expect forwarded mail to remain in the Outlook inbox. Check Keep a copy of forwarded messages or add a rule action that preserves the original, where available. For business mail, follow your organization’s retention policy rather than relying on personal settings.

Making a rule too broad: A rule with no conditions may forward every incoming message, including sensitive or personal mail. Add precise conditions and exceptions, and send test messages before depending on it. Also check the rule order and whether another rule can stop processing or move the message first.

Forwarding to an unverified address: A typo can send private messages to the wrong person or cause mail to disappear from the place you expect. Copy the destination address from a trusted source, inspect it character by character, and test delivery.

Tips

Prefer a rule for limited forwarding. Conditions such as sender, subject words, or recipient help reduce unnecessary forwarding. Keep the criteria simple enough that you can tell why a message matched.
Use a clear rule name. Names such as Forward calendar notices to assistant are easier to audit than Rule 1. Include the purpose, and review the rule whenever that purpose changes.
Check security and privacy first. Forwarding sends message contents and potentially attachments to another mailbox. Make sure the recipient is authorized to see them, particularly for work, school, health, or financial messages. Some organizations block forwarding to external addresses by design.
Keep access to the original account. Forwarding is not a substitute for maintaining a secure mailbox. Use a strong password and multifactor authentication, and do not share credentials just to let someone receive messages.
Plan for replies and attachments. A recipient may need to reply to you rather than the original sender, and large attachments can be subject to delivery limits. Tell the recipient how you want replies handled and check that important attachments arrive intact.
Turn forwarding off when it is no longer needed. Return to Mail > Forwarding and disable it, or remove or switch off the relevant rule. Then send a test message to confirm mail stays in the Outlook account.

Troubleshooting

The Forwarding option is missing or cannot be changed. First confirm you are signed in to the correct account and are using Outlook on the web or new Outlook. For a work or school Microsoft 365 account, an administrator may have disabled automatic forwarding or restricted external recipients to reduce data leakage. Ask your IT administrator whether forwarding is allowed; do not try to bypass an organization’s policy.

No message arrives at the destination. Recheck the address, the enabled state, and whether you selected Save. Look in Junk or Spam, and check the recipient mailbox’s storage and message limits. Test with a small plain-text message. If the message is not delivered after a reasonable wait, ask the destination provider or your Microsoft 365 administrator to check for a delivery rejection or mail-flow restriction.

Only some messages are forwarded. If you used a rule, review every condition, exception, and recipient. A condition may not match the actual sender or subject, and an exception can prevent forwarding. Confirm the rule is enabled and applies to the intended account. In classic Outlook, rules that depend on a computer-only action may not run while Outlook is closed; use a server-side rule or Outlook on the web when the rule needs to operate continuously.

Messages go to the wrong place or keep appearing in the original inbox. Check whether the destination address was entered correctly and whether the rule uses forward or redirect. If copies are staying in the original inbox, the keep-copy option may be enabled; if they are not, turn it on if available. Avoid deleting the original until you have confirmed the destination is receiving and retaining messages.

Forwarding stops after working before. Revisit the setting or rule to make sure it is still enabled. An administrator may have changed policy, a password or account change may have affected a connection, or a recipient mailbox may be rejecting messages. For organization accounts, provide IT with the sender, approximate time, and destination of a failed test so they can trace the delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I automatically forward only emails from one person?
Yes. Create a rule, set the sender as a condition, and choose the action to forward to the intended address. Send a test from that sender and another address to verify the rule’s scope.

Will Outlook forward messages when my computer is off?
The all-mail forwarding setting in Outlook on the web is handled by the mail service, so it does not depend on your PC being on. Many Outlook rules are also server-side, but some classic Outlook rules rely on the desktop app. If a rule is marked as running only on this computer, Outlook must be open for it to run.

Can I forward mail to a Gmail or other external address?
Often yes for a personal account, but work and school accounts may block external auto-forwarding. The receiving service can also filter or reject messages. Confirm that the destination is authorized and test it before relying on forwarding.

Does forwarding include attachments?
Normally, forwarded messages include their attachments, subject to account, security, and message-size limits. Check a test message with a small attachment, and use an approved file-sharing method for large or sensitive files.

How do I stop Outlook from forwarding my mail?
In Outlook on the web or new Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Forwarding and turn forwarding off, then save. For rule-based forwarding, open Mail > Rules or the Rules menu in classic Outlook or Outlook for Mac, and disable or delete the relevant rule.

Can I forward mail to more than one address?
The basic forwarding setting may accept only one destination, depending on the account. To send matching messages to multiple recipients, create a rule and add the approved recipients if the rule builder allows it. Avoid forwarding broadly to multiple people unless each is permitted to receive the message contents.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.