◆ Outlook · rules

Message Routing

Mark incoming messages addressed to Manager Jenna as high priority and pin them to the top of her inbox so manager‑int…

2heights
2tasks
1roles do it
See the prompt↓More rules workflows

The same job, four prompts

do it · improve it · decide · become
AExecute — “help me do it”Mark incoming messages addressed to Manager Jenna as high priority and pin them to the top of…+
Mark incoming messages addressed to Manager Jenna as high priority and pin them to the top of her inbox so manager‑intended mail lands in her view immediately.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.
BImprove — “do it better”Tweak the priority rule to also promote emails from procurement@vendors and any message with…+
Tweak the priority rule to also promote emails from procurement@vendors and any message with 'approve' in the subject, and send Jenna a short daily digest at 9am of promoted items so nothing critical is missed in promotions or clutter.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid
The tool
Rules Wizard

The Rules Wizard in Microsoft Outlook helps you manage incoming and outgoing email messages automatically based on conditions you define.

  1. 1

    Open Outlook on your desktop.

  2. 2

    Click the File tab in the top left corner.

  3. 3

    Select Manage Rules & Alerts.

    NoteThis opens the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

  4. 4

    On the E-mail Rules tab, select New Rule.

  5. 5

    Choose a template or select Apply rule on messages I receive or Apply rule on messages I send to start from a blank rule.

    Best practiceWhen creating a rule, ensure it applies to the correct email account if you manage multiple accounts in Outlook.

  6. 6

    Select the conditions for your rule and click Next.

  7. 7

    Select the actions for your rule and click Next.

  8. 8

    Add any exceptions to your rule and click Next.

  9. 9

    Enter a name for your rule, review the settings, and click Finish.

    NoteThe rule will now process messages according to your settings.

To quickly create a rule, right-click an email message in your inbox, hover over Rules, and then select Create Rule.

The Outlook Rules Wizard allows developers to integrate custom actions by 'running a script' as part of a rule's actions.

Glossary

words on this page
Apply rule on messages I receiveAn option to activate an automated email rule for all incoming messages.ExampleYou activate a rule to automatically move all future emails from your boss to a high-priority folder.
New RuleA tool to establish an automated action for emails based on specific conditions.ExampleYou create a new rule to automatically move all emails from 'newsletter@example.com' to your 'Reading' folder.
RulesAutomated actions that process incoming or outgoing email messages based on specified conditions.ExampleA rule automatically moves all emails with 'Invoice' in the subject line to your 'Billing' folder.

The real tasks

1 of them
Make sure messages meant for the manager land in their inbox immediately, not buried in promotions.

Who does this

1 roles
Office Clerk

Questions people ask

honest answers

Because you rarely think 'I want the redaction tool'. You think 'I have to share this without leaking the client's details'. Start from the need, and the feature finds you.

Real. Every job here was drawn from what people in real roles were actually seen doing in Outlook — not a feature checklist.

No. Each page gives you a ready prompt you can paste into an AI assistant, plus the plain steps to do it yourself. Start with either — the goal is the finished job, not the tool.