How do I create a rule in OWA?

This tutorial applies to the following operating system(s): 

 Windows

Macintosh

Overview:

Email rules allow you to sort incoming email to separate folders based on information contained in email headers, such as the From: address, To:, Subject:, etc. This functionality allows easy management of your inbox.

1. How to Create a New Rule
2. Automatically Forward Email
3. Delete Unwanted Email
4. Send Mail to a Specified Folder
5. Placing Emails into Categories
6. Create a New Rule from an Email
7. Deleting a Rule

How to Create a New Rule:

In Outlook 2016 and newer, Rules can be found under the "Home" tab in the "Move" section. In older versions of Outlook, you can access rules by the ribbon, clicking Tools->Rules. 

To access rules in OWA:

1. Make sure you are in Mail view, as opposed to Calendar, People, or OneDrive.
2. Click on Settings at the top of the page, represented by a gear icon.
3. At the bottom of the new side-tab, under My app settings, select "Mail."
4. In the new side-tab to the left, under "Mail," then "Automatic Processing," select "Inbox and sweep rules."
5. To create a new rule from this window, click the + button to open the new rule window.

Automatically Forward Email:

1. In the New Rule window, select the condition that determines which emails get automatically forwarded. (For example, selecting "It was sent or received > Received from..." contact@uidaho.edu) Then click Save next to the check mark in the upper left corner. 
2. Under the choices of "Do all of the following" select "Forward, redirect, or send" and select "Forward the message to."
3. Link the people or distribution lists to whom you would like to automatically forward, then click "Save."
4. Add exceptions (optional), then press the OK button, then the save button above Inbox Rules to set your rule into action.

Delete Unwanted Email:

1. In the New Rule window, select the condition that makes the email unwanted. (For example, selecting "It was sent or received > Received from..." contact@uidaho.edu) Then click Save next to the check mark in the upper left corner. 
2. Under the choices of "Do all of the following" select "Move, copy, or delete" and select "Delete the message."
3. Add exceptions (optional), then press the OK button, then the save button above Inbox Rules to set your rule into action.

Send Mail to a Specified Folder:

1. In the New Rule window, select the condition that marks the email to go to a folder other than the inbox. (For example, selecting "It was sent or received > Received from..." contact@uidaho.edu) Then click Save next to the check mark in the upper left corner. 
2. Under the choices of "Do all of the following" select "Move, copy, or delete" and select "Move the message to folder" and select the folder to which you would like the email sent.
3. Add exceptions (optional), then press the OK button, then the save button above Inbox Rules to set your rule into action.

Placing Emails into Categories:

1. In the New Rule window, select the condition that specifies the email goes under a certain category. (For example, selecting "It was sent or received > Received from..." contact@uidaho.edu) Then click Save next to the check mark in the upper left corner. 
2. Under the choices of "Do all of the following" select "Mark the message" and select "with a category" and select the category.
3. Add exceptions (optional), then press the OK button, then the save button above Inbox Rules to set your rule into action.

Create a New Rule from an Email:

1. Select an email you would like to use as a template for a new rule.
2. Either right-click on the message and select "new rule" or, in the commands tab next to the search box, select the "more" button represented by three dots, then "Create rule..."
3. A new inbox rule window will open with conditions already listed based on the email you selected in step one. For example, who it was from, who it was to, what the subject was, etc.) You can still add or subtract conditions.
4. Choose an action for the rule to follow under "Do all of the following" and select OK, then the save button above Inbox Rules to set your rule into action.

Deleting a Rule:

Once you have created a rule, you will see a checkbox that says delete rule listed right below the displayed folder name. Check this box and click Update/Change/Convert Email Filters and the rule will be deleted.