Unlocking the Mystery: Where Are Outlook Rules Stored and How to Access Them

Key takeaways :

• Outlook rules can be stored locally and can be accessed through the Outlook desktop app or the Outlook web app.
• Client-only rules in Outlook are conditions that can only be performed by the Outlook client, such as playing a sound when receiving a message.
• Common conditions that make a rule a client-only rule include delivery receipts, voting responses, and Automatic Replies.
• When creating new rules in Outlook, users can access the rules management through the Home tab in the Move group or through the File tab by choosing Manage Rules & Alerts.
• Some rules in Outlook may only run when the application is running, and users may encounter warnings when setting up certain rules.
• When using the Outlook web app, users can access rules through the Settings menu, while in the Outlook desktop app, rules can be managed through the File tab and selecting Manage Rules & Alerts.

Are Outlook Rules Stored Locally

From <people or distribution list>, flag message to <play a sound>. In this example, you ask the rule to play a sound when you receive a message, and this condition can be performed only by Outlook, which makes it a client-only rule. Examples of common conditions specified in a rule that make it a client-only rule:

Delivery receipts, voting responses, and Automatic Replies. When rules are applied, delivery receipts, read receipts, voting responses, and Automatic Replies (Out of Office notifications) are processed as if they’re messages. A rule that moves messages with the word meeting in the Subject box to a specific folder, for example, also moves all delivery receipts, voting responses, or an Automatic Replies to that same folder.

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Accessing Outlook Rules

1. On the Home tab, in the Move group, click on Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.
2. Alternatively, you can go to the File tab and choose Manage Rules & Alerts.

Some rules may only run when Outlook is running. If you encounter a warning like shown below, just click OK.

Step 1. Create a New Rule

• If you’re using the Outlook web app: Head to the Settings menu (look for the gear icon; for me it was in the upper right corner), click “View all Settings“, go to Mail, then select Rules. Alternatively, find the Settings menu and then search for “rules.”
• If you’re using the Outlook desktop app: Head to File, then Manage Rules & Alerts, then click “New Rule…”

On the desktop app, you’ll see an option to create a new rule from a template, or to start from a blank rule:

• Go to Outlook > Preferences in the menu bar and select Rules. Choose the account on the left if you have more than one. Then, click the plus sign at the bottom of the rule list.
• Head to the Home tab from your inbox. Select the Rules drop-down menu in the Move section of the ribbon and pick Edit Rules. Choose the account on the left and click the plus sign at the bottom of the rule list.

Once you have the new rule screen open in your version of Outlook, it’s time to create a rule to take action on your emails automatically.

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To start crafting a server-side rule, click the Rules button. This brings up the Automatic Reply Rules panel, and as you can see, there’s not a lot you can do except click the Add Rule button. The Edit Rule window that opens is where you can form your new server-side rule. You’ll see that the options for these rules are much simpler than in the Rules Manager. This is because you are limited to actions that can be performed by the server. If you want Outlook to play a specific sound when a mail from your boss arrives, you can only do that with a client-side rule.

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Create a Rule on a Message

1. Right-click an existing message and select Rules > Create Rule.
2. Select a condition, and what to do with the message based on the condition. For example, to move messages with a certain title to a specific folder, select the Subject contains condition, select Move the item to folder, select or create a New folder, and then select OK.
3. When you’re done creating the rule, select OK.
4. To use the rule right away, select the Run this new rule now on messages already in the current folder checkbox, and then select OK. The message now appears in that folder.

Create a Rule from a Template

1. Select File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule.
2. Select a template. For example, to flag a message:
3. Edit the rule description.
4. Select Next.
5. Select the conditions, add the relevant information, and then select OK.
6. Select Next.
7. Finish the rule setup.
8. Select Finish. Certain rules will only run when Outlook is on. If you get this warning, select OK.
9. Select OK.

On the “Options” dialog box, click “Export Rules”. The “Save Exported Rules as” dialog box displays. Navigate to the folder in which you want to save your rules backup file. Enter a name for your backup file in the “File name” edit box. The “Rules Wizard rules (*.rwz)” type is selected by default in the “Save as type” drop-down list and the .rwz extension is automatically added to the file. If you’re sharing your rules with other people using the same version of Outlook as you, click “Save”. If you’re sharing your rules file with someone using an older version of Outlook, you’ll need to select a different type of rules file before you save the file, as discussed below.