The Microsoft Outlook Rules Wizard is a messaging manager for Outlook. With the Rules Wizard, you can define instructions for performing actions on incoming and outgoing mail messages. The Rules Wizard uses a systematic process to guide you through the rule creation process. For example, you can use the Rules Wizard to:

• Assign Categories to incoming or outgoing messages based on their contents.
• Set a notification, such as a message box or sound, when important messages arrive.
• Move messages to a folder, based on the sender.
• Delete messages in a conversation.
• Flag messages from a specified sender.
• Delay delivery of messages by a specified amount of time.

Also, any editing of rules, either for new ones or for modifications, will only be saved when OK has been pressed on the Rule Wizard box.
If any error messages occur when OK is pressed the edits will not be saved. These error conditions will need to be cleared first.

• How to Convert the Inbox Assistant Rules
• How to Create Rules
• How to Modify Rules
• How to Delete Rules
• How Rules Are Applied
• How to Run Rules on the Microsoft Exchange Server

When you first start the Rules Wizard, you are prompted to convert all Inbox Assistant Rules to Rules Wizard rules.

1. Click Yes and then
2. Click OK to convert all Inbox Assistant rules except any rule containing conditions based on a custom form; these will have to be re-created.

In an Exhange Server environment rules may act differently after converting to Rules Wizard.

Before creating any rules, check the conditions you will test for.
You can create a rule in three ways:

• Create a new rule.
  1. In the Outlook Inbox, on the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
  2. Click New.
  3. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.
• Copy and modify an existing rule.
  1. In the Outlook Inbox, on the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
  2. In the Apply rules in the following order box, click the rule you want to copy and then
  3. Click Copy.
  4. Click Modify and follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard to modify the conditions as necessary.
• Base a rule on a message.
  1. Open the message you want to base the rule on.
  2. On the Actions menu, click Create Rule.
  The Rules Wizard is already populated with basic information from the message. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard to modify the conditions as necessary.

Before creating any rules, check the conditions you will test for.

1. In the Outlook Inbox, on the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
2. In the Apply rules in the following order box, click the rule you want to modify.
3. Click Modify.
4. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.

1. In the Outlook Inbox, on the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
2. In the Apply rules in the following order box, click the rule you want to delete.
3. Click Delete.

When you create a rule, you designate whether to apply it when messages arrive in the Inbox, or when you send messages.
Rules are applied in the order in which they appear in the "Apply rules in the following order" list in the Rules Wizard.
You can move rules up or down in the list by clicking to select a rule, and then clicking Move Up, or Move Down.

If you use Microsoft Exchange Server, the rules are stored on both your computer and the server. If a rule can be completed on the server, it will run even if Outlook is not running on your computer.
However, if it requires client-based activity, like moving a message to a folder in a Personal Folders file, the rule is applied when you start Outlook.

Outlook tries to update all rules on the server. Rules that cannot be updated are marked "client only" after their name. If your list contains rules that have been updated on the server and rules that have not, the rules on the server are applied first, and then the client only rules.

NOTE: Outlook does not track meeting invitation responses, task assignment responses, and voting responses if these messages have been moved from the Inbox to another folder by a rule.

• Server-Based Vs. Client-Based Rules
• How Exchange Assistant Rules Work

Outlook 2000 includes a Rules Wizard enhancement option called Run Rules Now. This feature allows you to manually apply any rule to any folder whenever you choose. This feature allows you to clean up or organise messages, contacts, appointments or tasks that already exist in various folders.

The above information applies to:

• Microsoft Outlook 2000