Advocacy Services - Email - Organize your email in Outlook using rules

This document describes the process for organizing email using rules in Outlook 2000.  Rules can be created with the Organize window or with the Rules Wizard.  We begin with the basic use of the powerful but complex Rules Wizard, and also touch on the shortcuts provided by the Organize window.

An email rule, sometimes referred to as a filter, will search messages for specified characteristics and perform some action on those messages that have the desired traits.  For example, you can:

• Filter out all mail from a particular email list and automatically move it into an appropriate folder before it ever hits your Inbox.
  

• Put a special label like a color or importance stamp on any messages from a specific person.  
  

• Print a copy of every email you send to the Governor.  

Rules are primarily used to help manage incoming mail, although they can also be used on existing or sent messages.

The fundamentals of creating effective rules are not necessarily intuitive and can sometimes cause headaches for even the most tech savvy activist.  For basic rules, Outlook provides a simple shortcut interface that fills in the blanks automatically, based on the message you currently have selected.  However, to learn the principles underlying these shortcuts, we recommend starting with the full Rules Wizard.  A couple of passes through the Rules Wizard should help tame the beast that has become your Inbox.

Tutorial: creating a rule to filter email list messages

The most common type of rule is one that checks messages when they arrive.  You can also apply rules to messages after you send them or if they've already been moved out of the Inbox.  In this example we will demonstrate how to move email list messages into their own folder before they ever hit your Inbox.  (Note:  Filtered or moved messages will still appear as unread.)  

Starting the Rules Wizard

1. While in the Inbox, click the Organize button.

2. In the upper right hand corner click Rules Wizard, skipping the organize shortcuts.  (The Rules Wizard is also available from the Tools menu.)

3. Click New.

Selecting the type of rule

Begin by selecting "Check messages when they arrive."  Click next to move forward through the Rules Wizard.

Setting the criteria for the rule

In then next step, you will choose the criteria that the rule is looking for.  The first thing that you must ask yourself when creating a rule is, �what about this type of message will differentiate it from all other messages?�  Generally, a message to an email list has the name of the list in the To: field.  So, to apply a rule to messages from the [email protected] list, you should:

1. Scroll down and select �with specified words in recipients address."  

2. In the description box below, click on the highlighted "specified words."

3. Enter the name or a part of the name of the list, in this example [email protected]. 

4. Click "Next."

Sometimes, people will cc: or bcc: message to an email list, making it hard to identify the messages based on the "To:" field.  In this case, you should closely examine the "Subject:" and "From:" fields of the email list messages; often they will be unique to that list.  For example, a list might have a [NAME OF LIST] prepended to every subject line.  Or the messages might appear as being from "[email protected]. " 

You'll have to use your common sense to determine how best to specify the criteria for a rule--this is one area where the computer can't substitute for good old fashioned judgment.

Setting the action for a rule

Now that we�ve picked which messages to filter out, we need to decide what to do with them.  You should see the question �What do you want to do with the message?�  In this case, we want to move the selected message to a specific folder.  We could also delete it, forward it or even make it big and bold and red. 

1. Select �move it to the specified folder�  

2. Click on the word "specified" in the description box.  

3. Next you can select an existing folder or create a new one for this list.  Let's create a new folder by clicking on "New." 

4. Type a name for the folder

5. Choose "Mail Items" under �Folder contains:� 

6. And finally highlight a location for this new folder to be placed. 

7. Click OK.  

8. Make sure that the new folder is highlighted and click OK.

9. With the action defined, you can click Next to proceed.

Setting exceptions for the rule (optional)

In the next step you can add exceptions to this rule, like if a message comes from a particular person or account.  This rule does not require exceptions so click Next.  

Naming and activating the rule

Now you simply type a name for this rule and choose when you want it to run.  If you check the �Run this rule now�� box, the rule will filter through messages currently in your inbox.  Do this if appropriate, otherwise simply confirm that the �Turn on this rule� box is checked and click finish. 

Your rule is now active and ready to check all incoming messages.  To manually apply a rule to a specific folder, go to the Rules Wizard as described above, click Run Now and choose the rule and folder.

Using the Organize shortcuts

While in any folder you can click on the Organize button to open a small window that contains many useful shortcuts.  When in a mail folder, the options default to moving, or creating a rule to move, the selected message to a recently used folder.  The folder options are only a subset of the Rules Wizard, but can be quite handy for the most common actions.

Also available from the Organize window is the ability to apply colors and formatting to selected messages.  Maybe you want to make messages from your boss catch your eye.  From the Automatic Formatting option in the upper right hand corner you can change the color, style and size of the font used for any message or series of messages.

Final Thoughts   

Email has become something that we depend on to communicate our thoughts, ideas and plans effectively and inexpensively.  As we move further and further down this road of online communication, it is important to manage this flow of information.  In our five years of visiting activist Inboxes, we know how easy it is to lose control of your email.  And when it happens, email ends up keeping you from your real work.

Managing all of this information such that it continues to be a benefit to your work can be a challenge.  However, current software applications are making email easier to use and maintain.  Creating rules or filters is one of the most effective ways to keep the important stuff accessible while continuing to receive the supplemental information that feeds indirectly into your work.

Try these tips for effective email management:

1. Reserve your Inbox for messages that are most likely to require your immediate attention.  Everything else can be filtered out to the appropriate folder.
2. Creating a folder and associated rule for all listserve messages will clean up your Inbox for higher priority messages, allowing you to revisit the listserves when time allows.
3. Use colors and fonts to help draw your attention to the important messages.
4.  

More information

For more information on managing email with Outlook or Eudora, we suggest the online tutorials available at http://www.learnlots.com .

Outlook 2000 -  http://www.learnlots.com/webskins/heading.cfm?heading_ID=46&LL_Style=1
Eudora - http://www.learnlots.com/webskins/learnlet.cfm?LL_ID=8626&LL_Style=1

For  Outlook Express for the Mac, try MacOptions' thorough, yet clean and easy to navigate tutorial at http://www.macoptions.com/oe/.

06/29/01

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