The goal of organizing your Outlook is to reduce the amount of unnecessary "noise" in your Inbox and to make the most important items bubble to the top.

Rules help this process by moving messages into folders based on criteria that you set.

Rules filter the messages coming into your Inbox for must-read items only.

It is considered best practice to have the following rules (details on how to set up these rules are  at the end of this article):

• Automatic Replies    Move all responses to meetings that don't have content to Deleted Items. You can see who has accepted by checking the tracking tab inside the meeting window.
• To: Me    Any message sent directly to you or with you on the Cc line is sent to the Inbox and is not processed by other rules, even if it is also sent to a Contact Group.
• Meeting Requests Sent to Inbox    All meeting requests, even if sent to a Contact Group, should be sent to the Inbox.
• Defer Sent Items    This rule delays sending messages by one minute or longer. When using this rule, make sure that your messages have been sent before you shut down your computer.

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How do I set up the "automatic replies" rule?

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Manage Rules & Alerts.
3. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule.
4. In the Rules Wizard, under Start from a Blank Rule, select Apply rule on messages I receive, and then click Next.
5. Under Step 1, select the Uses the form name form check box. (You might need to scroll down to find this option.)
6. Under Step 2, click Form name, and then select Accept Meeting Response and Tentative Meeting Response. After you add the two forms, click Close and then Next in the main Rules Wizard window. Make sure to select Application Forms from the list at the top of the dialog box, or you might miss Accept Meeting Response and Tentative Meeting Response and and then OK.
7. Select the following exception: Except if the body contains specific words.
8. In Step 2, click Specific words, type a space, and then click Add and then OK.
9. Click Finish.

How do I set up the "To: me" rule?

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click Manage Rules & Alerts.

3. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule.

4. In the Rules Wizard, under Start from a Blank Rule, select Apply rule on messages I receive, and then click Next.

5. Select the Where my name is in the To or Cc box check box, and then click Next.

6. Select the condition Stop processing more rules (you might need to scroll down to find this option), and then click Finish.

   How do I set up the "meeting invitations sent to Inbox" rule?

   1. Click the File tab.
   2. Click Manage Rules & Alerts.
   3. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule.
   4. In the Rules Wizard, under Start from a Blank Rule, select Apply rule on messages I receive, and then click Next.
   5. Select the condition Which is a meeting invitation or update (you might need to scroll down to find this option), and then click Next.
   6. Select the action Stop processing more rules (you might need to scroll down to find this option), and then click Finish.

   How do I set up the "defer sent items" rule?

   1. Click the File tab.
   2. Click Manage Rules & Alerts.
   3. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule.
   4. In the Rules Wizard, under Start from a Blank Rule, select Apply rule on messages I send, and then click Next.
   5. Click Next again, which will apply this rule to every message you send.
   6. Select Defer delivery by a number of minutes.
   7. In Step 2, click A number of and then click OK in the Deferred Delivery dialog box. (The Minutes box displays a default of 1.)
   8. Click Next.
   9. Select the following exception: Except if marked as Importance.
   10. In Step 2, click Importance and then select High importance.
   11. Click Next and name this rule Sent Items.
   12. Click Finish.

    

    For more information, call Cecile at CEO Computers at 818 501-2281. 

    

    

Cecile Bendavid
 

CEO Computers, Inc.