How to Create a Rule in Outlook to Forward Incoming Email

When you are going on a trip or just having someone else tend your email messages for a while, create a rule in Outlook to forward your incoming messages to another mailbox. Open Outlook and follow these steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Single left click on the "Tools" menu in the top menu bar in the Outlook window.

2. Move the pointer down to "Message Rules," then slide it right to "Mail." Left click on "Mail."

3. Select the conditions under which you want the rule to apply. If you want it to apply only to email from certain people, email pertaining to certain subjects, if the message has an attachment or is secure, select one of those boxes by doing a single left click in the open box ahead of the condition. If you want the rule to apply to all messages, then select the box in front of "For all Messages."

4. Choose the action you want the rule to accomplish, which in this case would be, "Forward it to People."

5. Look in the rule description field and you will see where it has added, "Forward it to People," and "People" will be blue with an underscore. Single left-click on the underlined word to specify the email address to which you want the messages forwarded. In the next dialog box, you either type an address into the blank field or click on the "Address Book" bar to open your address book, and then choose an address from the address book by double clicking on it.

6. Name your new rule in the field at the bottom of the "New Mail Rule" box, or accept the default name, "New Mail Rule # 1." Click OK at the bottom of the box and your messages are forwarded to the email address you specified after you click the "Apply Now" button in the next two dialog boxes that open.

7. Turn the rule on and off as needed or delete it.

Tips & Warnings

• Be ready. As soon as you apply the rule, Outlook will begin forwarding every message in your inbox. Ensure you don't have any messages in there which you don't want forwarded.