How to Manage Email With Rules in Apple Mail.app

By Alexia Petrakos

Manage Email With Rules in Apple Mail.app Manage Email With Rules in Apple Mail.app

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Most email programs allow you to manage, sort and file incoming mail automatically with rules. Apple's Mail.app is no exception. Based on criteria you set, Mail can move email to a new folder, highlight it different colors, file the email or even forward it elsewhere. This tutorial will take you through the steps necessary to move your email from eHow.com to its own folder.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

  • Apple Macintosh Computer running Mac OS X
  • Mail.app (included with OS X)

Step1
Launch Mail.app on your Apple Macintosh Computer by clicking on the icon in the dock or opening up your "Applications" and finding the icon there.
Step2
Click the plus sign on the bottom left of the Mail.app screen and select "New Mailbox."
Step3
Type in eHow in the pop-up prompt window. This will create an "eHow" mailbox in Mail.app.
Step4
Hold down the Command (aka "Apple") key and press the comma or go to Apple Mail's top menu and select Mail > Preferences to open Mail's preferences.
Step5
Click the "Rules" icon. It's the one with the envelope and arrows coming out of it on the top right of Apple Mail's Preferences window.
Step6
Click the "Add Rule" button on the right-hand side.
Step7
Type in a description of your rule. For this exercise, type in "Move Mail from eHow.com."
Step8
Select "any" or "all" from the drop-down box to specify if you want all the conditions to be met before performing the action or any of them. For this exercise, click "all."
Step9
Select "From" in the drop-down box in the first condition. This is the field that this rule will check. You can select From, To, CC, Subject, Message Content or a number of other fields.
Step10
Select "Contains" from the next drop-down box. Your other options are "Does Not Contain," "Begins With," "Ends with" and "Is equal to."
Step11
Type in the word you want to match. For this example, type in "eHow." You should have a full statement that says "From Contains eHow."
Step12
Select "Move message" in the first drop-down box in the "Perform the following actions" section. Here you can specify different actions like changing the color of the email message, redirecting it to another email address and even set up an auto-reply among other things.
Step13
Select "eHow" in the next drop-down box to specify which mailbox to send the messages.
Step14
Click "OK."
Step15
Click "Apply" or "Don't Apply" in the prompt that asks: "Do you want to apply your rules to messages in selected mailboxes?" If you select "Apply," Apple's Mail.app will apply the new rule to all the messages currently in your mailboxes. If you click "Don't Apply," Mail will leave your current messages alone. The rule will now be applied to all new emails that arrive.
Step16
Close off Apple Mail's Preferences window by clicking the red sphere in the top left.

Comments

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LNAngel said

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on 5/30/2008 Great info!

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eHow Article:  How to Manage Email With Rules in Apple Mail.app

eHow Expert: Alexia Petrakos

Alexia Petrakos

Expert: Computers

Profession: Renaissance Gal

Location: Georgia

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