Filter student emails into folders using a rule

If you get many emails from a particular student you may want to automatically put them into a particular folder so that you can manage them more easily. This explains how to do this using a rule in MS Outlook.

There are three options for creating a rule.

Option 1 - Quick set up to move emails

This option gives you a very quick rule set up but does not allow any customisation of the rule or give you the option to run the rule now or later.

First of all you need to create a folder in Outlook for the student - press the F1 key in Outlook and search for Create a folder for help on how to do this. We have set up an example folder for a student named Alice.

Select an email from the student in your Inbox

Go to the ribbon in Outlook. Select the drop-down on the Rules icon and click Always Move messages from Alice.

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Screenshot showing Outlook ribbon with Rules drop-down selected and Always move messages from Alice button highlighted.

Select the folder you set up for the student. Select OK.

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Screenshot showing Rules and Alerts box with list of available folders. Folder Alice is highlighted as well as OK button.

A rule is now set up and emails are automatically moved to the student folder. You can see the rule under Rules > Manage Rules and Alerts.

 

Option 2 - Creating a rule from scratch

This option lets you set up a rule allowing simple or complex customisation of the rule and gives you the option to run the rule now or later.

First of all you need to create a folder in Outlook for the student. We have set up an example folder for a student named Alice.

Go to the ribbon in Outlook, select the drop-down on the Rules icon and select Manage Rules and Alerts.

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Screenshot showing Outlook ribbon with Rules drop-down selected and Manage rules and alerts button highlighted.

Select the New rule button on the toolbar.

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Screenshot showing Rules and Alerts in Outlook highlighting New Rule button.

This opens the Rules Wizard box. From this Rules Wizard box you can apply many different rules. For this activity we are just going to move messages received from a particular student to the folder you created for them in item 1.

Select Apply rule on messages I receive under Start from a blank rule. Select Next to take you to the conditions you want to set.

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Screenshot showing Rules wizard in Outlook highlighting Apply rule of messages I receive option and next button.

In the conditions screen select from people or public group. Select Next and select move it to the specified folder

  1. If a word in the list is underlined you need to add more information.
  2. Under Step 2 select people or public group to bring up the Rule address box. Here you can choose who the rule applies to.
  3. Select the student from the student list under Other Address books, select OK. The people or public group link in Step 2 has now changed to your students name.
  4. Next select specified.
  5. Choose the folder of the student, select OK. You can now see the specified folder has been changed to the students name in Step 2.
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Screenshot showing folder name change in the Rule Wizard in Outlook.
  1. You now have 3 options:
  • Add Exceptions in which case press Next and complete the following screens until you reach the Finish rule setup.
  • Finish up without being able to add your own title to the rule or running the rule immediately in which case press Finish.
  • Complete the rule set up by adding your own name to the rule but not add exceptions.
  1. For this example we will go with iii so press Next buttons until you reach the Finish Rule setup
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Image showing Finish rule set up in the Rules Wizard in Outlook. It shows fields to add rule name and select turn on this rule.
  1. Give your rule a name – change the default in the Specify a name for this rule field to a more memorable name e.g. Emails from [insert Student name]
  2. Step 2 - Choose Turn on the rule and if you want all existing messages in your inbox to be moved to the folder now tick Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox”.  If you want to move the emails at another time see section on How to move emails into folders manually.
  3. Select Finish.
  4. You are taken back to Rules and Alerts box where you can see rule set up.
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Screenshot showing Rules and Alerts box in Outlook where you can see rule set up.
  1. Press OK.
  2. Check your student’s folder to see all emails have been moved into the folder.

 

Option 3 - Selecting an email from the student to create a rule

This option allows limited customisation if the rule and can be run on any email from a particular person in your inbox

As before, you will first need to create a folder in Outlook for the student. Again we are using Alice as an example and have set up an example folder for them.

Select an email from the student in your inbox (in our case Alice).

Go to the ribbon in Outlook, select the drop down on the Rules icon and select Create Rule.

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Screenshot showing Outlook ribbon with Rules drop-down selected and Create Rule button highlighted.

This will bring up the Create Rule window.

Select the tick-box beside From + Student Name.

Delete whatever is in the subject box for now (You can also set up a rule by subject or combinations of person, subject and sent to)

Select Move the item to folder then click Select Folder.

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Screenshot showing create rule tool highlighting selecting from the current recipient, move item to folder and select folder.

This brings up the up the Rules and Alerts box where you can choose the folder you have created for the student, then select OK.

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Screenshot showing Rules and Alerts box with list of available folders. Folder Alice is highlighted as well as OK button.

This takes you back to the Create Rule box. Select OK to create the rule.

If you want all the emails from your student to be moved into their folder immediately then tick Run this rule now on messages already in current folder.  Press OK. Check the folder and you will see all items from your student have been moved from your inbox into the folder.

If you do not want the emails to be moved immediately then do NOT tick the Run this rule now on messages already in current folder. Press OK.

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Screenshot showing confirmation that a rule has been created.

The rule is now created. The success window then appears telling you that the rule has been created and asks you if you want to run the rule now on messages already in the current folder.