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Apply Categories Automatically With Rules in Outlook

Let your inbox automatically organize all your emails into categories

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 19, 2020 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Outlook Word Excel Powerpoint Organize your inbox and categorize your emails. Categories make emails easier to find. For example, set up categories for email that contains certain words in the Subject line or specified recipients in the Cc line. Then, automate categories by creating a rule so that Outlook.com applies the desired category when the message is delivered to your inbox. Instructions in this article apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; Outlook for Microsoft 365; and Outlook.com.

Apply Categories Automatically With Rules in Outlook com

To set up a filter in Outlook.com to add categories automatically to incoming messages automatically: Go to Outlook.com and sign in to your account. Go to Settings and select View all Outlook settings. In the Settings dialog box, select Mail > Rules. Select Add new rule. In the Name your rule text box, enter a name for the rule. Select the Add a condition dropdown arrow and choose the condition you want to use to assign a category. For example, to categorize email marked as important, choose Importance and select the High option. Select the Add an action dropdown arrow, choose Categorize, then select the category you want to assign it to. Select Save to save the rule. The new rule is added to the Rules settings dialog box and incoming emails that match the rule criteria are assigned to the category.

Remove an Existing Outlook Com Rule

If you want to remove any of the category rules you've created, go to the Rules list (Settings > Mail > Rules) and select Delete rule (the trash can icon) to remove the rule from the list.

Apply Categories Automatically with Rules Using the Outlook Desktop App

You can also add categories automatically to incoming emails in the Outlook desktop app as well. Open the Outlook desktop app and go to the Home tab. Select Rules > Create Rule. In the Create Rule dialog box, select Advanced Options. In the Rules Wizard, choose the condition you want to use to automatically add a category to the incoming email, then select Next. Select the assign it to the category check box. Select the blue category link. In the Color Categories dialog box, select the category you want to assign to the incoming email. To customize a category, select Rename and enter a different name for the category. Select OK to close the Color Categories dialog box. In the Rules Wizard, select Finish to create the rule.

Remove Rules on Outlook Desktop

To see the list of rules you created, go to the Home tab and select Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts. Use the Rules & Alerts dialog box to manage the rules you created. To delete a rule, choose the rule and select Delete. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Forward Outlook Mail to Another Email Address Forward Multiple Emails Individually in Outlook How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Outlook How to Add Members to a Distribution List in Outlook How to Set Up an Incoming Mail Filter in Windows Live Hotmail How to Insert a Link Into an Email With Outlook Filter One Sender's Mail to a Certain Folder in Outlook How to Create New Folders to Organize Mail in Outlook Outlook Auto CC and BCC Email Addresses How to Fix It When Outlook Rules Are Not Working How to Streamline Conversations in Outlook How to Create a New Outlook.com Email Account How to Delete an Address From the Outlook Autocomplete List How to Clear the Outlook Cache How to Empty Deleted Items and Junk Folders Fast in Outlook.com How to Create Rules in Gmail for (Almost) Anything Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies