Message Rules

This page is where your rules (filters) are defined. These rules can move/copy your mail to folders, delete your mail, and flag or mark your mail as read. Various criteria can be matched.

Creating and updating rules

Current rules
This is where your current rules are shown. You can use the links here to move the rules up or down in the list (rules are run from top to bottom), or delete them.

Match criteria
This is where you specify what criteria are to be matched in order to trigger a rule. Possible criteria are From, To, Cc and Subject headers, and also the body text. Either all or any of the criteria can be matched, and the resulting message set can be inverted. This last option is useful if for example you wish to match all messages that don't contain a keyword in the subject (for example). You would specify the keyword in the Subject header box, and select the "Invert matched messages" checkbox.

Actions
Multiple actions can be specified, and are performed in descending order. This can mean that if incorrectly ordered later actions don't appear to be performed. For example, if a move action is specified before (higher in the list) a flag action, then the flag action will not occur as the message has been moved and thus no longer exists in the INBOX.

Reset and Add Rule buttons
These buttons are for clearing the form, and saving the rule respectively. Notably, when you have selected an existing rule from the "Current Rules" list, the "Add Rule" button will change to an "Update" button.

Rule options

Apply rules...
These three radio buttons will determine when the defined rules are applied, either when the INBOX is viewed (every time, including refreshes), at login only (ie once per session), or only when the "Apply Rules" link is used when viewing the INBOX folder.

Apply rules to only unseen messages
If enabled, this will mean that the rules are only applied to messages that have not been read yet.

Apply rules to only recent (newly arrived) messages
If enabled, this will mean that rules are only applied to messages that have not been displayed (different to unread) yet. This option is best used when applying the rules upon every view of the INBOX, as the application will first determine if there are any newly arrived messages, and only apply the rules if there are.