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This article will show you how to Fix ‘Outlook Rules Not Working’ issue. Outlook is a good email program, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Rules, an important part of Outlook, has been broken for a long time, according to many users. In this article, you’ll find out how to fix Outlook Rules that don’t work on your Windows computer. Rules in MS Outlook let you tell the software what to do with your emails. Outlook rules let you sort incoming emails into folders automatically and help you keep track of them, which will save you a lot of time.
Many people rely on this feature to keep up-to-date, so problems with it can be a little scary. One of the most common reasons for this is when the rules limit is higher than 256 KB. Your problem should be fixed if you delete old rules that are no longer needed and give them new names. This might not work for everyone, though. Read this article to find out what’s going wrong with your Outlook Rules and how to Fix ‘Outlook Rules Not Working’ issue. If you know more information about this, visit official Website for further support.
What are Outlook rules?
Outlook rules are functions that let the user tell Outlook what to do when a message arrives in the main tray based on certain conditions. Most of the time, this feature automates things that the user would have to do constantly and by hand otherwise. With this tool, you can make much better use of your email inbox.
Outlook rules let you move, flag, and reply to email messages automatically. You can also use rules to play sounds, move messages to folders, or show alerts when new items arrive. From using the Outlook Rules feature to making sure there are no conflicts with other rules to scanning the Inbox and more, these guaranteed solutions can help you fix Outlook Rules quickly and easily. So, if Outlook Rules aren’t working for you, try any of the options here and get back to full speed.
Causes of Outlook Rules Not Working
- Misconfigured rule: Check if the rule is set up correctly. Ensure that the conditions, actions, and exceptions are properly defined.
- Conflicting rules: If you have multiple rules that are similar or conflicting, it can cause issues. Make sure there are no conflicting rules in your Outlook settings.
- Corrupted rule: Sometimes, a rule can become corrupted, leading to malfunctioning. In such cases, you may need to delete and recreate the rule.
- Outlook version incompatibility: If you recently updated Outlook or migrated to a different version, some rules may not be compatible. Ensure that your Outlook version supports the rules you are trying to use.
- Issues with Exchange server: If you are using Outlook with an Exchange server, server-side issues can affect the functionality of rules. Check with your system administrator or IT support to ensure there are no server problems.
- Disabled rules: Verify that the rules are not disabled inadvertently. Sometimes, rules can be disabled, and you need to enable them to make them work.
Ways to Fix ‘Outlook Rules Not Working’ issue
Rename Outlook Rules
If you give your Outlook rules long names, they might get bigger, which could cause unexpected problems with how they work. To fix this, give your Outlook rules shorter names and see if that gets things moving again. Use these steps to change the names of Outlook rules:
- Click the File menu in the top left corner of the Outlook app.
- Click the Manage Rules & Alerts button on the Info tab.
- Select the rule you want to change under the Email Rules tab.
- Select Rename Rule after clicking Change Rule.
- Type a shorter name for the rule and click OK.
- To save the changes, click “Apply.”
Reset the Outlook SRS File
An SRS (Send and Receive Settings) file on your PC is where Outlook stores important account settings. If for some reason this file gets damaged, Outlook rules won’t work. To fix this, you can change the name of the old SRS file to force Outlook to make a new one. This is how.
- To open the Run box, press Win + R.
- In the Open field, type %appdata%MicrosoftOutlook and press Enter.
- Find the Outlook.srs file in the File Explorer window that opens and click on it.
- You can rename the file to Outlook.srs.old by pressing the F2 key on your keyboard.
- After you’ve done all of the above, restart Outlook and see if your rules work as expected.
Delete Unwanted Outlook Rules
In addition to renaming rules, you could also delete rules you no longer need to avoid conflicts or strange behaviour. This is how.
- Go to File > About > Manage Rules & Alerts in the Outlook app.
- Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the rules you no longer need.
- Click the top “Delete” button.
- When asked, choose “Yes.”
Disable the Stop Processing More Rules Option
By changing the settings in the Outlook app, you can tell it to stop running rules after a certain rule has already been run. But this can cause Outlook to ignore all the rules that come after it, making it seem like your rules aren’t working right. To stop this from happening, follow the steps below to turn off the “stop processing more rules” option.
- Go to File > About > Manage Rules & Alerts in Outlook.
- Choose the rule you want from the list.
- Click “Change Rule” and then “Edit Rule Settings” from the drop-down menu.
- Clear the box that says “Stop processing more rules.”
- Click “Done,” then “Apply.”
Activate Cached Exchange Mode
When the Cached Exchange Mode is turned on, Outlook keeps a copy of your mailbox in the Outlook data file. This can make it easy for the app to follow your rules. To turn on Outlook’s Cached Exchange Mode:
- Click the File menu in Outlook.
- Click Account Settings on the Info tab, then click Account Settings again.
- Select your account and click Change under the Email tab.
- Select Advanced after clicking More Settings.
- Check the box next to Use Cache Exchange Mode.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
Make Sure Outlook Rules Are Enabled
First, you should make sure you haven’t accidentally turned off any Outlook rules. Follow these steps to do so:
- Click the File menu in the top left corner of the Outlook app.
- Click the Manage Rules & Alerts button on the Info tab.
- Make sure that the boxes next to your rules are checked under the Email Rules tab.
Configure Outlook Rules to Run on All Devices
Your Outlook rules might also not work if you have set them up to only run on a certain device. Here are some ways to change that.
- Go to File > About > Manage Rules & Alerts in Outlook.
- Double-click the rule that doesn’t work.
- Uncheck the box that says “On this computer only” under Select conditions.
- Click Finish, then Apply.
Questions and Answers
Some of the reasons you can’t use your email rules are that they’re turned off, Outlook’s SRS file is broken, you’ve used up all the space for your rules, your version of the Outlook app is too old, and more.
Outlook on the web (which used to be called Outlook Web App) and the Outlook desktop apps have a limit of 256 KB for all of the rules in the inbox. Each rule you add to your mailbox will take up space.
Stay organized: These rules help you filter, file, and follow-up with messages.
Stay up to date: These rules notify you when you receive a message that fits a specific set of criteria.
Custom rules: These are rules you create without a template.
Only your inbox is affected by rules. They don’t work on other folders. Note: If you sign in to Office 365 with a work or school account, you are using Outlook on the web. See How to use inbox rules in Outlook.com if you have an Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN account.