Outlook rules are not working: how to fix it

Q: How to fix Outlook rules not working?

Note: The size available for all your Outlook rules is limited to 64 KB, so if you have many complicated rules, it could be a problem for them to work correctly. Otherwise, if you have several simple rules, it should be fine. Here are some fixes that you can try to make your Outlook rules work again. Lire la suite

Outlook rules are automated actions that can help you manage your incoming emails. For instance, a rule can channel emails from a specific sender into a certain folder, allowing you to check your inbox in a handy way. In this article, we'll explain why these rules don't work in your Outlook email client and how to fix it.

How to create an Outlook rule?

To set an Outlook rule, right-click on a message in Outlook and select Rules > Create Rules.
Select the condition and the action and click OK.
On Outlook.com, go to Settings > View all Outlook Settings > Mail > Rules > Add New Rule.

What are the causes of why Outlook rules are not working?

There are various problems that can prevent Outlook rules to work properly. Some of the most common are:

Rules exceed the rule quota that you can use for your mailbox
Send/Receive settings file is corrupt
Rules are set only on one device
Faulty POP3 or IMAP settings

How to fix Outlook rules not working?

Note: The size available for all your Outlook rules is limited to 64 KB, so if you have many complicated rules, it could be a problem for them to work correctly. Otherwise, if you have several simple rules, it should be fine. Here are some fixes that you can try to make your Outlook rules work again.

Edit and rename your Outlook rule: try to avoid lengthy names to reduce their size. To do so, click File > Manage Rules & Alerts, select the rule you'd like to edit, and select Change Rule. Change its name and save it again.
Delete old rules that you don't use anymore. This will also free up some space. You can merge some similar rules into one.
Make your rule work on any device. To do so, in the Email Rules Settings, uncheck mark the Client only checkbox.
Reset or rename the SRS file in Outlook to fix the Send/Receive setting if it's faulty.
If nothing helped, try to reset your rules and check your mailbox for corruption, if you use POP3 or IMAP account. To do so, run Inbox Repair Tool.
Turn on Exchange Cache Mode to fix the possible corruption-related errors. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings. Click Exchange or Microsoft 365, and then click Change. Then, under Offline Settings, check Use Cached Exchange Mode and save the changes.