How To Create a Rule to Move Messages to a Folder in Outlook

🖥️ Option 1: Create the Rule in Outlook Desktop (Windows or Mac)

✅ Step 1: Create the Target Folder

1. Open Outlook.
2. In the left folder pane, right-click on your Inbox.
3. Choose “New Folder”.
4. Name it (e.g.,  Team Messages ).

✅ Step 2: Create the Rule

1. Go to the Home tab.
2. Click on Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.
3. Click New Rule.
4. Choose “Apply rule on messages I receive” under Start from a blank rule.
5. Click Next, then select:

• “with specific words in the recipient’s address”

1. Click the link “specific words”, enter the distribution group email (e.g.,  team@yourdomain.com ), click Add, then OK.
2. Click Next, then choose:

• “move it to the specified folder”

1. Click on “specified”, choose your Team Messages folder, and click OK.
2. Finish the rule setup (name it, enable it, etc.), and click Finish.

🌐 Option 2: Create the Rule in Outlook Web (OWA)

✅ Step 1: Create the Folder

1. Go to https://outlook.office.com.
2. In the left pane, right-click Inbox, select Create new folder, and name it  Team Messages .

✅ Step 2: Create the Rule

1. Click the Settings gear (⚙️) in the top right.
2. Click “Mail” > “Rules” (or search “Rules” in the search bar).
3. Click + Add new rule.
4. Name the rule: e.g.,  Move Team Messages .

Conditions:

• Under Add a condition, choose:
• “To or Cc” → enter the distribution group address (e.g.,  team@yourdomain.com )

Actions:

• Under Add an action, choose:
• “Move to” → select the  Team Messages  folder

1. Click Save.



🧠 Notes & Tips

• The rule will only apply to emails where the distribution group is explicitly in the To or Cc line.
• This does not work if you're Bcc’d or if the message is forwarded.