Feature Request: Outlook Rule Processing on Delete

[Guest]

After reading a message in my mailbox, I have to manually move it to its
corresponding folder. The Move To Folder drop down is a nice touch, but it
would be better if a rule can be set to process upon delete. I've misclicked
the Move To folder. I also have more folders than can be listed in the drop
down (9 or so).

The rules applied to delete would be different than the rules applied to
arriving messages. Therefore, a button to process rules would not work
properly.

Run Rules Now allows selection of rules that aren't enabled, but I want to
run the rule against specific messages, not all of them.


Purpose & Use: My Inbox is for new and incomplete items. After completion,
I file them into their proper folder, one of them being Deleted Items. The
destination folder is easily represented by a rule, just not easily executed.

--
Thank you,

Chris W

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[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

After reading a message in my mailbox, I have to manually move it to its
corresponding folder. The Move To Folder drop down is a nice touch, but
it
would be better if a rule can be set to process upon delete. I've
misclicked
the Move To folder. I also have more folders than can be listed in the
drop
down (9 or so).

I have about 50 subfolders myself and I occasionally click the wrong one.
CTRL+Z undoes that operation and lets me have another go at it.

The rules applied to delete would be different than the rules applied to
arriving messages. Therefore, a button to process rules would not work
properly.

I'm not clear on what actions you want to take with a message you've
deleted. Can you elaborate?

Run Rules Now allows selection of rules that aren't enabled, but I want to
run the rule against specific messages, not all of them.

Part of the rule is to use criteria to determine which messages to run the
rule against. But it needs to look at all of the messages in the folder to
determine which ones match the criteria.

Aloha,

-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, OneNote-MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
Microsoft Outlook FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/outlook.htm

**I apologize but I am unable to respond to direct requests for assistance.
Please post questions and replies here in the newsgroup. Mahalo!

 

[Guest]

It seems reasonable to have rules file your email after you've read them
rather than before.

I'm not clear on what actions you want to take with a message you've
deleted. Can you elaborate?

Examples...

If I delete an email from our UPS's ([email protected] and (e-mail address removed)), move
them to the Inbox\UPS Events folder. I want the UPS events to show in my
Inbox, but after I'm done with them, I want to file them under UPS.

If John Smith sends me an email, I want it to go in my Inbox. After I'm
done with it, I want it to go into my Inbox\John Smith folder.

If I delete a message where the from is @CustomerA.com, I'd like the message
to go into Deleted Items\CustomerA.

If I delete a message with "Project X" in the subject, I'd like the message
to go to Inbox\Project X.

Part of the rule is to use criteria to determine which messages to run the
rule against. But it needs to look at all of the messages in the folder to
determine which ones match the criteria.

That's true. But, I"m trying to file email messages on a per message basis.
Specifically, "Am I done with this email?" is my criteria. I need to go
through each email and decide that. If I'm done, I file it. If not, it
stays in Inbox.

These rules would have to be applyed as I'm reading them. As in, I might
have 3 emails from John Smith, but I'm only done with 2 of them. I can't use
Run Rules Now because it would match all 3 messages.

Another implementation would be to add a "File" button next to "Delete".
This way, after I'm done with John Smith's email, I can click File, and it
will run up against the Filing rules (different than inbound our outbound
rules). But, if John sent me a joke or junk email, I can then click Delete
to have it sent to Deleted Items and bypass the rule.

 

[CMM]

That's an interesting set of ideas... "Filing Rules." I can see where you're
going with it.

But, I sincerely doubt Microsoft has the brain-trust to perfect such an
innovation. They'd rather change one line of code re-positioning the preview
pane and market it as a "fantastic new feature sure to knock your socks
off."

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I love Outlook (which is why I use it)... I just
haven't seen anything truly innovative in Office in 8 years.

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

It seems reasonable to have rules file your email after you've read them
rather than before.

Actually 99% of the time when I want a rule to fire is to deal with an
e-mail message so I don't have to read it. Moving it to a subfolder,
forwarding it to somebody else or even deleting it. That way my Inbox
doesn't get cluttered with stuff that should be automatically dealt with --
leaving me only the messages that require my attention.

Examples...

If I delete an email from our UPS's ([email protected] and (e-mail address removed)),
move
them to the Inbox\UPS Events folder. I want the UPS events to show in my
Inbox, but after I'm done with them, I want to file them under UPS.

Then you haven't deleted it - you've moved it. Why not create a rule that
moves a COPY of the UPS messsage to the UPS Events folder when the messages
arrive? Then you can delete the copy that is still in your Inbox after
you're done with it and the copy the rule made to begin with will remain in
the Events folder.

If John Smith sends me an email, I want it to go in my Inbox. After I'm
done with it, I want it to go into my Inbox\John Smith folder.

Same as above. Make a rule that sends a copy then you can delete the one
that's in the Inbox when you're done with it.

If I delete a message where the from is @CustomerA.com, I'd like the
message
to go into Deleted Items\CustomerA.

Why do you need subfolders of deleted items? You're just going to trash it
all anyhow.

If I delete a message with "Project X" in the subject, I'd like the
message
to go to Inbox\Project X.

Once again there seems to be some confusion around what "delete" does. If
you delete the message it's gone. It sounds to me like what you actually
want to do is move the message to the Project X subfolder. And as above I
think the best solution, if you're not satisified with "Move to Folder"
would be a rule that makes a copy in the Project X subfolder when the
message arrives, then you can delete the one from the Inbox.

That's true. But, I"m trying to file email messages on a per message
basis.
Specifically, "Am I done with this email?" is my criteria. I need to go
through each email and decide that. If I'm done, I file it. If not, it
stays in Inbox.

These rules would have to be applyed as I'm reading them. As in, I might
have 3 emails from John Smith, but I'm only done with 2 of them. I can't
use
Run Rules Now because it would match all 3 messages.

Not if one of the criteria is that the message has to be marked as read and
you leave the one you're not done with as unread.

Another implementation would be to add a "File" button next to "Delete".
This way, after I'm done with John Smith's email, I can click File, and it
will run up against the Filing rules (different than inbound our outbound
rules). But, if John sent me a joke or junk email, I can then click
Delete
to have it sent to Deleted Items and bypass the rule.

Well - that's an interesting idea. In the meantime Move to Folder does
essentially that, though you do have to tell it which folder to move to.

Aloha,

-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, OneNote-MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
Microsoft Outlook FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/outlook.htm

**I apologize but I am unable to respond to direct requests for assistance.
Please post questions and replies here in the newsgroup. Mahalo!