Outlook Rules problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill
  • Start date Start date
B

Bill

Hi

I am trying to automatically sort mail in Outlook 2003
and have set up some rules to do so, however they are not
working. The issue is that the headline changes slightly
everytime with each message as does the email address
from where the note comes from. Even using wildcards does
not seem to work.

For example, I receive a note that has the headline:

New Mailing List Signup : John Doe

& the email address might be: (e-mail address removed)


I might then receive a message with the following title:

New Mailing List Signup : FredBear

& the email address is (e-mail address removed)


I have tried to sort these by applying a wildcard rule
such as:

New Mailing List Signup : *.*

& also New Mailing List Signup : *

yet it does not work & does not automatically send the
message to the designated folder.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Regards

Bill
 
Bill said:
Hi

I am trying to automatically sort mail in Outlook 2003
and have set up some rules to do so, however they are not
working. The issue is that the headline changes slightly
everytime with each message as does the email address
from where the note comes from. Even using wildcards does
not seem to work.

For example, I receive a note that has the headline:

New Mailing List Signup : John Doe

& the email address might be: (e-mail address removed)


I might then receive a message with the following title:

New Mailing List Signup : FredBear

& the email address is (e-mail address removed)


I have tried to sort these by applying a wildcard rule
such as:

New Mailing List Signup : *.*

& also New Mailing List Signup : *

yet it does not work & does not automatically send the
message to the designated folder.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Regards

Bill
Click to expand...

Microsoft doesn't permit wildcards in substring searches (nor do they
support regular expressions). The criteria specified is used in a
substring seach (the phrase entered may appear anywhere in the specified
header). Remove the wildcards. Just specify the phrase to look on
*somewhere* within the header.
 
Thanks for the advice. I am a little confused (being a
novice to rules!) Does this mean that if I simply put the
following phrase in the subject line:

New Mailing List Signup

(ie. No wildcards),

and the option of 'specific words in subject' is chosen,
it will sort the mail?

I am a little confused at how you insert *somewhere* into
the search criteria? Appreciate your advice

Regards

Bill
 
Bill said:
Thanks for the advice. I am a little confused (being a
novice to rules!) Does this mean that if I simply put the
following phrase in the subject line:

New Mailing List Signup

(ie. No wildcards),

and the option of 'specific words in subject' is chosen,
it will sort the mail?

I am a little confused at how you insert *somewhere* into
the search criteria? Appreciate your advice

Regards

Bill
Click to expand...

The phrases can start at character position 1, 2, 3, and so on in the
value of the header you specify (Subject, To, whatever). You are
specify a substring to find somewhere within the value of a header.
Don't use wildcards (because they are treated as regular characters, not
wildcards). Seach on "New Mailing List Signup :" (with no leading or
trailing spaces) in the Subject.

You will waste a lot of time continually defining rules to get rid of
spam. Better would be to get an anti-spam product. SpamPal is free
(and a little tougher to set up) but there are many others to choose
from.
 
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