Not understanding client vs server mail handling rules

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chuck Lavin
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C

Chuck Lavin

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Hi --

I'm not sure whether this qualifies as an Exchange or an Outlook issue.

I've been messing with this for hours, and I can't figure this out:

I can create a server-side rule using OWA that:

1. selects an incoming email by sender and by words in the Subject: line

and then

2. assigns a specific category to it, and

3. moves it to a subfolder of the Inbox.


When email matching the selection criteria arrives, it's categorized and moved into this folder. (But Outlook then will not notify of the incoming email.)


Now ...


If I try to set up this exact rule inside Outlook 2016, Outlook sets it up as a client-side rule -- complete with the warning that the rule will only trigger if Outlook is running.

Apparently, the culprit is the category assignment. If I omit the category assignment, then the rule is saved in Outlook as a server-side rule. When I reinstate the category assignment, then Outlook insists on making it a client-side rule.

Why can I create a server-side rule directly on the server (via OWA) that includes a category assignment, but I can't do the same inside Outlook? The categories in question are saved as part of the user's mailbox. I get identical category lists whether I try to set up this rule in OWA or Outlook.


I wouldn't be messing around with this so much, except for the notification problem. I _have_ to set up these rules as server rules in order for the email client on the cell phone to get consistent results from them. If the rules don't trigger when the PC running Outlook is off, then these incoming messages don't get moved while the user is out of the office using just his phone.

But now I have the other problem that Outlook does not chime an incoming email notification if these emails are moved into the subfolder by the server rule. So when the user is at his desk, he's oblivious to the incoming emails being shunted to the subfolder. There isn't an option on the server side to add the "display notification" command to the server rule. And Outlook doesn't have an option for "do this when a message lands in a specific folder."


So ...

What do I need to do to create a rule that selects an email based on the sender and the contents of the subject line, then assigns a category to it, then moves it to a subfolder of the user's Inbox, doesn't require Outlook to run, but still makes Outlook notify the user of an incoming message when it is running? (I have the notification part taken care of on the phone.)

Note that when I mention creating "a" server-side rule, I actually am referring to eight of them. I have eight rules that select incoming mail. Each rule uses different sender and Subject: content criteria. Each assigns a different category to the incoming email. But all eight rules move the incoming messages into the same subfolder.

Thanks

CL

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