Setting up mail filtering rules in Outlook 2002

1. Setting up email rules

It is possible to set up rules to filter your incoming emails in Outlook. This short tutorial will show you how to filter emails using the X-Oxmail-Spam-Level: headers which are attached to all incoming emails. Those emails that correspond to your rule will be transfered to a 'spam' folder which can be checked at your leisure.

X-Oxmail-Spam-Level: is designated by a series of stars (*). The higher the number of stars, the greater the chance that the email is spam. By adjusting the number of stars in your rule (see below), you can fine tune the amount of spam email that is filtered away from your INBOX.

To make a rule for spam levels in Outlook 2002, click on the [Tools] menu at the top of the screen and select [Rules Wizard].

Locating the Rules Wizard
Figure 1. Locating the Rules Wizard

You will then see the following screen:

Rules Wizard opening screen
Figure 2. Rules Wizard opening screen

Click on the New button to start making a new rule. The following screen will then appear:

New rule screen
Figure 3. New rule screen

Select the Start from blank rule option. The screen text changes and highlights the Check messages when they arrive option.

Blank rule text change
Figure 4. Part of the blank rule screen

Click on the Next button.

Selecting header as text to scan
Figure 5. Selecting the message header text

On the new screen you are asked to set the conditions your rule applies to. Scroll down the list of options to find the [With specific words in the message header] option. Click the associated check box. The rule description box will show new text.

Text now reads 'specific words in header'
Figure 6. Changed text in rules description box

Click the specific words link in the rule description box to add a rule. A Search text screen will now appear.

Rule search box
Figure 7. Rule search box

Type ******* into the text box and click on the Add button, followed by the OK button. The text of the rule description box has now changed from specific words to ******* instead.

Link text now *******
Figure 8. Rule description box with changed text

Click on the Next button.

The next screen asks what to do with the message. Select the move it to the specified folder check box. New text appears in the Rule description box.

Which folder screen
Figure 9. What to do with the message screen

Click on the specified folder link and browse to a folder to store the spam mail.

Browsing for 'spamfilter' folder
Figure 10. Browsing for 'spamfilter' folder

Click OK to select the folder and return to the previous screen.

If you haven't got a suitable folder to store spam emails, click on the New button. Type in the name for your new folder e.g. 'spam' and click OK.

Make a new folder screen
Figure 11. Making a new spam folder

A new folder will appear in your folder list.

Before and after view of folder structure
Figure 12. Before and after view of folder structure

Select the new folder and click OK.

Click the Next button. You will now see the Exceptions screen.

Rule exceptions screen
Figure 13. Rule exceptions screen

Click on the Next button as no changes need to be made here.

On the final screen, type in a name for your new rule or accept the default of '*******'.

Naming your new rule
Figure 14. Naming your new rule

If you would like to run your new mail filter on your inbox now, select the [Run this rule now on messages already in "INBOX"] check box. Similarly, if you have more than one email account set up, you can apply your new filter to all of your accounts by selecting Create this rule on all accounts checkbox. When you have selected appropriate checkboxes, click the Finish button.

You will return to the opening screen where your new rule will be displayed. Click on OK to close this screen.

It is up to you to decide whether items in the spam folder really are junk and then to actually delete/purge the unwanted items.

If you still find that you are receiving large amounts of spam, adjust the number of stars (*) in the rule. Decreasing the number will filter out more of your mail into your designated spam folder. Remember to check this folder occassionally just in case there are mails that have been incorrectly flagged up as spam. You should also clear out this junk mail folder on a regular basis as spam takes up space in your email account.

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