How to send a copy of an email using a rule in Microsoft Outlook

Sending electronic mail messages is a large a part of our day-to-day routines. The better we are able to make that course of, the higher. Think about that you just wish to ship a replica of an electronic mail message to a particular individual. There are many conditions the place you’d be anticipated to recollect so as to add an deal with to the Cc or Bcc controls when sending emails. The issue is remembering to take action. Most of us keep in mind after sending the message, so we ahead the message from the Ship folder. It’s not a variety of wasted time, however it’s annoying, and you’ll stop it.

SEE: Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: A side-by-side evaluation w/guidelines (TechRepublic Premium)

On this tutorial, I’ll present you how you can arrange a rule in Microsoft Outlook that mechanically sends a replica of an electronic mail relying on the situations that you just specify. Guidelines are simple to implement, and as soon as they’re in place, you received’t have to recollect a factor aside from to delete the rule when it’s now not related.

I’m utilizing Microsoft 365 Desktop on a Home windows 10 64-bit system however you need to use earlier variations of Outlook. Outlook Mail helps guidelines.

What’s a rule in Outlook?

Merely put, a rule is a triggered set of directions. The set off might be many issues; on this case, the set off is sending an electronic mail. The directions are a set of steps taken when triggered.

You’ll want to be within the mail window to entry guidelines as follows:

1. Click on the House tab.

2. Within the Transfer group, click on the Guidelines dropdown.

If an present electronic mail is “open,” the Guidelines choice is on the Message tab. In case you’re creating a brand new electronic mail, this selection isn’t accessible.

In Outlook Mail, click on the Settings choice and click on the View All Outlook Settings hyperlink on the backside of the Settings pane. Click on Mail after which Guidelines. The ensuing wizard is completely different, however you should not have any downside.

The way to create a rule in Outlook

Making a rule in Outlook is a large matter. We’re narrowing this one right down to sending a replica of an electronic mail to a particular individual or group. Consequently, you received’t have to recollect so as to add addresses to the Cc and Bcc controls. The rule removes an enormous burden — the burden of remembering to repeat different folks manually.

For demonstration functions, I like to recommend that you just use your personal electronic mail deal with to keep away from sending a message to another person. Nevertheless, for those who’re utilizing a free mail service comparable to Gmail, you may not see the copy of the e-mail, as a result of Gmail has odd guidelines about resending what it considers a replica. When it encounters the identical electronic mail addresses, it may not present you the copies. If so, you would possibly attempt once more utilizing a pal’s electronic mail deal with for testing — with their permission in fact.

Step one is to stipulate the necessity for a rule. On this case, we wish to ship a replica of an electronic mail to somebody primarily based on a set of situations. Thankfully, the foundations wizard presents a variety of situations, as you’ll see:

1. Within the Mail window, click on the House tab.

2. Within the Transfer group, click on the Guidelines dropdown.

3. Select Handle Guidelines & Alerts from the dropdown (Determine A).

Determine A

4. Within the ensuing dialog, click on New Rule.

5. Within the first wizard pane, choose Apply Rule On Messages I Ship (Determine B). Within the subsequent pane, you’ll add a situation to slender that down. In case you’re utilizing Outlook Mail, the entire choices are in a single dialog, so that you received’t be clicking Subsequent. You received’t have practically as many steps to finish this rule.

Determine B

6. Click on Subsequent.

7. Within the subsequent pane, click on the Ship To Individuals Or Public Group hyperlink within the prime pane.

8. Within the backside pane, click on the hyperlink and specify the individual or group receiving the unique message (Determine C). I’m utilizing my electronic mail deal with for demonstration functions. You must do the identical to keep away from sending a take a look at electronic mail to somebody unnecessarily. When making use of this for actual, choose an individual or group from the checklist so as to add it to the To checklist on the backside and click on OK. Doing so will exchange the generic hyperlink within the backside pane. This hyperlink identifies the recipient of your authentic electronic mail.

Determine C

9. Click on Subsequent.

10. Within the prime pane click on the Cc The Message To Individuals Or Public Group to replace the rule within the backside Pane (Determine D).

Determine D

11. Click on the Individuals Or Public Group hyperlink within the backside pane and repeat the directions in step #8 for including electronic mail addresses to the rule. I’ll use my very own electronic mail deal with once more, and so do you have to. These folks will obtain a replica of the message.

12. Click on OK, click on End, after which click on OK.

It looks like a variety of steps, however they’re all simple ones. This isn’t a posh rule. Earlier than we take a look at the rule, let’s take a look at examples of some decisions:

• In Step 3, you’ll be able to select Create Rule if the chosen electronic mail is from the individual you specify in Step 8 — the recipient(s) of the unique electronic mail.
• In Steps 7 and eight, I chosen my electronic mail deal with for demonstration functions solely. You’ll be able to select multiple individual or a gaggle or people and a gaggle, and so forth.
• The chosen folks or group in Step 8 could be complicated. You might be narrowing issues down. You could possibly select the Each E mail I Ship choice, however I don’t advocate doing so with no good motive. This selection represents who will get the unique electronic mail.
• In Step 11, determine all of the folks or teams who will get a replica of the e-mail. That is the step you’re saving your self — remembering to enter these addresses within the authentic electronic mail.
• In Step 12, you possibly can click on Subsequent and add exceptions to the rule. We didn’t achieve this.

With the rule in place, it’s time to check it.

The way to take a look at the rule in Outlook

Since you used your personal electronic mail deal with because the recipient of the unique message for demonstration functions, you’ll determine your self within the take a look at electronic mail you’re sending now:

1. Click on New Mail within the New group.

2. Within the ensuing message window, enter your electronic mail deal with within the To manage (Determine E). You don’t must enter the rest, however you’ll be able to for those who like. This deal with matches the one chosen in Step 8.

Determine E

3. Click on Ship and ensure for those who didn’t enter topic textual content.

4. In case you management when Outlook sends electronic mail, remember to ship electronic mail manually through the use of the Ship & Obtain tab. You might need to do that twice to ship and obtain the take a look at message and the copy.

You must have two copies of the e-mail, the unique one and the copy. If not and also you’re utilizing Gmail or another free mail server, attempt once more with one other deal with, comparable to a pal or co-workers after asking for permission to take action.