Even Eudora c. 1994 could do this! Come on, Outlook 2007...

June 10, 2011 12:36 PM

Outlook 2007 rule to filter messages based on whether it was sent to a specific group of people? HOW?

I need to create a rule in Outlook 2007 such that:

Apply this rule after the message arrives

Where my name is in the To or CC box

And from MY BOSS

And sent to Coworker1 AND Coworker2 AND Coworker3

I cannot figure out how to do this. The "And sent to" logic requires me to select my coworkers' address from our address book, or to type it in manually. But once I do that and return to the rule it says "or" between the names, not "and". I can't seem to change the logic here, unlike every other email program I've ever used.

To be clear, I am trying to filter messages that MY BOSS sends to me and my 3 coworkers. I do NOT want to filter out messages that the boss sends to just me and coworker2, for example.

I know it's Microsoft, but come one, this IS possible, right? Out of all the bullcrap things they put in the Rules that you can use, I can't believe the functionality to filter messages sent to a group of people is not there...

Help!

posted by buckaroo_benzai to computers & internet (9 answers total)

No, this doesn't seem to be possible using Outlook. Your problem is that you are not actually looking to filter a message sent to "a group of people" (which would be a single recipient with its own e-mail address) but rather to all of three individual recipients.

Have your Exchange admin set up a group that includes you and your three co-workers, have your boss send e-mails to that alias, and filter on it instead of on the individual addresses.
posted by kindall at 1:11 PM on June 10, 2011

try using "with specific words in the recipients address" i tested it and it worked for me... (i just put the first names, per their email so john, jason, sandy etc as resolved by outlook). since there are only 3 recipients besides you you just need to create 6 rules for each possible order he could type the names in ( i know its a little ridiculous but it will work)
posted by chasles at 1:13 PM on June 10, 2011

Have your Exchange admin set up a group that includes you and your three co-workers, have your boss send e-mails to that alias, and filter on it instead of on the individual addresses.

A great suggestion, but easier said than done, unfortunately... my boss is very computer illiterate and I don't know if our admin would even be allowed to set up a distribution list in the global address book anyway (we're a gov agency).
posted by buckaroo_benzai at 1:43 PM on June 10, 2011

try using "with specific words in the recipients address"

This does not work for my use because there are actually 8 coworkers (I just used 3 for the example) and with the format of our "names" in outlook being "Lastname, Firstname - City, State" it just seems impossible to filter on these word combinations unless you have a better idea?
posted by buckaroo_benzai at 1:54 PM on June 10, 2011

ahhh! i got it. created nested rules in this order (they get processed in order):

1. a filter which applies a category called "1 person" based on> from: boss AND sent to specific people: person 1

2. a filter which applies a category called "2 person" based on> sent to specific people: person 2 and IN CATEGORY 1 person (ie the cat set in step 1)

3. repeat step #2 nested: a filter which applies a category called "3 person" based on> sent to specific people: person 3 and IN CATEGORY 2 person (ie the cat set in step 2)

4. wash, rinse, repeat.

5. the last one would be sent to or cc you and in category X person (ie the LAST filter before this step) and then do whatever result you want, move it to a folder etc etc.


this works.


i'm lame.
posted by chasles at 2:11 PM on June 10, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'm not sure this will work, as I can't test it right now, but if you setup a Distribution Group in your contacts containing the 8 co-workers and yourself, then add that to the rule instead of the individuals, Outlook's funky handling of DG's may work in your favor by expanding it when processing the rule and matching on the 9 people.
posted by IanMorr at 2:12 PM on June 10, 2011

IanMorr: I tried this, and it won't let me create one based on a personal distribution group, even if it contains the exact same people the boss is sending the emails to. Totally lame.

chasles: I'm going to try your suggestion and I'll post later once I get it working (too busy at the moment to get to it). Thanks!
posted by buckaroo_benzai at 2:41 PM on June 10, 2011

IanMorr, I just tested your idea, and Outlook won't let a group be used that way. It has to expand it to the list of individual names, which would be fine, except it uses that stupid OR instead of AND between names.

chasles' idea works for me.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 2:47 PM on June 10, 2011

chasles, you are amazing! Thank you! It works beautifully.
posted by buckaroo_benzai at 5:12 PM on June 10, 2011