Using Mail Rules
You can create mail rules that automatically process incoming and outgoing messages. For example, you can create rules that automatically assign messages to specific users, move messages to different group mailboxes, send automatic replies, or delete messages.
You can create mail rules that are applied to all messages entering or leaving Response group mailboxes (system rules) and mail rules that run only for a specific group mailbox (group mailbox rules). When a message is received or sent, the system mail rules are first applied to the message. Once the system rules have been processed, the group mailbox rules are then applied to the message.
Mail Rule Elements
A mail rule is made up of three main parts: conditions, actions, and exceptions.
- Conditions
- Conditions specify criteria that must be true for a rule to execute. For example, a condition could check the message subject for a specific phrase, check the email address of the sender, or whether or not the message has an attachment. If a rule contains multiple conditions, all conditions must be true in order for the rule’s actions to be carried out. If a rule contains no conditions, the rule’s actions are always performed (unless the exceptions are true).
- Actions
- Actions specify what to do when the rule conditions are true. For example, the message could be moved to another group mailbox, assigned to a specific user, or deleted. A rule can contain multiple actions.
- Exceptions
- Exceptions specify criteria that prevent a rule from executing, even if the conditions are true. For example, an exception could prevent a rule from executing if the message is from a specific sender. Exceptions are optional. If a rule contains multiple exceptions, any one of them being true will prevent the rule’s actions from executing.
Example Mail Rule
The following example describes a mail rule that checks a message for the word upgrade
and, if found, moves the message to the support
group mailbox, unless the message is part of a thread.
Conditions. The rule checks for the word upgrade in the message body.
Actions. If the word upgrade is found, the message is moved to the support group mailbox.
Exceptions. However, if the message is part of a thread (that is, the message is in response to an existing message), the message is not moved to the support group mailbox.
When Rules Are Processed
Following are the details of exactly when each type of rule is applied.
-
When an incoming group mailbox message is received by Response, the system incoming mail rules are applied, followed by the incoming mail rules for the group mailbox.
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When a system incoming mail rule moves a message to a different group mailbox than the one the message is addressed to, the original group mailbox rules are not executed, only the incoming mail rules for the new one.
-
When a user manually moves a message to another group mailbox, the incoming mail rules for the destination group mailbox are applied.
-
When a user sends an outgoing group mailbox messages, the system outgoing mail rules are applied, followed by the outgoing mail rules for the group mailbox. If the user sending the message requires approval, that process occurs first. Only approved messages have outgoing rules applied.
→ Next: Adding, Editing, and Deleting Mail Rules
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