OL2000: "Sent To" Rule Works for Arriving Mail (223902)

SYMPTOMS

If you create a rule in your Sent Items folder to move new messages sent to a specific addressee, the rule acts on messages as they arrive in your Inbox, not as messages are sent.

CAUSE

All rules apply to messages as they arrive, not to when they are sent. The wording of the rule in the Organize feature can be misleading. The rule description says, "Create a rule to move new messages sent to <recipient> into <mail folder>." This rule applies to new incoming messages and not to outbound messages.

MORE INFORMATION

If you create such a rule from your Sent Items folder, when you click Create to create the rule, you receive the following warning message:

This rule will be applied to new messages as they are received. Would you also like to run this rule on the current contents of this folder?

If you click Yes, the rule is applied once to current messages in your Sent Items folder, and for future messages as they appear in your Inbox. The "sent to" criteria is designed for distribution lists. For example, "Create a rule to move new messages sent to <distribution list> into <destination folder>," where you are a member of the distribution list.