How to Create an Outlook Rule Based on Email Body Content

You receive many emails and need to organize them automatically based on specific words or phrases in the message text. Outlook rules can manage your inbox, but creating one that scans the email body is not a default option. This article explains how to build a custom rule that checks the content of an email’s body and performs actions like moving or flagging the message.

Understanding Outlook Rules for Email Body Text

Outlook rules are automated tools that perform actions on incoming or existing messages based on set conditions. While common rules use the sender, subject, or recipient, a rule based on body content requires a specific condition in the Rules Wizard. This feature is available in the desktop versions of Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, and Outlook 2019. The rule works by scanning the main text of an email for words or phrases you define.

You must use the desktop app on Windows or Mac. The Outlook web app and mobile apps do not support creating rules with body text conditions. The rule will only process emails received after it is created, unless you manually run it on your existing mailbox. This type of rule is useful for filtering newsletters, sorting support tickets, or prioritizing messages containing specific project codes or keywords.

Steps to Create a Rule from a Specific Message

The easiest method is to start from an email that already contains the body text you want to target. This ensures the rule is configured correctly.

1. Select the sample email
   In your Outlook mailbox, click once on the message that has the body content you want to use for the rule.
2. Open the Rules menu
   Go to the Home tab on the ribbon. In the Move group, click Rules, then select Create Rule.
3. Open the Advanced Options
   In the Create Rule dialog box, click the Advanced Options button. This launches the full Rules Wizard.
4. Set the body text condition
   In the Rules Wizard window, scroll down the list of conditions. Check the box next to “with specific words in the body”.
5. Define the specific words
   In the lower pane, click the underlined phrase “specific words”. A new dialog opens. Type the exact word or phrase you want the rule to find. Click Add, then OK.
6. Choose an action
   Scroll down in the Rules Wizard to the action list. Check your desired action, like “move it to the specified folder” or “flag it for follow up”. Click any underlined value to specify the folder or flag type.
7. Finish the rule
   Click Next. Add any exceptions if needed. On the final screen, give the rule a clear name, check “Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder”, and click Finish.

Steps to Create a Rule from Scratch

You can also build a body text rule without selecting a message first. Use this method to plan a rule for future emails.

1. Launch the Rules Wizard
   Go to the File tab and select Manage Rules & Alerts. In the dialog box, click New Rule on the Email Rules tab.
2. Start from a blank rule
   Under Start from a blank rule, select “Apply rule on messages I receive”. Click Next.
3. Select the condition
   Scroll through the condition list. Check the box for “with specific words in the body”. Click the underlined “specific words” in the lower pane.
4. Add your keywords
   In the Search Text dialog, type the word or phrase. Click Add. You can add multiple terms. Click OK when done, then Next.
5. Set the rule action
   Choose what happens when the rule triggers. Select an action like “move a copy to the specified folder”. Click the underlined “specified” to choose a folder. Click Next.
6. Add exceptions and finalize
   Set any exceptions on the next screen. Click Next. Name your rule, verify the settings, and click Finish. Click Apply and OK to save.

Common Mistakes and Limitations to Avoid

The rule does not run on existing emails

By default, new rules only apply to messages arriving after creation. To process old emails, you must run the rule manually. Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts. Select your rule and click Run Rules Now. Choose the folder to apply it to and click Run Now.

Body text rule does not work on encrypted messages

Outlook cannot scan the body of S/MIME or Microsoft Purview encrypted emails for rule conditions. The rule will skip these messages. Consider using a different condition, like the sender’s address, for encrypted mail.

Rule misses text in signatures or disclaimers

The rule scans the entire message body, including signatures. If your keyword appears in a standard company disclaimer, the rule may trigger unexpectedly. Review the “specific words” list and make your phrases more unique to the actual message content.

Performance slows with too many complex rules

Having many rules that check body text can slow down Outlook, especially on large mailboxes. Keep your keyword lists precise. Disable rules you do not need via Manage Rules & Alerts by unchecking the box next to the rule name.

Comparison: Body Text Rules vs Other Common Rule Types

Item	Rule Based on Body Content	Rule Based on Sender or Subject
Condition Scope	Scans the entire message body text	Scans only the From, To, Cc, or Subject fields
Setup Complexity	Requires using the Rules Wizard advanced options	Can be created quickly from a right-click menu
Works on Encrypted Mail	No	Yes, because envelope data is visible
Processing Speed	Slower, as it checks more content	Faster, as it checks header fields only
Best Use Case	Filtering by project codes, keywords, or phrases within the email text	Organizing mail from specific people or with certain subject lines

You can now automatically sort emails by searching for specific text within their content. Use the Rules Wizard to set the condition and choose a clear action like moving messages to a project folder. For more control, try combining a body text rule with a subject line condition using the Advanced Options. A useful advanced tip is to use the asterisk wildcard in your specific words, like “project*report”, to match variations such as “project_status_report” or “project-final-report”.