Classic Outlook to New Outlook: Rules Import and Export – How to rebuild rules after migration

When you migrate from classic Outlook to the new Outlook for Windows, your email rules do not transfer automatically. Rules are stored in a different format in the new Outlook, and the migration process does not convert them. This article explains why rules are lost during migration and provides step-by-step instructions to export rules from classic Outlook and rebuild them in the new Outlook. You will learn how to use the Rules Wizard, manual recreation, and third-party tools to restore your email automation.

Why Rules Are Lost When Switching to New Outlook

Classic Outlook stores rules in the client-side Rules and Alerts file, which is part of the user profile and the offline Outlook data file (.ost). The new Outlook for Windows uses a different mail engine based on the Microsoft 365 cloud platform. Rules in classic Outlook are processed locally by the Outlook client, while the new Outlook relies on server-side rules processed by Exchange Online.

When you switch to the new Outlook, the application creates a new mail profile and does not read the old Rules and Alerts data. The new Outlook only supports a subset of rule actions that are compatible with Exchange Online. Complex rule conditions such as “with specific words in the subject” or “with specific words in the body” are not supported in the new Outlook. These rules must be recreated manually or simplified to work in the new environment.

Microsoft does not provide a built-in import function for rules in the new Outlook. The export feature in classic Outlook saves rules as an .rwz file, but the new Outlook cannot read this file format. You must recreate each rule manually based on the exported data or use third-party tools to extract rule details for reference.

Steps to Export Rules from Classic Outlook

Before you migrate, export your rules from classic Outlook to preserve their settings. The export creates an .rwz file that you can open in Notepad to view rule conditions and actions.

1. Open the Rules and Alerts dialog
   In classic Outlook, go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts. The Rules and Alerts dialog opens showing all your current rules.
2. Click Options
   In the top-right corner of the Rules and Alerts dialog, click the Options button. A small drop-down menu appears.
3. Select Export Rules
   From the drop-down menu, choose Export Rules. A file save dialog opens.
4. Save the .rwz file
   Navigate to a location you can remember, such as your Documents folder. Enter a filename like “OutlookRulesBackup” and click Save. The rules are saved as an .rwz file.
5. Open the .rwz file in Notepad
   Locate the saved .rwz file, right-click it, and select Open with > Notepad. You will see the rule definitions in plain text. Each rule is enclosed in curly braces and contains conditions and actions in a readable format.

How to Rebuild Rules in New Outlook

The new Outlook does not have an import feature for rules. You must recreate each rule manually using the settings panel. Use the exported .rwz file as a reference to ensure you recreate the same conditions and actions.

1. Open new Outlook Settings
   In the new Outlook for Windows, click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open Settings.
2. Go to Mail > Rules
   In the Settings panel, click Mail on the left, then click Rules. The Rules page shows any existing rules and a button to add new ones.
3. Click Add new rule
   Click the Add new rule button. A rule creation form opens.
4. Name the rule
   Type a name for the rule that matches the one from classic Outlook, for example “Move invoices to Finance folder”.
5. Set the condition
   Select a condition from the drop-down list. The new Outlook supports conditions such as “From”, “To”, “Subject contains”, and “Sent to”. Refer to your .rwz file for the original condition. If the condition is not available, choose the closest equivalent or simplify the rule.
6. Set the action
   Select an action from the drop-down list. Supported actions include “Move to folder”, “Delete”, “Forward”, “Flag”, and “Mark as read”. Some actions from classic Outlook, like “Play a sound” or “Display a Desktop Alert”, are not available in the new Outlook.
7. Add exceptions if needed
   Click Add exception and select a condition that prevents the rule from running. Exceptions are optional.
8. Save the rule
   Click Save to create the rule. The rule appears in the Rules list and is enabled immediately.

If Rules Still Do Not Work After Rebuilding

Rule runs on the wrong messages

The new Outlook processes rules server-side on Exchange Online. If a rule condition uses “Sender is in specified Address Book”, the rule may apply to messages from contacts in your default address book. Verify that the address book is correctly configured in Settings > Accounts > Address books.

Rule action does not move messages to a folder

In the new Outlook, you can only move messages to folders that exist under the same mailbox. Shared mailboxes or public folders are not supported as target folders. Create a subfolder in your own mailbox and use that as the target.

Rule condition “Subject contains” is not supported

The new Outlook does not support the condition “Subject contains specific words”. Use the condition “Subject includes” instead. This condition matches partial text in the subject line. If your original rule used exact word matching, the new rule may behave slightly differently.

Exported .rwz file is empty or corrupt

If the .rwz file contains no data or shows garbled text, the export may have failed due to a corrupted rules file in classic Outlook. Open classic Outlook, go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts, and review each rule. Delete any rule that shows an error icon or cannot be edited. Then export again.

Classic Outlook Rules vs New Outlook Rules: Key Differences

Item	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Rule storage location	Client-side .ost file	Server-side Exchange Online mailbox
Import/export support	Export to .rwz file, import from .rwz file	No import or export feature
Condition “Subject contains specific words”	Supported	Not supported
Condition “With specific words in body”	Supported	Not supported
Action “Play a sound”	Supported	Not supported
Action “Display a Desktop Alert”	Supported	Not supported
Action “Move to a public folder”	Supported	Not supported
Maximum number of rules	256	256
Rule processing order	Order in the Rules dialog	Order in the Rules list

You can now export your rules from classic Outlook, recreate them manually in the new Outlook, and verify that each rule runs correctly. Next, try creating a test message that matches each rule to confirm the action executes. For complex rules with unsupported conditions, consider using Power Automate to create cloud-based flows that handle email routing and notifications.