Filtering and sorting e-mail messages in webmail (OWA)

Here you can read about how to set up the webmail service to automatically filter and sort your messages.

We recommend creating e-mail filters in webmail (OWA), because the messages then are filtered at the mail server before they are brought to your e-mail account. This is more convenient because sorting is independent of the program you use to read / send email.The messages are sorted in the same way regardless of whether you read e-mail via the webmail service, Outlook, Evolution, home computer or on mobile devices.

How do e-mail filters work?

You can collect all mail from specific lists in separate folders, forward e-mail from your mother to your private e-mail address and send advertising e-mails directly into the dustbin.

Change filters

You can create and edit filters by using other e-mail programs (Outlook, Evolution, etc.), but we recommend that you create and change your filters in webmail. If you change a filter you created in webmail via another e-mail program, the filter may become damaged and stop working.

Create or modify filters in webmail

1. Log on to webmail (OWA – Outlook Web App) with your UiO username and password. Click the Tools icon (looks like a gear). Select Options from the menu that pops up.

2. To create a new filter, first click on organize email in the left menu of the page .

In the right section of window, click the plus sign and select what type of filter you want to create. All types of filters can be created from the first menu item (Create a new rule for arriving messages). The other options in the menu are widely used filter types. If any of these fit the filter you want to create, you can save some time by selecting it.

3. There will now appear a new filter definition. Give the filter a descriptive name in the top text box, so you later easily can see what the different filters do.

Rule

The rule says something about what criteria to use when picking e-mail messages. The most common is text in Subject or Body or Sender or Recipient of messages.

In this example I have chosen to sort based on the Subject.

Action

I have now chosen which e-mail messages I want to do something about (ie e-mail with the phrase over in the Subject field). Now I have to choose what the filter shall do with them.

I choose to move these messages to a folder, and thus indicates which folder I want to move them to (LOGS).

In this step, you can also create new folders if you need it.

We now have a completed filter:

To save the filter, click the Save button at the bottom.

Overview of filters

After you have created a filter for the first time, see under the main menu option Organize email. Here you will find a table that lists all the filters you have (and any filter set). The filters are named (by you), and they are prioritized so that the top filter has the highest priority. The highest prioritized filter will be checked first, and then down in order until the last filter is checked or the e-mail has met a rule that you have added to "Stop Evaluating Rules" on that action.

To make changes to the filter order, click on a filter / set of filters and drag it to the desired location.

Published Jan. 29, 2014 1:55 PM - Last modified Oct. 11, 2016 9:24 AM