# Email rulesets

> Set rules that move, copy, flag, forward or delete mail automatically as it arrives, or run them on a folder.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/email/rulesets
Last updated: 2026-09-28

A ruleset is a set of conditions and actions for one of your mailboxes. When a message meets the
conditions, Clockwork CRM carries out the actions on it.

Rulesets are managed at **Emails → Email Rulesets**. Choose the mailbox under **Select Account**.
Only your own mailboxes are listed, and each mailbox has its own rulesets.

## Creating a ruleset

1. Choose the mailbox under **Select Account**.
2. Click **Add**. If the mailbox already has rulesets, choose **Create New Ruleset** under
   **Select Ruleset** instead.
3. Enter a **Ruleset Name**.
4. Choose the **Run Mode**.
5. Choose **Match All Following Conditions** or **Match Any Following Condition**.
6. Set the conditions.
7. Set the actions under **Perform the following actions**.
8. Click **Save**.

A ruleset needs a name, and every condition needs a value, before it can be saved. A **Forward
Message To** action needs a valid email address that is not the mailbox's own address.

To change a ruleset, choose it under **Select Ruleset**, make your changes and click **Save**.
**Discard Rule** deletes the chosen ruleset after you confirm.

## Run mode

| Run mode | When it runs |
|---|---|
| **Automatically & Manually** | On new mail as it arrives, and when you run it on a folder. This is the default |
| **Only Automatically** | On new mail as it arrives |
| **Only Manually** | Only when you run it on a folder |
| **Disabled** | Never |

When several rulesets run automatically, each one is checked against every new message.

## Conditions

**Match All Following Conditions** carries out the actions only when a message meets every
condition. **Match Any Following Condition** carries them out when it meets at least one.

Each condition is a field, a test and a value. The **+** button adds another condition and the
**-** button removes one. A ruleset always has at least one condition.

| Field | Tests | Value |
|---|---|---|
| **Subject** | **Contains**, **Does Not Contain**, **Is**, **Is Not**, **Begins With**, **Ends With** | Text |
| **Body** | As for **Subject** | Text |
| **From** | As for **Subject** | An email address or name |
| **To** | As for **Subject** | An email address or name |
| **CC** | As for **Subject** | An email address or name |
| **To or CC** | As for **Subject** | An email address or name |
| **From, To or CC** | As for **Subject** | An email address or name |
| **Date** | **Is**, **Is Not**, **Greater Than**, **Less Than** | A date and time |
| **Priority** | **Is**, **Is Not**, **Greater Than**, **Less Than** | **Highest**, **High**, **Moderate**, **Low** or **Lowest** |
| **Importance** | **Is**, **Is Not**, **Greater Than**, **Less Than** | **Highest**, **High**, **Moderate**, **Low** or **Lowest** |
| **Age (Days)** | **Is**, **Is Not**, **Greater Than**, **Less Than** | A number of days |
| **Size (kB)** | **Is**, **Is Not**, **Greater Than**, **Less Than** | A size in kilobytes |
| **Status** | **Is**, **Is Not** | **Read** or **Unread** |

Text tests ignore upper and lower case. The address fields check both the name and the email
address of each sender or recipient, and match when any one of them passes the test.

**Age (Days)** is the number of whole days since the message was sent. For **Priority** and
**Importance**, **Greater Than** means a higher level: **Greater Than** **High** matches **Highest**.

## Actions

Each action is a type and, for some types, a value. The **+** button adds another action and the
**-** button removes one. The actions are carried out in the order they are listed.

| Action | Value | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| **Move Message To** | A folder in the mailbox | Moves the message to the folder |
| **Copy Message To** | A folder in the mailbox | Puts a copy of the message in the folder |
| **Forward Message To** | An email address | Forwards the message from the mailbox to the address, with "FW:" before the subject |
| **Mark As Read** | None | Marks the message as read |
| **Mark As Unread** | None | Marks the message as unread |
| **Mark As Private** | None | Marks the message as private |
| **Mark As Not Private** | None | Marks the message as not private |
| **Flag** | None | Flags the message |
| **Delete Message** | None | Deletes the message from Clockwork CRM and from the mail server |
| **Set Importance To** | **Highest**, **High**, **Moderate**, **Low** or **Lowest** | Changes the message's importance |
| **Set Priority To** | **Highest**, **High**, **Moderate**, **Low** or **Lowest** | Changes the message's priority |

A move or copy is skipped when its folder no longer exists.

## Running a ruleset on a folder

A ruleset set to **Automatically & Manually** or **Only Manually** can be run on the mail already in
a folder:

1. In the [email client](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/email/email-client), right-click the folder and choose **Execute rule**.
2. Choose the **Rule**.
3. Click **Execute**.

The dialog shows how many messages have been checked, and closes when it has finished. If the mailbox
has no rulesets that can be run manually, the dialog links to **Email Rulesets** to create one.

## Related

- [The email client](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/email/email-client)
- [Email accounts and signatures](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/email/accounts)