Technology

Webmail: Filters / Rules

You can use filters (also called "rules") in Simmons Webmail to forward your Simmons email to another account and you can compose an email to be automatically sent when you are on vacation. In addition, you can create your own filter rules to organize your incoming mail into folders, mark messages as important, and so forth. Use the filters menu to enable and disable rules.

Note: Automatic vacation messages and email forwarding should always be configured using Webmail, regardless of the email client (e.g. Apple Mail, Outlook, or Thunderbird) you regularly use.

For an overall guide to Simmons Webmail, please see Getting Started. For additional assistance, especially for explanations of fields, click options icon(Help). You see a list of topics for filtering.

Contents of this page:

  1. Pre-existing Filters/Rules
    1. Vacation [auto-reply]
    2. Forward
  2. Enable or Disable Filters / Rules
  3. Create Your Own Rules
  4. Mange Existing Rules

Pre-existing Filters / Rules

There are several filters already created for you in Webmail, but you are most likely to use only the Vacation (automatic out-of-office reply) or Forward (send your Simmons email to a different address) filters:

  • Whitelist and Blacklist: These filters enable you to allow (whitelist) or to block (blacklist) lists of email addresses. These filters are superseded by nospam.simmons.edu and have very limited functionality. To properly block unwanted email or to allow desired email, use nospam.simmons.edu
  • Vacation: Automatic email response sent to people who send you messages when you are away. These messages are sent only during the time period you specify.
  • Forward: List of one or more email accounts to which you want to forward your email from this account.

To view, edit, change, or add filters, Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen. You see a list of the existing filter rules, including any that you created.

Note: You can edit any filter or rule, including any you created, by clicking Edited Button(Edit) next to each.

Vacation [auto-reply]

This filter is for creating an automatic email response that is sent to people who send you messages, for example when you are away. These auto responses are sent only during the period of time you specify.

To compose an auto response:

  1. Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen. You see a list of the existing filter rules, including any that you created. >
  2. Click Vacation Button(Vacation). You see the Vacation pane, with the Basic Settings tab displayed.
  3. Click the Calendar icons to select dates for the start and end of your vacation.
  4. Fill in the remaining fields as appropriate. Click options iconHelp for descriptions of each field.
  5. Click Save. You see a message saying the vacation email message was saved.
Vacation Basic Tab

Using the Advanced Settings tab, you can specify:
  • Automatic response is not sent to messages that come from mailing lists or that are marked as bulk mail.
  • Number of days to wait before sending an auto response to a person who has already received one from you.
  • One or more email addresses to forward messages to from your Inbox while you are on vacation.
  • List of recipients who will not receive your auto response message.

Forward

This filter/rule is for creating one or more email addresses to which to forward your email from this Simmons account. Be sure to type each address on a separate line. You can specify that a copy of each forwarded message be kept in this email account.

To specify one or more email addresses:

  1. Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen. You see a list of the existing filter rules, including any that you created. >
  2. Click Forward Button(Forward). You see the Forward pane.
  3. Fill in the fields as appropriate. Click options icon(Help)for descriptions of each field.
  4. Click Save. You see a message saying your forwarding addresses were saved.

Forward Pane

Note: It is best to leave "Keep a copy of messages in this account" unchecked as using this option will store forwarded messages in your Simmons inbox, which will quickly reach quota!

Enable or Disable Filters / Rules

Once you have created or modified filters/rules, they can either be turned on (enabled) or turned off (disabled).

When you Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen, you will see the list of existing rules.

Existing Rules Disabled

If any rules display "Disabled - Click to Enable", that rule is turned off and will not forward messages, auto-reply with a vacation message, or perform any other task you have created. Click the red text to enable the rule.

If no text is displayed next to the rule indicating that it is disabled, the rule is currently active, or enabled. Click Edited Button(Edit) next to a rule, verify that the rule's settings are as you wish, and press Save and Disable to turn off the rule.

Alternate Method:

To enable or disable a filter rule one at a time:

  1. Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen. You see a list of the existing filter rules, including any that you created. >
  2. Click the  Check Mark(Check Mark) in the Enable column for the filter rule to turn off; click the X Mark(X Mark) for the filter rule to turn on.
Enable List

Create your own rules

You can create and edit your own filters/rules.  However, if you do, please note that filters you create (other than Vacation and Forward) run only while you are logged in or as you log out. If you use another email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail to access your Simmons email, you might want to set up similar filters or rules, in your email client.

When you create a New Rule, you can specify:

  • Boolean operators of And and Or.
  • Matching criteria.
  • Actions to take on an incoming message that meets the criteria.
  • Markings that designate whether the message is Seen, Flagged for Follow-up, Answered, or Deleted.
  • Whether any remaining rules in the list should be applied after the one you created.

Note: If one or more rules can apply to an incoming email, only the first applicable rule is executed.

To create a new rule:

  1. Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen. You see a list of the existing filter rules, including any that you created. >
  2. Click New Rule. You see the Filter Rule pane.
  3. In the Rule Name field, type a descriptive name that will help you remember what the filter rule does.
  4. Fill in the remaining fields as appropriate. Click options icon(Help) for descriptions of each field.
  5. Click Save. You see a message saying the new rule was saved.

Manage Existing Rules

On the Existing Rules pane, you can change the order in which filter rules are applied.

The order in which rules are applied is important! For example, if one or more rules can apply to an incoming email, only the first applicable rule is executed. Be sure to list the most important rules first.

To change the order in which filter rules are applied:

  1. Click Filters Button(Filters) on the toolbar at the top of the Webmail screen. You see a list of the existing filter rules, including any that you created.
  2. Click the Arrow(Down Arrow) to move a rule below another rule; click the Arrow(Up Arrow) to move a rule above another one.

Note: You can also order the rules, by typing a number in the To field in the Move column for the rule to be moved to another position.

 Rule Management