Why Outlook Rules Not Working Automatically?

Summary: Searching for “Why are Outlook Rules not working automatically?” A lot of things can affect the Outlook rules and make them not work automatically. To function Outlook rules effectively without having a single error, you need to fix the issues using the below-shared ways.

Outlook rules are a feature in Microsoft Outlook that provides a way to automate actions on incoming and outgoing emails. These are basically of two types; client-side and server-side rules. The client-side rules work only when the users are working on Outlook or when Outlook opens on the system. Whereas the server-side rules work even when the Outlook is closed and run on the email server. Sometimes, the Outlook rules do not work automatically or do not work at all.

This situation may disturb the entire workflow, and we need to apply common tricks to resolve the error “Outlook rules are not working automatically.” To know the ways to get rid of the Outlook rules errors, kindly read the post to the end.

Table of Content

Reasons behind Outlook rules not working

There can be various reasons behind the Outlook rules not working automatically. A few of them are listed in the section below.

Overlapping or conflicting rules can prevent rules from execution.
Corrupted Outlook profiles or rules can cause issues when executing rules.
If your Outlook needs to be updated to the latest version, you can face issues in executing the Outlook rules.
Rules syncing issues within devices or email accounts can make them fail.
If the emails are marked as junk or spam, then the rules will not apply.
Executing complex rules can affect Outlook’s storage, making the rules not working in Outlook.

Behind these reasons, more problems can affect the Outlook rules. Let us now understand the solutions to fix errors when executing the Outlook rules.

Ways to fix the Outlook rules not working automatically issues

We will introduce various ways in this section to fix errors for the Outlook rules not running automatically. Each solution is shared briefly in the upcoming section along with their stepwise working procedure.

1. Ensure Rules are Enabled Perfectly:

The foremost step is to make sure that the created Outlook rules are enabled. To check the rules, kindly follow the steps below.

Launch Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the File tab.
Then, click the Manage Rules & Alerts option.
The Rules and Alerts dialog box will open. After that, tick the checkboxes next to the rules if they are not checked.
Once you enable rules, tap the Apply and click the OK button.

After applying these steps, you can quickly fix Outlook rules not working automatically. If your Outlook rules are already enabled, explore other ways and resolve problems.

2. Change if the Rules are referring to a Deleted folder

You must follow this solution if the Outlook rules are enabled and they are still not working automatically. The steps are as follows.

Go to the Outlook and open the File tab.
Click the Manage Rules and Alerts option.
Then, double-tap on the Outlook rules that are not working and click the Next button.
In the Select Actions, tick the rules description where the email is being moved or to which folder it is moving.
If that folder is deleted, you can create it or edit the rule by clicking on the destination folder or by referring the rules to another desired folder.
Once you are done with the above steps, hit the Ok button.

This solution is beneficial if you need to fix the rules not working in Outlook problem in all editions of Outlook, like Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, or 2021.

If this problem persists, this might be because of corruption in the send/receive settings file. In that case, explore other solutions and perfectly fix the Outlook rules stopped working automatically errors.

3. Recreate or reset the SRS file

It is essential to fix the Send/Receive Settings file or SRS file that is damaged or corrupted. For this, you have to reset the SRS file to make the Outlook rules work correctly using the below instructions.

First of all, close the Outlook email client.
Press the Windows + R keys, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook and tap the Enter button. Also, you follow the path to open the SRS file: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook.
Here, you will find a file named Outlook.srs; rename this file to create a backup of the SRS file.
Then, open Outlook, and it will start recreating a new SRS file.

That’s how you can recreate or reset the SRS file if it is not healthy and needs a quick solution to become corruption-free.

4. Remove and recreate the Outlook rules

This solution will help you remove and recreate the Outlook rules.

Close Outlook and all related programs. Then, navigate to the Start Menu.
Type Outlook.exe /cleanrules in the search.
When your search is completed, click Outlook.exe /cleanrules to open it. After that, delete the rules.
Once you removed the rules, recreate the Outlook rules.

To remove only those rules that are not working, follow the following steps:

Please launch the Outlook and go to the File tab.
Hit the Manage Rules & Alerts option.
Then, delete the rules that are not working from the Rules & Alert dialogue box.

5. Update your Outlook to the latest version

If the rules are not working in Outlook, it might be because Outlook is not updated to the latest version. So, please upgrade it to the newest version and fix the Outlook rules not running automatically issues.

Open Microsoft Outlook and go to the File tab.
After that, navigate to the Office 365 Account or Account option.
Select the Update Option under the Product Information and click the Update Now button.

You can also manually update by downloading and installing the newer version of Outlook on your system.

6. Repair Outlook data file (PST)

The Outlook or Outlook rules are not working automatically; this issue might be because of the corrupted Outlook data file. For this, you can use the Shoviv Outlook PST Repair Tool, which is a powerful utility. It can easily repair corrupted PST files without affecting a single item in the Outlook data file or PST.

This software has no restrictions on the size of the PST file while repairing its corrupted items. It offers a filter option, allowing you to include or exclude items according to their requirements. This tool is compatible with all versions of Outlook, including Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, and earlier versions.

The Final Thoughts

The solutions we have explored in this blog can help you fix the Outlook rules not working automatically problems. We have introduced various simple and reliable tricks to resolve issues in executing Outlook rules. If these traditional ways don’t work for you, please try the Shoviv Outlook PST Repair Tool. It will help you quickly repair Outlook data files and execute Outlook rules without any issues. You can also try its free trial version before purchasing its full version and restoring the first 50 items from each folder for free.

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Vishesh Kumar

Vishesh Kumar is working as a technical content writer with Shoviv Software. He has a degree in Mass Communication with years of experience in creating engaging and informative content. Vishesh likes looking into a variety of subjects, from technology to lifestyle and making complex topics easy. He keeps updated on the latest on-going trends and enjoys new experiences when not writing.