How to Set Automatic Email Forwarding in Outlook

Email forwarding is an essential feature for anyone who wants to manage their communications more efficiently. Whether you’re switching email accounts, managing multiple inboxes, or need a backup of your emails sent to another address, setting up automatic email forwarding in Microsoft Outlook can save you a lot of time and effort. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about configuring automatic email forwarding in Outlook.

What Is Email Forwarding?

Email forwarding is the process where incoming emails received by one email address are automatically sent to another email address. This can be set up to forward all messages or only those that meet specific criteria, such as emails from certain senders or containing particular keywords.

Why Use Automatic Email Forwarding?

• Centralize your emails: If you manage multiple email accounts, forwarding all messages to a primary account helps avoid missing important emails.
• Backup: Automatically forward emails to another account for backup purposes.
• Delegation: Forward work-related emails to a colleague or assistant while you’re out of the office.
• Transitioning: When switching email providers, forwarding ensures you don’t lose any new messages as contacts update your address.

Methods to Set Automatic Email Forwarding in Outlook

There are several ways to set up automatic forwarding depending on whether you are using the Outlook desktop app, Outlook on the web, or if your organization uses Microsoft Exchange or Office 365. Below, we’ll cover the main methods.

How to Set Automatic Email Forwarding in Outlook Desktop App

Step 1: Open Outlook

Launch Microsoft Outlook on your Windows or Mac computer. Ensure you are signed into the account from which you want to forward emails.

Step 2: Access Rules and Alerts

1. Click on the File tab in the upper left corner.
2. Select Manage Rules & Alerts – this opens the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

Step 3: Create a New Rule

1. In the Rules and Alerts window, click New Rule.
2. Under “Start from a blank rule,” select Apply rule on messages I receive and click Next.

Step 4: Set Conditions (Optional)

• You can choose specific conditions if you want only some emails forwarded (e.g., only from certain people).
• If you want all emails forwarded, leave all conditions unchecked and confirm by clicking Yes when prompted.
• Click Next.

Step 5: Set Action to Forward

1. Under “What do you want to do with the message?” check forward it to people or public group.
2. In the bottom pane, click the blue underlined phrase “people or public group.”
3. Enter the forwarding email address in the ‘To’ field and click OK.
4. Click Next.

Step 6: Add Exceptions (Optional)

If there are any emails you do not want forwarded (e.g., marked private), specify exceptions here. Otherwise, click Next.

Step 7: Name Your Rule and Finish

• Give your rule a name like “Automatic Forwarding.”
• Ensure “Turn on this rule” is checked.
• Click Finish, then OK.

Your Outlook desktop app will now forward emails automatically according to the rule you set up.

How to Set Up Automatic Email Forwarding in Outlook on the Web (OWA)

Many people use Outlook through their web browser via Office 365 or Exchange Online. Here’s how to enable forwarding there:

Step 1: Sign In to Outlook on the Web

Go to outlook.office.com and log in with your credentials.

Step 2: Access Mail Settings

• Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
• Select View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the settings pane.

Step 3: Navigate to Forwarding Settings

• Select Mail > Forwarding from the settings menu.

Step 4: Enable Forwarding

1. Check the box that says Enable forwarding.
2. Enter the email address where you want incoming mail forwarded.
3. Choose whether to keep a copy of forwarded messages in your Outlook inbox by checking or unchecking “Keep a copy of forwarded messages.”
4. Click Save at the top right.

Forwarding is now active for all new incoming messages.

Forwarding Emails Using Microsoft Exchange Admin Center (For IT Admins)

If you’re an IT administrator managing an organization’s Exchange server or Office 365 environment, you can set up forwarding for users centrally.

Step 1: Log into Exchange Admin Center (EAC)

• Visit https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com/ and sign in with admin credentials.

Step 2: Select Recipients

• Go to Recipients > Mailboxes.
• Select the user mailbox for which you want to enable forwarding.

Step 3: Edit Mailbox Features

• Click on Mailbox Features, then find Mail Flow Settings.
• Click on the “View details” link next to “Delivery Options.”

Step 4: Configure Forwarding Address

• Check “Enable forwarding.”
• Enter or select the forwarding address.
• Choose whether mail should also be delivered to this mailbox as well.
• Save your changes.

This method allows centralized control over email forwarding policies for users within an organization.

Tips for Managing Email Forwarding Efficiently

Monitor Your Forwarded Emails

Regularly check both your original and forwarded inboxes for missed important messages or delivery issues.

Avoid Spam Loops

Be cautious when forwarding between two addresses that might forward back and forth automatically, it may cause infinite loops resulting in bounced messages or being flagged as spam.

Review Organizational Policies

Some organizations restrict automatic forwarding due to security concerns. Ensure compliance before enabling forwarding from work accounts.

Use Filters Judiciously

If your inbox includes newsletters or bulk mail, consider setting rules that only forward essential emails based on sender, subject, or keywords, reducing clutter at your destination inbox.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Email Forwarding in Outlook

Emails Not Being Forwarded

• Verify that forwarding rules are enabled correctly.
• If using Office 365 or Exchange, ensure that mailbox forwarding is allowed by your admin policies.

Forwarded Emails Marked as Spam

This can happen if forwarded messages lose authentication headers during transit. To mitigate:

• Avoid excessive forwarding chains.
• Use domain-based authentication like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC properly configured by your administrator.

Rule Conflicts

Multiple rules applied simultaneously can override each other, review all active rules carefully if forwarding doesn’t work as expected.

Conclusion

Setting up automatic email forwarding in Microsoft Outlook is an effective way to streamline communication management whether for personal use or an organizational setting. Understanding how to configure it properly across different platforms, desktop app, web app, or server administration, empowers users and admins alike to ensure continuity and efficiency in handling their email correspondence.

By following this guide’s step-by-step instructions and best practices, you can confidently establish reliable automatic email forwarding tailored perfectly to your needs. Always remember to review settings periodically and adapt them as necessary for security and productivity improvements.