Conditions establish the criteria that must be met for a rule to execute. These criteria can include:

• Checking the message subject for specific phrases.
• Verifying the email address of the sender.
• Determining whether the message has attachments.

Users can choose between two matching options:

• Match All: All conditions must be true for the rule’s actions to be executed.
• Match Any: Any one condition being true triggers the rule’s actions (utilizing OR conditions).

If a rule lacks conditions, its actions are executed unconditionally unless exceptions prevent them.

Actions specify what actions should be taken when the rule’s conditions are met. Examples include:

• Tagging the message for easy identification.
• Assigning the message to a particular user or a group of users.
• Archiving the message for future reference.

Rules can contain multiple actions, allowing for comprehensive automation of message handling.

Exceptions establish criteria that, if met, prevent a rule from executing, regardless of the conditions being true. Examples include:

• Preventing a rule from executing if the message is from a specific sender.

Exceptions are optional but provide additional flexibility in rule execution. If a rule includes multiple exceptions, the presence of any one exception prevents the execution of its actions.

In Emailgistics, mail rules operate similarly to the rule system in Outlook, where they are applied in a hierarchical manner from top to bottom. This means that rules are processed in the order they are listed, with the top rule being evaluated first, followed by subsequent rules down the list.

Hierarchy of Rule Execution

Top to Bottom

Rules are executed in the order they appear in the list. The rule at the top is evaluated first, followed by the next rule, and so on.

Condition Matching

If a message meets the criteria specified in a rule, that rule’s action will be triggered. However, if multiple rules have conditions that match the same message, they will all be evaluated.

Sequential Processing

When multiple rules match, the actions of each rule are executed sequentially, starting from the top of the list and moving downwards.

Example Scenario

Let’s consider an example scenario to illustrate how rules are processed.

• Rule 1 Assign anything with the subject containing “Claim” to Rick.
• Rule 2 Assign anything from an address containing “@pinnilly.com” to Chris.

If a message arrives with the subject containing “Claim” and is from an address ending with “@pinnilly.com”, both rules would match the message.

Sequential Execution

1. The message triggers Rule 1 as it matches the condition of having “Claim” in the subject. Thus, the message is assigned to Rick.
2. As the processing continues down the list, Rule 2 also matches the message because of its sender address. Consequently, the message is then reassigned to Chris.

Stop Processing Rules Option

To prevent unintended or redundant actions caused by multiple matching rules, Emailgistics provides a crucial feature: the Stop Processing Rules option.

• Enabling this option halts the processing of further rules once a condition is met and its corresponding action is executed.
• It ensures that subsequent rules are not evaluated once a match is found, preventing unintended consequences such as double assignments or conflicting actions.