How Rules Are Applied When you create a rule, you designate whether to apply it when messages arrive in the Inbox, or when you send messages. You can move rules up or down in the list by clicking to select a rule, and then clicking Move Up, or Move Down. If you use Microsoft Exchange Server, the rules are stored on both your computer and the server. If a rule can be completed on the server, it will run even if Outlook is not running on your computer. However, if it requires client-based activity, like moving a message to a folder in a Personal Folders file, the rule is applied when you start Outlook.
Outlook tries to update all rules on the server.
If your list contains rules that have been updated on the server and rules that have not, the rules on the server are applied first, and then the client only rules. Outlook does not track meeting invitation responses, task assignment responses, and voting responses if these messages have been moved from the Inbox to another folder by a rule. Now Outlook 2000 includes a Rules Wizard enhancement option called Run Rules Now. This feature allows you to manually apply any rule to any folder whenever you choose. This feature allows you to clean up or organize messages, contacts, appointments or tasks that already exist in various folders.