Patent ID: 8706820

Claim:
A method, executable on one or more processors, the method comprising: accessing a registry that is configured to store identifications of multiple applications that are each external to a mail client and that each provide a condition and/or an action for use by the mail client in creating rules; reading, from the registry, at least one of the identifications that corresponds to an external application of the multiple external applications, the at least one identification signaling to the mail client that the external application provides the condition and the action for use by the mail client in creating a rule, the external application and the mail client being stored in a memory of a computing device; responsive to determining that the external application provides the condition and the action for use by the mail client in creating the rule: receiving, from the external application, interfaces for communicating with a condition provider and an action provider of the external application to determine the condition and the action; creating a list of available actions and conditions, the list comprising at least the condition and the action provided by the external application; creating the rule to be run upon incoming messages, the rule including at least the condition and the action provided by the external application; and responsive to receiving an incoming message at the mail client: determining whether the incoming message satisfies the condition provided by the external application; and when the incoming message satisfies the condition provided by the external application: allowing the external application to perform the action provided by the external application.