How to Automatically Forward Email in Outlook

Managing emails efficiently has become more important than ever, especially if you juggle multiple accounts for work, personal use, or different projects. Microsoft Outlook offers a built-in way to automatically forward incoming emails to another email address, saving you the hassle of manually forwarding messages every day.

If you’re trying to forward emails from Outlook to another account—whether for backup, collaboration, or convenience—you’ll be glad you found this guide. In this in-depth article, we’ll explain what automatic email forwarding is, why you might need it, and how to set it up step by step on Windows 11 and Outlook Web.

What Is Automatic Email Forwarding in Outlook?

Automatic email forwarding allows Outlook to send incoming messages to another email address automatically, as soon as they arrive. Once configured, Outlook handles forwarding in the background without any further action from you.

This is useful if:

• You use multiple email accounts
• You want a colleague or assistant to receive copies of emails
• You’re migrating to a new email address
• You want a backup copy of important messages

Outlook supports this through rules (desktop and web) or mailbox settings (Outlook Web).

How to Automatically Forward Emails in Outlook (Desktop App)

This method works best if you use the Outlook app on Windows.

1. Create an Email Forwarding Rule in Outlook

1. Open Microsoft Outlook on your PC.
2. Click File in the top-left corner.
3. Select Manage Rules & Alerts.
4. Click New Rule.
5. Under Start from a blank rule, choose Apply rule on messages I receive.
6. Click Next.

This tells Outlook to process emails as soon as they arrive.

2. Choose Which Emails to Forward

You can forward all emails or only specific ones.

1. If you want to forward all incoming emails, do not select any conditions.
2. Click Next and confirm the warning.

Or, select conditions such as:

• From a specific sender
• With specific words in the subject
• Sent to a particular account

Then click Next.

3. Set the Forwarding Action

1. Check forward it to people or public group.
2. Click the highlighted people or public group link.
3. Enter the email address you want to forward messages to.
4. Click OK → Next.

Outlook will now know where to forward the emails.

4. Add Exceptions (Optional)

If you want to exclude certain emails:

1. Select exceptions like:
   • Emails marked as private
   • Messages with specific keywords
2. Click Next.

This step is optional but useful for filtering.

5. Finish and Enable the Rule

1. Give the rule a clear name (e.g., Auto Forward to Gmail).
2. Make sure Turn on this rule is checked.
3. Click Finish → Apply → OK.

Automatic email forwarding is now active.

How to Automatically Forward Emails in Outlook Web (Outlook.com / Microsoft 365)

If you use Outlook in a browser, forwarding is even easier.

1. Open Outlook Web and sign in.
2. Click the Settings (gear icon).
3. Select Mail → Forwarding.
4. Turn on Enable forwarding.
5. Enter the email address to forward messages to.
6. Optionally enable Keep a copy of forwarded messages.
7. Click Save.

All incoming emails will now be forwarded automatically.

How to Forward Emails Selectively in Outlook Web

If you only want to forward certain emails:

1. Go to Settings → Mail → Rules.
2. Click Add new rule.
3. Set conditions (sender, subject, keywords, etc.).
4. Choose Forward to as the action.
5. Enter the destination email address.
6. Save the rule.

This gives you full control over what gets forwarded.

Things You Should Know Before Enabling Forwarding

• Some work or school accounts block automatic forwarding
• IT administrators may restrict forwarding for security reasons
• Forwarded emails may lose encryption or sensitivity labels
• Replies go to the original sender, not the forwarding address

If forwarding doesn’t work on a work account, contact your IT admin.

How to Stop or Disable Automatic Email Forwarding

You can disable forwarding at any time.

In Outlook Desktop

1. Go to Rules & Alerts.
2. Uncheck or delete the forwarding rule.
3. Click Apply → OK.

In Outlook Web

1. Go to Settings → Mail → Forwarding.
2. Turn off Enable forwarding.
3. Click Save.

Forwarding stops immediately.

Wrapping Up

Automatically forwarding emails in Outlook is a powerful way to stay organized and ensure important messages never slip through the cracks. Whether you use the Outlook desktop app or Outlook Web, setting up forwarding takes only a few minutes and can significantly simplify how you manage multiple inboxes.

Just remember to review forwarding rules periodically—especially on work or shared accounts—to avoid privacy or security issues. Once set up correctly, Outlook handles everything quietly in the background, letting you focus on what matters most.