Forum Discussion
Support for auto-filing sent emails
I am looking for a solution to this scenario in the New Outlook:
- I send tens of emails per day
- The sent emails are stored in the Sent Items folder
- I need to manually move each of them into the sub-folders in my Archive folder - e.g. one for support cases
Is there any way to automate the step (3) - i.e. to automatically file the sent emails into the folders they belong to?
The Classic Outlook had "When replying to a message that is not in the Inbox, save the reply in the same folder" which is not present in the New Outlook.
Maybe the New Outlook should have something even more powerful? In addition to this feature, a button suggesting into which folder each message should be filed?
Finally, the Outlook Rules are very powerful but they do not apply to the sent emails. Maybe time to generalize these?
11 Replies
I built a fix for this exact problem, so straight up: SentRules (sentrules.com) is mine.
You keep Outlook's normal Send button. After the send, SentRules moves the sent copy into your folder — one rule per client or project, like "anything I send to acme.com goes to Clients/Acme." Setup reads your folders and where each company's mail already sits, then proposes the rules for you, so tens a day into subfolders is exactly the load it was built for. Nothing to install, works the same whether you sent from desktop, web, or phone, and it never asks for permission to send mail.
Two things to know so nobody wastes a trial: it files by who you sent to, not by "same folder as the message I replied to" — same result if you keep a folder per client or project, but worth saying. And it moves the sent copy into the folder rather than leaving a duplicate in Sent Items.
If your folders work some way it doesn't handle, tell me here — I'd rather build the missing piece than argue about it.
PurpleMacha25,
I am going to add another alternative "workaround" method. As mentioned above, MS does not have a rule to move sent items to a folder of choice.
I created a workaround solution using a cc and a hashtag in the email body, along with a rule that automates moving a Sent message to a folder.
Watch this video: https://youtu.be/guOjz5lHJEY?si=96zE70nl2KmQyHjt
If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to help others with the same question.
#traccreations4e-r25 10/28/2025I have multiple folders for each customer, so this would be more time-consuming than simply dragging the sent email into the appropriate folder.
Yeah, unfortunately the new Outlook doesn’t have that “save replies in same folder” option yet. Best workaround right now is to use Outlook on the web, that still supports it. Otherwise, you can set up server-side rules in Outlook.com or Exchange (if you’re on it) to move sent mail based on subject or recipient. Hopefully Microsoft brings that feature back soon.
Unfortunately, only the "classic" Outlook allows you to create a rule for outgoing email. And this rule will be client-side by design.
Try to use this free flow: https://ivasoft.com/keeprepliesinfolderflow.shtml
Just to make sure I understand correctly —
would you prefer to review and confirm the target folder before moving,
or would you rather have full automation, where after sending the message it’s automatically moved into the folder that contains the email you replied to — without any manual action?I’m developing an Outlook add-in designed to help users keep their mailboxes properly organized.
With all the modern technologies available today, there’s no reason we should still be spending so much time manually filing messages.
Our add-in already supports a semi-automatic workflow for sent emails — it suggests the most relevant folder (for example, the same client or project folder where previous messages in the thread were stored).
We’ve seen growing interest in full automation, and we plan to expand this feature based on community feedback.
The add-in is currently in testing and completely free — feel free to DM me if you’d like early access or want to share your workflow.
Please send me a link to your add-in ideally via emailmailto:email address removed for privacy reasons, , I am not great at these message boards
PaulTilesUK Hi, Paul
Here is the link to our add-in at the Microsoft AppSource:https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/office/WA200007658
