Rules are not supported for this account

Question

Dear all,

I've a microsoft office package where i have access to Outlook.

I use Outlook on my iMac.

When i try to create a rule, to move a specific email to a specific folder, i see a warning message saying "Rules are not supported for this account".

This seems very strange. I looked online to find solution but honestly, i couldn't find anything specific.

Additionally i tried to request support on the microsoft site but whenever i placed a query, i got an automated feedback that "this service is not available at the moment". this is very frustrating.

Anyway. Can someone please help me finding a workaround as i need to setup and manage my rules, especially for a product that i paied for which i currently cannot use.

Best regards

Answer 1

Dear Garpez,

Thanks for using Microsoft products and posting in the community. 

I understand that your inability to create rules in Outlook is causing you problems and I understand how you feel.

In order to better understand the situation of your problem, I need you to share some details of the issue with us:

1. What is the domain name of your e-mail account?

2. What protocol is your mailbox configured for? (POP, IMAP and Exchange)

3. What version of Outlook are you using (Legacy Outlook, New Outlook)?

The first thing I need to explain to you is thatNew Outlook is a free product and in New Outlook, rules can only be created for Microsoft mailboxes.

So, if you're a non-Microsoft mailbox, you'll be prompted when you create a rule in New Outlook: rules are not supported for this account.

According to the description you gave, you have a subscription to Microsoft Office products, you can try to change to Legacy Outlook, you can create rules for your mailbox in Legacy Outlook.

Changing to Legacy Outlook.

Open Outlook, click Outlook in the upper toolbar, click Legacy Outlook, and restart Outlook.

For more information, see the following link: Create a rule in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

I hope this information has been helpful to you. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will be happy to assist you further.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Have a great day.

Best Regards,

Linda.L-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Hi Garpez,

Thank you for your reply.

Since subscriptions involve your private information, but the community team has limited tools and access to account information, you can try contacting customer support for their help:

1. Open the website: Contact - Microsoft Support
2. Enter Office in the box below "We're here for you", click "Get Help", and then click "Contact Customer Support" below, (this status must be logged in to your Microsoft account, if you haven't logged in, you can follow step 3)
3. In this section, you need to sign in to your personal Microsoft account

Note: You canonly log in with your personal MSA, and you can't display the correct content when you log in with your company account. If the account cannot be logged in, you can use another account or create a new account to execute;

4. Select "Microsoft 365 and Office" in Products & Services, select "Manage Subscriptions" as a category, and click Confirm
5. You can select "Chat in a web browser and support specialist" to enter the chat window.

Please contact support during business hours.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Have a great day.

Best Regards,

Linda.L-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 3

Hi Linda,

Ok, sorry to keep bothering but you wrote "But based on your description that you can't switch to Legacy Outlook, you don't seem to have a subscription to any product.".

Something does not seems to be right. Each year i pay and re-new and a subscription, which gives me word, excell, powerpoint, outlook and notes.

Sorry but i think something isn't correct. i no longer understand what i going on.

Basically the situation is the following.

• I have a subscription to a microsoft package
• I specifically choses the "mac" version.
• I pay it each year
• I use an iMac
• I have the program installed on my iMac
• When using outlook, i cannot setup rules due to the originally quoted "message".

I really thank you for your details but, it just gave me more confusion.

I should be able to pay-install-use and that's it. I'm not sure why this is not working.

How/where can i check my actualy current version of microsoft Office? soi can provide you the exact name of it?

When i originally purchased it it was "Microsoft 365 Single" but that was some years ago.

Best regards

Garpez

Answer 4

Hi Garpez,

Thank you for your reply.

The first thing I need to explain to you is that an email address such as @hotmail.com, @live.com, @outlook.com, or @msn.com, is an email address for a Microsoft domain.

The @gmail.com mailbox you are using, on the other hand, is a non-Microsoft domain mailbox, and generally uses the IMAP protocol when configuring it.

So, when you create a rule in New Outlook, you are prompted that this account does not support rules.

When using the IMAP protocol, generally only messages are synchronized.

For more information, see the following link: Sync basics - what you can and cannot sync - Microsoft Support

You said you had the Microsoft Office program package, and I mistakenly assumed you had a subscription to the product. But based on your description that you can't switch to Legacy Outlook, you don't seem to have a subscription to any product.

If you want to create rules in Outlook for your @gmail.com mailbox, you need to use Legacy Outlook or other software that can support this feature.

**If you want to use Legacy Outlook, you can subscribe to the products:**Microsoft 365 Personal Edition, Microsoft 365 Home Edition, Office 2024 Small Business Edition.

Note: Only Microsoft 365 Personal Edition, Microsoft 365 Home Edition can switch to Legacy Outlook, Office 2024 Small Business Edition cannot switch to Legacy Outlook.

Microsoft 365 - Subscription for Productivity Apps | Microsoft 365

Buy Office Home & Business 2024 (PC or Mac) - Download & Pricing | Microsoft Store

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Have a great day.

Best Regards,

Linda.L-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 5

Hello Linda,

THank you for the replay, please find hereafter my feedback to the 3 points:

1. @gmail.com
2. To be honest, i don't even understand your question. I've no idea
3. New Outlook

Can you please let me know what i can do to find out an answer for point 2

Also because i do not understand what you mean with "non-Microsoft mailbox".

I tried to "Open Outlook, click Outlook in the upper toolbar, click Legacy Outlook, and restart Outlook." but there is no "Legacy Outlook" that i can select in the drop-down list.

There is "New Outlook" that is selected and that's it.

Kind regards

Garpez