Mail rules not working

I have no rules set for junk mail, and the watches and tablets and body part enlargements and most of the offers of large sums of money are moved to my junk mailbox automatically by Mail. Have you considered using Mail's junk filter?

AK

I'm a very long-time computer and Mac user and still am not able to get Mail rules to work properly...........

Message was edited by: omiof5

I'm a very long-time computer and Mac user and still am not able to get Mail rules to work properly.

Using Mail Junk filter and also a couple of my own rules, which are very simple--if any recipient address contains xyz, move to Trash.

Also can't get rule for certain words in text body to move the email to Trash. (I know this won't work if the spammer is using an image but this is actual text.)

Anyway, have deleted all custom rules, closed Mail, deleted MessageRules and MessageRules BU pref files at Username > Library > Mail. Created new rule for the unwanted recipient address. Still no luck. Any other ideas?

It's just amazing to me that Apple hasn't improved the bugginess of Mail rules in all this time. Very frustrating.

Could you post the actual rule? And the recipient address for which it is not working?

AK

Sure. Apparently someone who used a similar address to send out legitimate notices has had her computer compromised. The spam has been incessant for several weeks now.

The rule I set up:

If any of the following conditions are met:

To contains alumnae.alphaphi.org
Any recipient contains alumnae.alphaphi.org
Subject contains alumnae.alphaphi.org

Perform the following actions:

Delete message.

Apple junk mail filtering is on. I think I'm using the Mail rules correctly but won't be insulted if told I'm making some dumb mistake. Wouldn't be the first time I've heard it or done it. ;-}

I would try a few things:
add as first action to colour the message - this tells you if it is firing at all.
instead of deleting, try moving to junk.
have just one condition (should not of course make a difference, but you never know)
separate into alumnae alphaphi and org, three conditions all to be met

AK

Have done. Thanks, Austin -- will let you know and be back to give credit if successful.

Austin, that worked. Thanks much- wish I could give you an answered vote. 😉

Thanks for the thanks - the bit of feedback is always welcome. Which particular bit was the solution?

AK

Well, I was impatient and didn't test one thing at a time -- wrote the rule to cover everything you suggested above. ;-}

Rule that works:

All conditions met: any recipient contains alumnae, any rec contains alphaphi, any rec contains org.

Actions: move message to trash, set color of background red

Would love to be able to add Bounce as an action (but do understand why it isn't available) and am doing that manually. Doubt that it makes any difference but I feel better doing it. ;-}

I also am having problems with simple Preferences/rules:

If all the following conditions apply:
From is equal to x@x.x
Subject does not contain yyy
Move message to mailbox zzz

What happens is that ALL messages that match the first condition are being moved to mailbox zzz

What's stranger is that this is still happening after I deleted this mail rule (and rebooted even)

Solved my own problem...
Of course the mail rules set in Mail are supposed to be propagated via IMAP to the actual mail server (Domino in my case). This isn't working, so I had to edit the rules through my Lotus Notes client instead.

I'm having a great deal of trouble with Mail's rules as well. (Did a google search and came upon this thread!) So I'm going to post my problem and if anyone has any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it.

I have an IMAP email @u.washington.edu that has a limited allowance of storage. Being the pack rat that I am, I want to keep all of the emails I get on that address but would like them available on my iPhone as well.

So I set up a gmail account for this specific purpose and have a rule written:

"If account is" (my @uw.edu account)
"Copy message to" (my backup gmail account, which is configured as IMAP btw)

This rule works fine, but then I started to have duplicates appear in my Inbox. I'm ok with the duplicates but I would prefer not to have the same unread notification twice or even three times. I tried to set up another rule:

"If account is" (my backup gmail account)
"Mark message as read"

This rule appears to have no effect. I know this is a pretty long and complicated solution, so if any of you have an idea for a solution to my problem other than the one I just described, please let me know.

Also, the university will not allow me to forward my emails directly from their servers.

Thanks so much for any help!