Delete a rule by opening the Rules dialog and removing it

To delete a rule in Outlook, open the Rules dialog, find the rule you want to remove, and click the Delete button. The process takes about 30 seconds and works the same way whether you use Outlook on Windows, Mac, or the web version. Once deleted, the rule stops running immediately — any emails that would have matched it will no longer be sorted, forwarded, or marked automatically.

The steps differ slightly depending on which version of Outlook you use, so find your version below and follow those instructions. If you are not sure which version you have, check your taskbar or Applications folder — Outlook 2019 and earlier show a version number in the title bar, while Outlook 2021 and Microsoft 365 do not.

Key Takeaways

  • In Outlook for Windows, go to Home > Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts, select the rule, and click Delete.
  • In Outlook for Mac, go to Tools > Rules, select the rule, and click the minus button at the bottom of the window.
  • In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Rules, select the rule, and click Delete.
  • Deleting a rule takes effect immediately and does not affect emails that were already sorted or moved by that rule.
  • If you are not sure what a rule does, you can turn it off temporarily instead of deleting it — look for the checkbox next to the rule name.

Delete a rule in Outlook for Windows

Open Outlook and go to the Home tab at the top of the window. Click the Rules button in the toolbar, then select Manage Rules & Alerts from the dropdown menu. A dialog box will open showing all your rules in a list.

Find the rule you want to delete and click on it once to select it. The rule name will highlight in blue. Now click the Delete button at the bottom right of the dialog. A confirmation message may appear asking if you are sure — click Yes to confirm. The rule is now deleted and the dialog will close when you click OK.

Delete a rule in Outlook for Mac

Open Outlook and click Tools in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Rules from the dropdown menu. A window will open showing all your rules.

Click the rule you want to delete to select it, then click the minus button (−) at the bottom left of the window. The rule will be removed from the list immediately. Close the Rules window by clicking the red close button in the top left corner.

Delete a rule in Outlook on the web

Sign in to Outlook on the web and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select View all Outlook settings from the menu. Click Mail in the left sidebar, then click Rules under the Mail section.

Find the rule you want to delete in the list. Click on the rule name to select it, then click the Delete button that appears. The rule will be removed from your account. Changes take effect within a few minutes.

Turn off a rule instead of deleting it

If you are not certain you want to delete a rule permanently, you can turn it off temporarily instead. This lets you test what happens without losing the rule setup. To turn off a rule, open the Rules dialog using the steps above for your version of Outlook, then look for a checkbox next to the rule name. Uncheck the box to turn the rule off. The rule will no longer run, but you can turn it back on later by checking the box again.

This approach is useful if a rule is sorting emails you want to see, or if you suspect a rule is causing problems but you are not ready to delete it. You can always delete the rule later if you decide you do not need it.

What happens after you delete a rule

Once you delete a rule, it stops running immediately. Any new emails that arrive will not be affected by that rule — they will not be moved to folders, forwarded, marked as read, or handled in any other way the rule was set up to do. However, emails that were already sorted or moved by the rule before you deleted it will stay where they are. Deleting a rule does not undo its past actions.

If you deleted a rule by mistake and want to restore it, you will need to create it again manually. Outlook does not have an undo button for deleted rules, so write down the rule settings before you delete it if you think you might need it later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a deleted rule?

No, Outlook does not have an undo feature for deleted rules. Once you delete a rule, it is gone. If you need the rule back, you will have to create it again from scratch. Before deleting a rule you are unsure about, take a screenshot or write down what it does so you can recreate it if necessary.

Will deleting a rule move emails back to my inbox?

No. Deleting a rule does not affect emails that were already moved or sorted by that rule. Those emails stay in the folders where the rule put them. The rule only stops running on new incoming emails.

What if I delete the wrong rule?

If you delete a rule by mistake, you will need to create it again. Open the Rules dialog, click New Rule, and set up the conditions and actions the same way as before. If you cannot remember the exact settings, check your email folders to see which ones received emails from that rule, which may help you figure out what it was doing.

Can I delete multiple rules at once?

In Outlook for Windows and Mac, you can select multiple rules by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while clicking each rule name, then click Delete. In Outlook on the web, you must delete rules one at a time.

Does deleting a rule affect my other rules?

No. Deleting one rule does not change any of your other rules. They will continue to run normally on incoming emails. Rules run in the order they appear in your rules list, so if you had rules that depended on each other, you may notice a change in how emails are sorted.