New Outlook Conditional Formatting makes it easier to identify important emails from an entire company or organization. Instead of creating separate rules for individual senders, you can highlight their messages using one rule.
Imagine receiving emails from several employees at the same company. You want those messages to stand out, but you don’t want to add every employee individually.
The Sender Address Includes condition can help!
Let’s explore how to color-code emails from an entire company domain, when this feature is useful, and a few things to consider before creating your rule.
What Is the Sender Address Includes Condition?
The Sender Address Includes condition allows you to highlight emails based on text found in the sender’s email address.
For example, imagine you regularly communicate with employees at Contoso.
Their email addresses might include:
- alex@contoso.com
- jordan@contoso.com
- taylor@contoso.com
nstead of creating separate Conditional Formatting rules for each person, you can enter
@contoso.comin the Sender Address Includes condition.New Outlook will automatically highlight matching messages using your selected color.
Watch the video above to see how to highlight emails from an entire company domain. I also demonstrate the @Mentioned condition, explain how to combine conditions, and cover several important limitations.
When Should You Use Domain Conditional Formatting?
Consider using this feature when you want to identify emails from a particular company or organization at a glance.
For example:
Clients: Highlight messages from everyone at an important client organization.
Vendors: Identify emails from suppliers or service providers without adding individual contacts.
Business Partners: Make messages from partner organizations stand out in your inbox.
Job Searching: Applying for a job? Highlight emails from companies where you’ve submitted applications. You never know who from the organization might contact you next!
Schools or Universities: Highlight emails from an educational institution using its email domain.
You can create different rules and assign different colors to help distinguish messages from the organizations you communicate with.
However, be selective. Too many formatting rules can make your inbox harder to read rather than easier to manage.
Job-search tip: Domain-based formatting can help identify messages from potential employers, but it may not catch emails sent through external recruiting agencies or hiring platforms.
How to Color-Code Emails from an Entire Domain
Let’s create a Conditional Formatting rule in New Outlook.
Open New Outlook.
Select View > View Settings.
Navigate to Mail > Conditional Formatting.
Select Add Rule.
Give your rule a descriptive name, such as Contoso Emails.
Choose the Sender Address Includes condition.
Enter the company domain, such as
@contoso.com.Choose your preferred color and formatting style.
Review your formatting in the preview, then select Save.
Once saved, New Outlook automatically applies your selected formatting to matching messages in supported mail folders.
You can edit, temporarily disable, or delete the rule whenever your needs change.
Conditional Formatting: Important Considerations and Limitations
Before creating Conditional Formatting rules, consider a few things.
Use the Company Domain Carefully
The Sender Address Includes condition looks for matching text in a sender’s email address.
However, avoid creating domain-based rules for common email services such as gmail.com, outlook.com, or yahoo.com.
Why?
These services are used by millions of people and organizations. A rule using @gmail.com, for example, could highlight messages from friends, businesses, and unfamiliar senders who happen to use Gmail.
Instead of identifying important messages, you could end up color-coding a large portion of your inbox.
Tip: Use domain-based Conditional Formatting for organizations with identifiable company or institutional email domains. For individuals using Gmail, Outlook.com, or Yahoo, consider creating a rule for their specific email address instead.
Review Your Existing Conditional Formatting Rules
If multiple Conditional Formatting rules match the same message, their order determines which formatting takes priority.
For example, if one rule highlights messages from your manager and another highlights everyone at your company, check the rule order to ensure the most important messages get the intended formatting.
Conditional Formatting: Known Limitations
There are a few limitations to keep in mind:
Sent Items and Drafts Folders: Conditional Formatting does not appear on messages in these folders.
Classic Outlook Compatibility: Conditional Formatting rules created in New Outlook don’t synchronize with Classic Outlook, and vice versa.
Export and Import: New Outlook doesn’t support exporting or importing Conditional Formatting rules.
If you’re transitioning from Classic Outlook, you’ll need to recreate your Conditional Formatting rules in New Outlook.
Remember, Conditional Formatting changes the appearance of matching messages. It doesn’t move emails into folders or assign Categories.
For additional guidance on choosing between Conditional Formatting and Categories, read my article: New Outlook: Conditional Formatting vs. Categories
In Summary
The Sender Address Includes condition is a useful way to highlight emails from an entire company or organization without creating separate rules for every sender.
It’s especially helpful when communicating with clients, vendors, business partners, or potential employers.
Start with one organization, choose a color that stands out, and see how it improves your ability to recognize important messages.
Now, go and work your magic!
