Make a rule with the wizard
Answer five short questions to make a signature rule, choosing the template, who sends it, who receives it and where it goes in the order, without opening the full rule editor.
The rule wizard makes a signature rule for you from a few questions. A rule decides who gets which signature template, and the wizard asks only what a first rule needs: the template, who sends it, who receives it and on which messages, and, when you already have other rules, where it goes in the order. Nothing is created until the last step, and what it creates is an ordinary rule: everything in it can still be changed in the rule editor.
Footer365 makes the rule wizard available to organisations gradually, so it may not be in your portal yet. See Early access pages and features. Without it, New rule opens the rule editor, as described in How signature rules work.
Start the wizard
- In the portal, go to Signatures and then Signature rules (open Signature rules).
- Select New rule.
The arrow beside New rule lists Build with the wizard and Start blank in the editor, which opens the rule editor. While the wizard is on, the other ways to a new rule open it too: the rule step of the setup guide and of Getting started, Create your first rule on the Dashboard, and Use it for everyone in the template editor, which starts the wizard with that template chosen.
The steps
The steps are listed down the left. Select a step you have already reached to go back to it, or use Back. The template you choose is shown on the right, filled in with a sample person.
- Template. Choose one of your templates that is switched on. If none is switched on yet, the step says so: select Make one with the template wizard, or Go to Templates where the template wizard is not in your portal, make a template and switch it on, then come back to make the rule. If templates are switched on but all of them are in folders you cannot see, the step says that instead.
- Who sends it. Everyone, with the number of people in your directory today, A group, A department or Certain people. For a group, tick one or more of your Microsoft 365 groups; for a department, choose it from the departments in your directory; for certain people, tick them by name. Choosing a group, a department or people needs permission to view the directory.
- Who receives it, and when. Everyone they email, or Only messages with someone outside your organisation. Then Every message, New messages only or Replies only.
- Its place in the order. Shown only when you already have rules. Rules are tried from the top, and the first that matches a message gives its signature. Choose First, before every other rule, after one of your rules, or Last, after every other rule. A rule for everyone starts last, so the rules for particular teams above it still win; any other rule starts first. A place is not offered when a rule below it is in a folder you cannot change.
- Check and switch on. The Rule name is made from your answers; change it if you like. Each rule needs a different name. A summary repeats your answers. Choose Switch it on now or Save it switched off, then select Make the rule or Save the rule.
The rule is saved with the rule editor's own checks. If anything is refused, the wizard says why. When it is saved, Send me this as a test sends you a real test message signed as one of the people the rule covers, as Test a rule does on the Signature rules page, and Go to Signature rules shows it in the list.
Open the full rule editor
Open the full rule editor instead, on every step, and More options in the full rule editor on the last, open the rule editor on a new rule filled in with your answers so far. Nothing is saved until you select Save rule there. The editor has the settings the wizard leaves out, such as a job title or domain as the sender, conditions on directory details, excepted senders, recipient lists, a schedule and a choice between several templates. See How signature rules work.
To stop at any point, select Close, then Leave in Leave the wizard?. Nothing has been created, so your answers are lost.
Good to know
- The wizard is not offered to someone limited to part of the organisation, who makes rules in the rule editor, where every person, group and department is checked against their scope. See Limit an administrator to part of the organisation.
- A new rule goes into the folder the Signature rules list was showing, as one made in the editor does. See Folders and who can use them.
- Making the rule, and moving it into its place, are recorded in the audit log, as they are from the Signature rules page.
Related
Still stuck?
Tell us what you were trying to do and what you saw. Include the sender, a recipient and roughly when a message was sent, and we can trace it.