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How to create a folder to organize emails by date range in Outlook?

Author Amanda Li Last modified

In this tutorial, I will introduce two methods to organize emails by date range with folders in Outlook for better efficiency.

Create a search folder to automatically organize emails by dynamic date range

A search folder enables you to view emails by dynamic date range easily. For example, you can always view all emails received in the current month in one search folder, which means the folder will show all emails received in November if it is November, and show all emails received in December if it is December, so that you don’t need to always create a new folder for a new month.

1. On the "Folder" tab, in the "New" group, click on "New Search Folder".

the steps of creating a search folder to automatically organize emails by dynamic date range
2. In the pop-up "New Search Folder" dialog, please do as follows:
  • 1) Under "Select a Search Folder", in the "Custom" list, select "Create a custom Search Folder".
  • 2) Under "Customize Search Folder", click on "Choose" to specify the criteria.
the steps of creating a search folder to automatically organize emails by dynamic date range

3. In the pop-up "Custom Search Folder" dialog box, name the folder in the input box and then click on "Criteria".

the steps of creating a search folder to automatically organize emails by dynamic date range
4. In the "Search Folder Criteria" dialog, please do as follows:
  • 1) Shift to "Advanced" tab.
  • 2) Click on "Field" > "Date/Time fields" > "Received". Or you can just type in "Received" in the input box under "Field".
  • 3) Select the desired date range you want from the "Condition" drop-down list. For example, I want all messages received this month to be in the search folder, so I will select "This Month". You can also select "Between" and then enter, e.g. "2022/11/1 and 2022/12/1" if you don’t want the date range to be dynamic. Note that the start date is included, while the end date is excluded.
  • 4) Click on "Add to List".
  • 5) Click on "OK".
the steps of creating a search folder to automatically organize emails by dynamic date range

5. Click "OK" in the "Custom Search Folder" dialog box. Now, a search folder is created under "Search Folders", containing the email messages that meet the conditions.

the steps of creating a search folder to automatically organize emails by dynamic date range

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Move emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook

With the search folder, you can view the messages easily in a folder. However, the messages are not actually moved to the folder, but keep staying in the Inbox. If you want to move the messages of, say, November, to a specific folder, please do as follows:

1. Right-click on the email account for which you will create a folder to organize emails, select "New folder" from the right-clicking menu, and name the folder.

the steps of moving emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook

2. In your Inbox folder, select any one of the email messages.

3. On the Home tab, in the Move group, click on "Rules" > "Create Rule".

the steps of moving emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook

4. In the pop-up Create Rule dialog box, click on "Advanced Options".

the steps of moving emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook
5. In the pop-up Rules Wizard dialog box, please do as follows:
  • 1) Check the box next to "received in a specific date span".
  • 2) Click the underlined "in a specific date span" in the Step 2 box.
  • 3) Check both "After" and "Before" boxes, and select the corresponding dates.
  • 4) Click "OK" to go back to the Rules Wizard window.
  • 5) Click "Next".
the steps of moving emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook
6. In the next Rules Wizard, please do as follows:
  • 1) Check the box next to "move it to specific folder".
  • 2) Click the underlined "specific" in the Step 2 box.
  • 3) Select the folder to which you will move the emails that are received in the date span you set.
  • 4) Click "OK" to go back to the Rules Wizard window.
  • 5) Click "Next".
the steps of moving emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook

7. In the next Rules Wizard where to set exceptions, click on "Next" without selecting any options.

8. In the last Rules Wizard dialog, name the rule in Step 1, check both options in Step 2, and finally click on "Finish".

the steps of moving emails of specific date range to a folder in Outlook

Now, the existing emails that are received in the specific date range will be moved to the folder you just created. And the upcoming email messages will also go to the folder directly if they are received in the date range you set.

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