Outlook: Rules Create Multiple Duplicate Message
Contributed by AlexTheBeast 
Tagged: Microsoft Outlook Explains how to eliminate the common mistake of Outlook’s rules system creating multiple duplicate emails.
When people in my office use rules, they often complain that duplicate messages are formed. The most common one I see is that one piece of junk mail or mailing-list message will get duplicated after the rules sorts it to the appropriate folder.
To fix this add the stop processing more rules option to each rule that you have setup.
Step by Step:
- 1. Goto the Tools Menu
2. Select Rules and Alerts
3. Double click your rule in the Rules and Alerts Window
4. After the rule is open, select next to go to the Select Action(s) window.
5. Select Stop Processing More Rules
6. Click Finish
7. If you have multiple rules, you may need to repeat this cycle for each rule that you have active.
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StarSphere said on November 2, 2008
This tip worked for a while, at first. But now, I am getting duplicate and triplicate messages again, and all my rules already have the “stop processing more rules” clause. Any ideas?
eryador said on January 18, 2009
thanks a million. eyes opening.
eryador said on January 18, 2009
You probably have to re-order your rules.
Most probably you have got some rules “relocating” some types of messages into specific directories. these “belong to” rules must be “seated” at the end of the list!
Cheap Bastard said on January 27, 2009
This is not a reliable work around. It only works in *some* situations, and actually makes the problem uglier because it then becomes difficult to see why rules are not being executed as expected.
I have a suspicion that some rules are process on the exchange server, and some rules are processed locally. Somewhere along the line, a hand-off is made, and I don’t believe the message is ever handed back to the server to process server based rules. It’s a real mess regardless of what’s happening. “Stop processing more rules” worsens things, because sometimes messages take the wrong path, and other times they are duplicated anyway because of parallel server/local processing.
Outlook users only have an illusion that they have control over the processing of their mail. Advanced users should switch to linux, and use *procmail*, the holy grail of mail processing.
Chetan said on April 14, 2009
Thanks a lot for suggesting.
Ellen said on August 7, 2010
When I click Apply in the Rules and Alerts dialog box, I get a message saying that there’s the Stop Processing More Rules will stop other rules from running and asking if I’m sure I want to do this. I want all the rules to run, so I don’t understand why you would want this setting. Also, Outlook 2010 is adding it in by itself when I click Apply; it’s not in the rule itself.
Vivek_p_kapadia said on September 17, 2010
thn you soo much
Vivek_p_kapa said on September 17, 2010
Thank you soo muchhhhhh……
Fred said on December 13, 2010
Yes, it’s a mess, an ugly TRILLION-$$$$ mess. At my main work machine I use Thunderbird, rules work mostly fine. At our main client I’ve also got an e-mail account with ton of incoming technical spam (such-or-such operation succeeded – 1 to 24 times a day for many operations) and they use GRMBL Outlook which isn’t able to provide a sensible, reliable interface to sort them out ! (Got the same duplicates problem.) With all the $$$$$ bucks M$ likely put into the program, you wonder why they can’t make things work ? And this even at the simplest level: resizable dialogs, anyone ? Not Micro$$$$oft !!! Maybe in their recommendation guidelines, but not in the Rule system of $$$$$$ Outlook !
Fred said on December 13, 2010
I’m now trying the “stop processing more rules” trick on sorting rules and also putting them at the end of the list. Will see whether that fixes my problem. Anyway, thanks everyone for the tips.
Guy said on December 16, 2010
Thanks for this post. I was clueless on what is going on. I think this should be default on any rules.
Anonymous said on February 23, 2011
I got the same problem and it was due to overlapping rules. The best solution is to go over your rules and delete duplicates or near duplicates. It took me 2 good hours to do it, but now the dupes are gone.
Mahmoud said on November 25, 2011
Thanks a lot for your help!