Outlook for Mac error message: Rules could not be saved because there is an error in the rules.

Anonymous

(Modifying the title to provide clarity)

I have edited multiple rules in Outlook for Mac and when trying to save the changes I get this error message:

"Rules could not be saved because there is an error in the rules. Edit the rules, and then try to save the rules again."

What? I mean WHAT???

Firstly, I have edited the rules in your UI and clicked OK after each edit, how can there be an error?? Why did you not check for errors when I pressed the OK button? How is it even possible that your UI lets me create a rule with an error, it is not a programming language, it is a user interface!

Secondly, what an ignorant unhelpful error message is this? What is the error? In which rule it is? How do I fix it? The message could have equally read "F... YOU!", it would be equally unhelpful and rude!

Not only did I have to abandon all the changes I made, you have also ruined my day!

I HATE YOU TOO MICROSOFT!!!

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous

A common cause of these rule errors is a bad email address in one of the rules (possibly a typo) or an invalid folder name (possibly deleted or renamed?). Please check the most recent rule(s) you created and edited to see if all parameters are currently valid. You can also narrow down the specific rule by selectively removing/re-adding individual rules. Unfortunately, all rules are sent to the server in one transaction, and Outlook currently does not have code to identify and display the specific rule that failed. We've logged that as a future improvement.

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Anonymous

This is really a problem solver!

With outlook log trace opened, I found there are multiple RuleOperationError when synchronizing with exchange server.

For example:

<OperationIndex>24</OperationIndex><ValidationErrors><Error><FieldURI>Condition:SentToAddresses</FieldURI><ErrorCode>InvalidAddress</ErrorCode><ErrorMessage>invalid email address</ErrorMessage><FieldValue>SMTP:</FieldValue></Error></ValidationErrors>

the OperationIndex tag should be started from 0, so 24 means the 25th rule in the rule box.

For me, there is a outdated mail-group in SendToAddress condition.

After removed these invalid rules, the whole rule set worked again!

Hope that microsoft(outlook) fix this issue with the accurate invalid rule tips, cause not everyone can understand these debug stuff!

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44 additional answers

Anonymous

2017-06-13T18:54:49+00:00

Sometimes the rule is "good" when it is created, but goes "bad" later if the specified destination folder is deleted or renamed. So the rule can't be saved.

Each issue needs to be investigated individually. Please go to "Help" -> "Contact Support" to get 1:1 support.
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Anonymous

2017-06-14T14:04:29+00:00

This is not a solution.

At the very least I want a shell script or program that can go through rules and identify the bad rule.

If you don't identify the bad rule, then you don't have a solution for me.
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Anonymous

2017-06-14T16:56:27+00:00

This is not a solution.

At the very least I want a shell script or program that can go through rules and identify the bad rule.

If you don't identify the bad rule, then you don't have a solution for me.

I did not say it was a solution. I merely explained how a "good" rule can become "bad." And I also suggested you "Contact Support" so they can get your logs and help you.
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