Auto Forward Email in Outlook: Classic Web & Outlook.com

This guide shows you how to set up automatic email forwarding in both the classic Outlook Web App (used by many work and school accounts) and Outlook.com (the free personal version). You’ll learn to forward all incoming mail to another address, and how to keep or delete copies in your inbox. Before you start, make sure you have the email address you want to forward to, and that you can sign in to your Outlook account as an administrator (for work accounts, your IT department may need to enable forwarding).

What You’ll Need

• Access to your Outlook account (classic web app or Outlook.com)
• The full email address you want to forward to
• For work/school accounts: permission to change forwarding settings (often an admin setting)

Step-by-Step

For Outlook on the web (classic version, work or school accounts)

1. Sign in to your Outlook account using your web browser.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings pane and click View all Outlook settings.
4. In the Settings window, select Mail from the left sidebar.
5. Choose Forwarding from the sub-menu.
6. Toggle the switch to On for “Enable forwarding.”
7. Enter the email address you want to forward to in the “Forward to” field.
8. Decide whether to keep a copy of forwarded messages in your inbox. Check the box if you want to keep them; uncheck it to remove them after forwarding.
9. Click Save at the top of the pane.

For Outlook.com (personal accounts)

1. Sign in to your Outlook.com account.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
3. At the bottom of the Settings pane, click View all Outlook settings.
4. Select Mail from the left menu.
5. Click Forwarding.
6. Toggle the switch to On.
7. Enter the forwarding address.
8. Choose whether to keep copies of forwarded messages (check the box) or not (uncheck).
9. Click Save.

After saving, all new messages that arrive in your inbox will be automatically forwarded to the address you specified. The setting applies to all incoming mail, not just messages from certain senders.

Common Mistakes

• Not saving the settings: Forgetting to click “Save” after entering the forwarding address is a common oversight that leaves forwarding inactive.
• Using the wrong forwarding option: Some users confuse “Forwarding” with “Inbox rules.” Forwarding is a global setting that applies to every message. Inbox rules can forward only specific messages, but they are separate.
• Entering an invalid address: A typo in the forwarding address will cause messages to bounce or be lost. Double-check the address before saving.
• Not considering the “Keep a copy” checkbox: If you uncheck this box, forwarded messages are deleted from your inbox. If you need a record, keep it checked.
• Expecting immediate effect on old messages: Forwarding only applies to new messages that arrive after you enable it. It does not forward existing emails in your inbox.

Tips

• If you want to forward only certain types of emails (e.g., from a specific sender or with a specific subject), use an Inbox rule instead of the global forwarding setting. You can create a rule from Settings > Mail > Rules.
• Test the forwarding by sending yourself an email from another account after you’ve set it up. This confirms it works and that the destination address is correct.
• If you’re forwarding to an address that also uses Outlook, consider setting up a rule to mark forwarded messages as read or to move them to a specific folder, to avoid clutter.
• For work accounts, your organization may have policies about forwarding. Check with your IT admin if you’re unsure.

Troubleshooting

Forwarding is not working:

• Verify that you clicked Save after making changes.
• Check that the forwarding address is spelled correctly.
• Ensure that the toggle is On and not greyed out.
• If you’re using a work or school account, your admin may have disabled forwarding. Contact your IT department.
• Look for any email delivery reports in your inbox that indicate a failure to deliver to the forwarding address.

Forwarded messages are not arriving:

• Check the spam or junk folder of the destination account.
• Ask the recipient to add your sending address to their contacts or safe senders list.
• Confirm that the destination mailbox has enough storage space.

I want to stop forwarding:

• Go back to the same Forwarding settings and toggle the switch to Off, then click Save.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I forward only specific emails automatically?

Yes, use an Inbox rule instead of the global forwarding setting. Create a rule under Settings > Mail > Rules, choose a condition (e.g., from a certain sender), and add an action to forward to a specific address.

Will forwarding affect my sent items?

No, forwarding only applies to incoming messages. Your sent items remain unchanged.

Does forwarding work if I’m on vacation?

Yes, forwarding works continuously as long as your account is active. You can combine it with an automatic reply for a complete out-of-office experience.

Can I forward to multiple addresses?

In the classic web app and Outlook.com, the forwarding setting allows only one address. To forward to multiple, you can create an inbox rule for each additional address, or use a group email address as the forwarding target.

Will forwarded messages appear as sent from me or from the original sender?

They will appear as forwarded messages, typically showing the original sender in the body and the forwarding address in the “From” field. The recipient will see both the original sender and that it was forwarded.

Is there a limit to the number of messages that can be forwarded?

No, there is no specific limit. However, your mailbox storage and the destination mailbox’s limits may apply. Very large attachments might be blocked by the receiving server.

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