Mark Sent Items as Read After Copying with a Rule

Fulvio needs to use rules to move sent messages, but the sent items are not marked read when they are copied to other folders.

I’ve set up a rule for copying any message I send out to a local outbox folder (rather than the one on remote server). Therefore, I’ve uncheck the standard option “save a copy of sent messages”, as I don’t need to duplicate them remotely. Everything works fine: I have no longer remote copies of sent emails, and I have the local ones, but these latter are now bolded as unread. So, I’d like to set my custom rule as: copy sent messages to the local outbox AND mark them as read. Yet it seems to be impossible….

It's not impossible to do, but it won't work with Rules. "After Sending" rules don't support custom actions, run a script, or marking items as read. However, you can use VBA to mark sent items read.

Because the sent item is not in the default data file, you'll need to use the code at Use a folder in another pst or Mailbox to identify the data file. Paste it and the code below into the ThisOutlookSession module in the VB Editor.

Change this line: Set Items = GetFolderPath("New PST\Sent Items").Items to reflect the data file name in the folder list and the folder name you are moving the sent item to.

Code Sample: Mark Moved Messages as Read

To test this code, click in the Application_Startup module and press Run to start it without restarting Outlook. Don't forget to get the GetFolderPath function from Use a folder in another pst or Mailbox.

Private WithEvents Items As Outlook.Items

Private Sub Application_Startup()
   Set Items = GetFolderPath("New PST\Sent Items").Items
End Sub

Private Sub Items_ItemAdd(ByVal Item As Object)
    Item.UnRead = False
    Item.Save
End Sub

Mark deleted items read automatically

To mark messages read as they are moved into a folder within the mailbox, such as the deleted items folder, use the following code sample.

To use the junk mail folder, use
Set Items = Ns.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderJunk).Items

Private WithEvents Items As Outlook.Items

Private Sub Application_Startup()
  Dim Ns As Outlook.NameSpace
  Set Ns = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
  Set Items = Ns.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDeletedItems).Items
   
End Sub

Private Sub Items_ItemAdd(ByVal Item As Object)
    Item.UnRead = False
    Item.Save
End Sub

Move sent messages using VBA

This code sample moves the sent messages using VBA, rather than a rule.

If the folder you are moving the sent items to is in a different pst file, you'll need the GetFolderPath function at Use a folder in another pst or Mailbox.

Private WithEvents Items As Outlook.Items

Private Sub Application_Startup()
Set Items = Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderSentMail).Items

End Sub

Private Sub Items_ItemAdd(ByVal Item As Object)
    Set MovePst = GetFolderPath("NewPST\Sent Items")
    Item.UnRead = False
    Item.Move MovePst
End Sub

Related Posts:

1. Use a VBA macro in Outlook to move IMAP sent items to the Sent items f

   Use a macro to move IMAP account sent items
2. Use a VBA macro to monitor a folder in a secondary mailbox for new mes

   Monitor secondary mailbox folder for new messages
3. A simple run a rule script marks Outlook messages read when the messag

   Use a run a script rule to mark messages read
4. How can you read email on a smartphone and not have it marked read bef

   Smartphones Mark Email as Read