Run a Script Rule: Change Subject then Forward Message

A visitor to our Outlook Forums wanted to know how to change a subject and forward a message using rules:

I want to create a rule that I can run on a folder containing a number of messages that forwards each message to a new email address (a dropbox for a database). I need to write my own subject line, so that the database will read the subject line and then know to parse the document and extract the required information.

You can do this using either VBA or a Run a Script rule. If you using a rule to move the messages to another folder, the run a script rule is probably the best and can easily forward mail meeting specific conditions. You can run the rule as messages arrive or run it on the messages in the folder at any time using Run Rules Now.

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Run a Script Rule

Press Alt+F11 to open the VB Editor and paste the following code into ThisOutlookSession. Create the rule in Outlook and select the script.

Don't forget to change the subject and email address!

Sub ChangeSubjectForward(Item As Outlook.MailItem)
    Item.Subject = "Test"
 Item.Save
 
Set myForward = Item.Forward
myForward.Recipients.Add "alias@domain.com"

myForward.Send

End Sub

To Delete the Sent Copy of the Message

To delete (or not save) the sent copy after it is forwarded, use myForward.DeleteAfterSubmit = True before the Send command.

Sub ChangeSubjectForward(Item As Outlook.MailItem)

Set myForward = Item.Forward
myForward.Recipients.Add "alias@domain.com"

' To BCC an address or DL, try this:
'myForward.BCC = "alias"

myForward.DeleteAfterSubmit = True

myForward.Send

End Sub

"Change subject then forward" VBA Macro version

If you prefer a macro you can run on all messages in a folder at any time, use this code sample. This macro was put together using the script above and the code sample at Add a file number or keyword to the subject line of messages.

To use, paste into ThisOutlookSession and run, or add to a toolbar, ribbon, or QAT button.

Don't forget to change the subject and email address.

Sub ChangeSubjectThenSend()
Dim myolApp As Outlook.Application
Dim aItem As Object

Set myolApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
Set mail = myolApp.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder

Dim strFilenum As String

For Each aItem In mail.Items
      aItem.Subject = "New Subject"
    aItem.Save
    
    Set myForward = aItem.Forward
    myForward.Recipients.Add "alias@domain.com"
    myForward.Send

Next aItem
End Sub

Find a code in the message body, then forward

This example combines the first script above with the macro at Use RegEx to extract text from an Outlook email message to look for a tracking code in the message body, then forward the message and include the code in the message subject.

Sub CodeSubjectForward(Item As Outlook.MailItem)

' Set reference to VB Script library
' Microsoft VBScript Regular Expressions 5.5

    Dim M1 As MatchCollection
    Dim M As Match
    
    Set Reg1 = New RegExp
        
    With Reg1
        .Pattern = "(Tracking Code\s*(\w*)\s*)"
        .Global = True
    End With
    If Reg1.Test(Item.Body) Then
    
        Set M1 = Reg1.Execute(Item.Body)
        For Each M In M1
        
'allows for multiple matches in the message body
        Item.Subject = M.SubMatches(1) & "; " & Item.Subject
        
        Next
    End If

 Item.Save
  
Set myForward = Item.Forward
myForward.Recipients.Add "alias@domain.com"
 
myForward.Send
 
End Sub

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