Use Automatic Formatting to highlight messages

Instead of using email rules to move message, you can leave the messages in your Inbox and use Automatic Formatting rules in a custom view to highlight messages.

This tutorial shows you how to highlight messages from senders but you can use any criteria in the filter dialog.

Click on Arrange By to expand the menu and select Custom... then Automatic Formatting button.

In this example, I have message that are in the Green category highlighted in Green and I create a new Automatic Formatting rule that highlights messages from Office Live in fuchsia.

In Outlook 2010, automatic formatting is renamed conditional formatting. The dialog is the same, just the name is different.

More Information

The Automatic Formatting filter dialog uses the same filter dialog as Search folders, Advanced find and Views. 

When you are applying filters to domains, use the From field on the first tab for the address or partial address. The From field on the Advanced tab is used for display names.