I setup a rule to forward emails to an email list if an email is received from a specific address, but its not working

Question

I setup a rule to forward emails to an email list if an email is received from a specific address, but its not working

Huynh, Steven - REE-ARS 0

I setup a rule to forward emails to an email list if an email is received from a specific address, but its not working. Its set up correctly with "Rules 2. Add a condition" "From" email address: ******@risinglink.com, "Add an action" "Forward to" a list of email addresses (that doesn't include ******@risinglink.com or myself). I've tested this in classic and new outlook and gotten it to work with three people test (sender, forwarder, receiver) but it looks like increasing the list is preventing it from working. The forwarder and receivers are all in the same organization with the same email endings.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

The most likely cause is the recipient limit on forward or redirect Inbox rules. Exchange Online supports a maximum of 10 individual recipients in a forward or redirect Inbox rule. If the rule works with a small test group but stops working when more recipients are added, that matches this limit.

What to do:

Check how many individual addresses are in the Forward to action.
If there are more than 10, replace the individual addresses with:
- a distribution group, or
- a Microsoft 365 Group
Add the intended recipients to that group.
Update the rule so it forwards to the group instead of to individual addresses.

Additional checks if it still does not work:

Verify mailbox-level forwarding is not enabled on the forwarding mailbox. If mailbox forwarding is enabled, Inbox rules that redirect messages will not work by design.
Check whether automatic forwarding is disabled for a remote domain.
In Outlook on the web or new Outlook, review the rule under Settings > Mail > Rules and make sure it is saved and enabled.
If multiple rules exist, enable Stop processing more rules so a later rule does not override this one.

If the goal is to preserve the original sender, use Redirect to. If the goal is simply to send a copy onward from the mailbox, use Forward to.

References:

Answer 2

Hi,

As the forum’s AI recommended, checking the recipient count is a useful first step. For mailboxes hosted in Exchange Online, Microsoft documents a limit of 10 individual recipients in a forward or redirect Inbox rule. This also applies to internal recipients.

Could you confirm how many addresses are in the “Forward to” action when it stops working, and whether these are individual addresses or one distribution group address? The successful smaller test makes this worth checking, but it does not establish the cause on its own.

If you have more than 10 individual recipients, ask your Microsoft 365 administrator to create a distribution group containing the intended recipients, then use the group’s email address in the rule instead of listing each person separately. Keep the existing “From” condition and test with a new message from the specified sender.

Microsoft documents this workaround here: Diagnose Outlook Inbox rules that aren’t working.

If there are 10 or fewer recipients, or you already use a distribution group, please confirm whether nobody receives the forwarded message or only some recipients are affected, and whether any delivery failure message appears.

Also review the rules above this one under Settings > Mail > Rules. An earlier matching rule with “Stop processing more rules” enabled can prevent this forwarding rule from running. See Stop processing more rules in Outlook.

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