Rules

Rules let you automatically act on incoming messages. Build them in the mobile app using the step-by-step wizard — this portal shows you what's available.

How rules work

Each rule has one or more conditions that are evaluated against every incoming message, and one or more actions that fire when conditions match. Conditions can be combined with AND (all must match) or OR (any must match) logic. Rules are evaluated in priority order — lower numbers run first.

Rules can also be scheduled: set an activate at date to delay activation, and a sunset date to automatically deactivate the rule after a period — perfect for time-limited campaigns or on-call rotations.

Condition fields

Match on envelope fields, message content, attachment metadata, and AI-derived signals:

from contains @vendor.com
subject starts_with Invoice
cc contains boss@company.com
hasAttachment is_true
attachmentFilename contains .pdf
AI category equals finance
AI importanceScore greater_than 80
isTimeSensitive is_true

Operators: equals, contains, starts_with, ends_with, matches_regex, greater_than, less_than, is_true, is_false

Available actions — no setup required

Push notificationSend a push alert to your device.

AI push notificationRun an AI prompt and send the result as a push alert.

Capture eventsStore extracted calendar events for the user.

Capture remindersPassively store reminders and follow-up items explicitly found in the message.

AI create reminderRun an AI prompt and only create reminders when the message actually requires follow-up.

AI Wizard PushOnly send a push when the email appears urgent and meaningful.

Capture contactsCapture contacts in the email and save them to the address book.

Star messageStar / flag the message.

ArchiveMove the message to archive.

DeleteMove the message to trash.

Mark importantElevate message importance.

Mark not importantReduce message priority.

Mark as readMark message as read automatically.

Apply labelAttach a custom label to the message.

Actions requiring setup

These actions become available after you configure the required integration in Settings → Integrations:

⚙ Send SMSText-message alert — requires verified phone number.

⚙ AI SMSRun an AI prompt and text the result — requires verified phone number.

⚙ AI Wizard SMSOnly text when the email appears urgent and meaningful — requires verified phone number.

⚙ Send webhookHTTP POST to a custom endpoint you configure.

⚙ Forward messageForward to another address with optional commentary.

⚙ AI emailRun an AI prompt and email the result — requires verified email destination.

⚙ AI Wizard EmailOnly email when the message appears urgent and meaningful — requires verified email destination.

⚙ AI Forward SummarySummarize the message and forward only that summary — requires verified email destination.

Note: the forward action requires a destination email address and optional commentary. The ai_sms, ai_email, and ai_push_notification, and ai_create_reminder, ai_create_event, and ai_create_contact actions each require a prompt that describes what should be extracted or created. The send_webhook action requires a valid HTTPS endpoint URL.

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Build rules in the mobile app

Open MailHarbor on your phone, tap the Rules tab, then tap New rule to launch the step-by-step wizard.