How to set up an inbox rule to catch invoice emails 🧾 via Outlook desktop

Sarah Bacich
Mar 21
3 min read

Task: Get on top of your invoicing workflow in less than 10 minutes in Outlook Desktop 💸

Let’s face it—when invoice emails are buried under newsletters, meeting reminders, or that “we miss you” promo from an old software trial, they get missed. And that delay? It creates double-handling, strained supplier relationships, and unnecessary admin follow-up.

This task helps you auto-sort all invoice-related emails into one folder so they’re easy to track, delegate, or action—without cluttering your main inbox.

What Needs Fixing 🔧

You’re losing time (and sometimes money) chasing or being chased for unpaid invoices. Whether they’re from freelancers, contractors, platforms like Xero or Stripe, or your virtual assistant, they’re landing wherever and whenever—and slipping through the cracks.

Why This Matters 👇

When invoices are automatically sorted:

Your bookkeeper won’t have to chase you for receipts or due payments.
You can batch-pay suppliers without scanning your whole inbox.
Delegation becomes seamless—your VA knows exactly where to look.

Think of this as a low-effort, high-impact inbox upgrade.

Key Questions Before You Start 🤔

Do you get invoices from multiple email addresses?
Are there any specific subject line words they tend to include? (e.g. “invoice,” “statement,” “bill”)
Do you already have a folder where you store invoices—or should we make a new one?

Checklist: Set up a rule to capture all invoice emails 📥

Follow this step-by-step inside your Outlook desktop app (not web version).

Open Outlook and go to your Inbox.
This is where the rule will start filtering from.
Click on the “Home” tab in the top ribbon.
Look for “Rules” on the far right—yep, it's hiding over there.
Click “Rules” > “Manage Rules & Alerts.”
This opens the hub where all your magic sorting happens.
Click “New Rule…” and choose “Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder.”
This option is perfect for common invoice keywords.
In the first pop-up, click the underlined “specific words” link.
Enter keywords like: invoice, statement, bill, payment due, or any supplier-specific terms you often see.
✅ Best practice tip: Add platform-specific terms like “Xero” or “Stripe” if you use them. 🔔 Gentle nudge: Avoid overly broad terms like “payment”—you might catch unrelated stuff.
Click “Add” after each keyword, then OK.
Try 5–10 keywords max to keep the rule tight and relevant.
Click the underlined “specified folder” link.
Choose an existing folder like “Accounts” or “Invoices,” or click “New” to create one.🎯 Example: Name it “To Pay – Invoices” if you want to clearly separate what needs actioning.
Click “Finish” and then “Apply” to activate the rule.
You’re now filtering like a pro. 🧹
Test your rule by sending yourself a fake invoice email.
Subject: “Invoice from Bob’s Virtual Admin – Payment Due”✔️ If it lands in your new folder, you’re all set!
(Optional but brilliant) Right-click the folder and click “Show in Favorites.”

This pins your invoice folder to the top-left pane for fast access.

Valued Outcome ✅

Once this is set up, every invoice lands where it should—meaning:

Your accounts are cleaner.
Your team can easily check what’s been received.
You won’t get caught out forgetting a payment again.

Big win for less than 10 minutes’ effort!

Delegation Email to Your Admin or VA ✉️

Subject: Please set up an Outlook invoice rule

Hi [Name],

Could you please set up a quick Outlook inbox rule to automatically file all invoice-related emails into a dedicated folder?

Here’s the value: it’ll mean fewer missed payments, better visibility for our bookkeeper, and less follow-up from suppliers.

Follow these quick steps:

Use keywords like “invoice,” “statement,” “payment due,” or specific senders like Xero or Stripe
Move them to a folder called “Invoices” or “To Pay – Invoices”
Test it by sending yourself a test email with “invoice” in the subject

Thanks! Let me know when it’s done, or if you hit any snags.

Cheers,

[Your Name]

Follow-Up Email From Your Team After Completing the Task ✅

Subject: Invoice rule set up and ready to go

Hi [Your Name],

The Outlook rule to filter invoice emails is all set up. I included keywords like “invoice,” “statement,” and added “Xero” and “Stripe” as senders.

I tested it with a few dummy emails and they landed in the right folder (“To Pay – Invoices”). Everything’s working smoothly now.

Let me know if you'd like any other types of emails filed this way.

Best,

[Team Member Name]

Don’t forget! 📝

Save this as a mini SOP (standard operating procedure) in your business toolkit.

You can:

Record a Tango walkthrough to show how it’s done for future hires.
Pop it into your Ops Manual or SOP folder.
Add it to your task manager or CRM (Customer Relationship Management tool) as a recurring quarterly review.