Rule Targets

The target, shown in the wizard as Rule Scope, decides which mail a rule sees. This page explains the four targets, which actions can use each one, and the settings each target adds. Choose the target carefully: you can't change it after the rule is saved.

Choosing a target

Actions and the targets they support:

Email Flow

Email Flow rules run in the mxHERO gateway on each message, before it is delivered. Your mail system must route mail through mxHERO. See Routing Architectures.

Before you begin

• Mail routing to mxHERO is set up and tested for the users the rule covers.
• Users are imported into Settings › Accounts and Groups, so the rule can match them.

Settings

• Target all emails sent: Between or From, then a Sender and a Recipient. Between matches mail in both directions. From matches only mail from the sender to the recipient. Temporary Hold, Request Approval and Zip Attachments always use From. See Senders and Recipients.
• Copy options (Protect Attachments, Copy Emails, Secure Emails): Send an individual copy of the content and attachment links to each recipient (default) or Send the same copy of the content and attachment links to all recipients.
• Zip options (Zip Attachments): Send a single Zip file to all recipients, protected with a shared password or Send a separate Zip file to each recipient, each protected with a unique password.
• Hold options (Temporary Hold): Mails for all recipients will be held if at least one matches (default).
• Advanced Options:
  • Include From, To and CC when evaluating which emails will be processed. Also match the addresses in the message headers, not only the SMTP envelope. On by default for Temporary Hold and Request Approval.
  • Include From header when evaluating which emails will be processed. Also match the From header address as the sender. You can turn on only one of these two options.
  • Save emails forwarded as separate emails (Copy Emails): save messages forwarded as attachments as their own files.

Note: The SMTP envelope sender and recipient are what mail servers use for delivery. They can differ from the From, To and CC headers you see in a mail client, for example for BCC recipients, distribution lists or mail sent by a service on someone's behalf. Use the header options only when a rule must match what users see.

Email Flow activity appears in Reports › Email Flow Logs. See Email Flow Logs.

User Mailboxes

User Mailboxes rules connect to mailboxes and process mail already stored there. Mail routing doesn't change. Use them for Copy Emails, Move Emails and Protect Attachments.

Before you begin

• Connect the mailbox provider:
  • Microsoft 365: Settings › Integrations › Applications › Office365 Mailbox. See Office 365 Directory and Mailbox Access.
  • Google Workspace: install the mxHERO Marketplace app. See Google Workspace Directory and Mailbox Access.
  • IMAP: server details are entered in the rule. See IMAP and Individual Mailboxes.
• For organization providers, import the accounts in Settings › Accounts and Groups.

Settings

1. Target all emails from this provider: choose an organization provider (Google™ Apps, Office 365™ for organizations or Imap Server) or an individual mailbox account. To connect an individual mailbox, click Add mailbox account.

   

2. For an organization provider, under Select the accounts to process:, choose All the accounts in the organization (default), Accounts from a specific domain, One or more accounts, Accounts from specific groups or Accounts from a specific tag.

3. Select Time Range:

   Option	Behavior
   From the beginning (all your inbox) (default)	Processes all existing mail once, then finishes
   From the beginning (continuously updating)	Processes all existing mail, then keeps processing new mail
   From a point in time	Mail from a date onward, once
   From a point in time (continuously updating)	Mail from a relative point, for example the last 3 months, and new mail as it arrives
   Up to a date in time	Mail up to a date, once
   Up to a date in time (continuously updating)	Mail older than a relative age, for example 3 months, processed as it ages
   Between two dates in time	Mail between a From and a To date, once

   A message is in range if either its sent date or its received date is in range. Dates are inclusive.

   

4. Optionally open Advanced Options:

   • Notify me when done (off) and Notify me on error (on), sent to the Notification Address:. A rule that runs continuously never finishes, so it doesn't send a "done" email.
   • Mark email as processed (Microsoft 365 and Gmail only): adds a category or label, mxHERO by default, to processed mail.

5. The Target Filters panel is added automatically. Use it to include or exclude senders, recipients and folders. See Filters and Exclusions.

How mailbox rules run

• A rule processes up to 6 accounts at a time. Large mailboxes can take hours or days on the first run.
• Continuous rules check for new mail about every 5 minutes. Microsoft 365 and Gmail also notify mxHERO of new mail. IMAP has no notifications.
• Drafts, junk/spam, trash and deleted items folders are always skipped.
• Progress appears in the rule's expanded row on the Rules List and in Reports › Notifications, not in Email Flow Logs.

Warning: Move Emails and Protect Attachments on mailboxes change or remove the original messages. With Protect Attachments, the original is permanently deleted after the new copy with links is created, unless you choose to move it to trash. You can't change this choice after you save the rule. Test on one mailbox first. See Move Emails and Protect Attachments.

What you can't change later

After a User Mailboxes rule is saved, you can't change its provider, accounts, time range or target filters. To change them, copy the rule, adjust the copy, and stop the original. See Rules List.

Forwarding Address

A Forwarding Address rule (Copy Emails only) gets its own address at @go.mail2cloud.io. Any message sent, forwarded, CC'd or BCC'd to that address is saved to storage. The message is then discarded: it is never delivered to a mailbox. Forwarding Address was formerly called Archiving Address.

Settings

1. Apply to all emails forwarded to: mxHERO suggests an address in the format mxhero_<random>@go.mail2cloud.io. You can edit the part before the @.
2. Optionally open Advanced Options:
   • If fails forward to: the address that receives a message if it can't be stored. It defaults to your own address.
   • Save emails forwarded as separate emails: when users forward several messages as attachments, save each one as its own file. Without it, they are saved as attachments of the forwarding message.
3. Optionally, in Target Filters, turn on Organization Only to accept mail only from senders in your organization.

In the Cloud Storage step, a Forwarding Address rule always uses Use a specific storage account, because there is no managed sender or recipient to choose an account from.

Note: Add the address to your users' address books with a clear name, for example "File to Box". To stop unwanted mail from being filed, turn on Organization Only or use a filter policy.

Storage Webhook (Drag and Drop)

Storage Webhook is the only target for Drag and Drop rules. You choose one or more Box folders to monitor. When a user drops an .eml or .msg file into a monitored folder, mxHERO files it.

• Requires Box connected at organization level. See Connecting Box.
• All monitored folders must belong to the same Box account. A folder can't be monitored by two rules, including a parent and its subfolder.
• Prevent re-processing applies to all Drag and Drop rules in your organization, not only this one.

See Drag and Drop.

Troubleshooting

Related pages

• How Rules Work
• Create a Rule
• Senders and Recipients
• Filters and Exclusions
• Copy Emails