Summary
Learn how to forward invoices from Outlook to Invoice Automate using Microsoft’s official guides, arranged in the best reading order for Outlook (new, classic, and web).
This article covers:
About forwarding invoices from Outlook to Invoice Automate
Outlook supports rules that can forward or redirect emails to another address. Forwarded messages appear to be from you, while redirected messages appear to be from the original sender. This matters for reply behaviour, so choose the action that fits your workflow.
Note: In many Microsoft 365 tenants, automatic external forwarding is disabled by default by outbound spam policies. Ask your IT team to allow it for your user or group if you see non‑delivery errors when sending to Invoice Automate.
Before you start
Set up the basics in Invoice Automate so the forwarded invoices can be received and matched correctly.
Check and configure your Invoice Automate settings. Ensure your intake email address is correct for your environment and note any tenant‑specific requirements
Check the Microsoft 365 policy. If external auto‑forwarding is blocked, an admin must enable it in the Outbound anti‑spam policy for the affected users or groups
Option 1: Forward only supplier invoices using Outlook rules (recommended)
This option forwards only invoice emails that match your conditions, for example, the supplier address and the presence of attachments. Use Microsoft’s guide that matches your Outlook experience. It provides tabs for new Outlook, classic Outlook, and Outlook on the web in one place.
Reading order for users
Start with use rules to automatically forward messages to understand Forward vs Redirect and to pick the correct tab for your Outlook version
If you are in classic Outlook and want more on the Rules Wizard, read set up rules in Outlook. This covers templates, conditions, actions, and exceptions in the classic desktop app
If rules do not run as expected, check Edit or fix a broken rule in Outlook to understand server‑side versus client‑only rules and version differences
Notes:
New Outlook and Outlook on the web use server‑side rules. Some classic client‑only rules are not supported in new Outlook
Copies of forwarded or redirected messages typically remain in your mailbox unless you add another action, so mailbox limits can still apply
Option 2: Forward all messages to Invoice Automate
Only choose this if you genuinely need every message sent to your Invoice Automate intake address. Microsoft’s guide covers new Outlook, classic Outlook, and Outlook on the web in one place, so you always have the latest, version‑specific instructions.
Turn on automatic forwarding in Outlook
Use rules to automatically forward or redirect messages
Note: If forwarding fails or you see NDR errors, your tenant may block automatic external forwarding by default. Review the outbound anti‑spam policy and enable forwarding for the required users or groups.
What’s next?
Learn how to set up Gmail auto‑forwarding and create targeted filters that send supplier invoices to your Invoice Automate inbox for processing.