Automate Your Workflow
Rules let you automatically organize, label, and route conversations based on conditions you define. Set them up once, and Jelly handles the repetitive work for you.
Creating Your First Rule
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Navigate to Rules
Click your profile photo → Settings → Rules
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Click "Create Rule"
Give your rule a descriptive name like "Route billing inquiries"
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Set Conditions
Define when the rule should trigger (e.g., subject contains "invoice")
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Choose Actions
Select what should happen (e.g., add label, assign to team member)
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Save & Activate
Your rule starts working immediately on new conversations
Rule Conditions
Rules trigger when conversations match your specified conditions:
📧 From Address
- Specific email:
customer@example.com - Domain:
@vipcompany.com - Pattern:
*@*.gov
📬 To Address
- Support:
support@ - Sales:
sales@ - Multiple:
info@ OR hello@
📝 Subject Line
- Contains:
urgent - Starts with:
[TICKET] - Exact match:
"Password Reset"
💬 Message Body
- Keywords:
refund - Phrases:
"cancel subscription" - Patterns:
order #[0-9]+
📎 Attachments
- Has any attachment
- File type:
.pdf - Size over 5MB
🏷️ Labels
- Has label:
vip - Missing label:
processed - Multiple:
urgent AND billing
Combining Conditions
- ALL conditions (AND): Every condition must match
- ANY conditions (OR): At least one condition must match
- Complex rules: Mix AND/OR with grouped conditions
Rule Actions
When a rule matches, it can perform these actions:
🏷️ Add Label
Automatically categorize conversations
👤 Assign to Team Member
Route conversations to the right person
📂 Auto-Archive
Archive after sending a reply
⏰ Snooze
Temporarily hide low-priority items
🚫 Mark as Spam
Filter out unwanted messages
🔔 Special Notification
Alert specific team members
🚦 Set Priority
Mark conversations as urgent or low priority
🔄 Forward
Send copies to external addresses
Practical Rule Examples
🎯 VIP Customer Handler
@importantclient.comThen: Add label "VIP", Assign to "Account Manager", Send notification
Ensures VIP customers get immediate attention from the right person.
📊 Order Confirmation Auto-File
"Order Confirmation" AND from @yourstore.comThen: Add label "Orders", Archive after reply
Keeps order confirmations organized without cluttering the inbox.
🔥 Urgent Escalation
"urgent" OR "ASAP" OR "emergency"Then: Add label "Urgent", Assign to "Team Lead", Keep in inbox
Escalates time-sensitive issues to leadership immediately.
🗑️ Newsletter Cleanup
"newsletter" OR subject contains "unsubscribe"Then: Add label "Newsletters", Snooze until weekend
Manages newsletters without losing them or cluttering daily work.
💰 Billing Department Router
billing@ OR subject contains "invoice" OR "payment"Then: Add label "Billing", Assign to "Finance Team"
Routes all financial matters to the appropriate department.
Rule Management
Rule Priority
- Rules execute in the order listed
- Drag to reorder rules
- First matching rule wins (unless "Continue processing" is enabled)
- Place specific rules before general ones
Testing Rules
- Create rule in "Test Mode" first
- Monitor the activity log for rule actions
- Adjust conditions if needed
- Enable for production when satisfied
Disabling Rules
- Toggle rules on/off without deleting
- Useful for seasonal or temporary workflows
- Disabled rules show in gray
Advanced Rule Features
🔗 Chained Rules
Enable "Continue processing" to apply multiple rules to one conversation
⏱️ Time-Based Rules
Schedule rules to run only during business hours or specific dates
🔄 Retroactive Application
Apply rules to existing conversations (one-time batch processing)
📊 Rule Analytics
View statistics on how often rules trigger and what actions they take
Best Practices
✅ Start Simple
Begin with basic rules and add complexity as needed
📝 Use Descriptive Names
Name rules clearly: "Route VIP Support Tickets" not "Rule 1"
🧪 Test First
Run rules in test mode before enabling for all conversations
📊 Review Regularly
Audit rules quarterly to remove outdated ones
🚫 Avoid Conflicts
Check that rules don't contradict each other
📚 Document Complex Rules
Add notes explaining why complex rules exist
Troubleshooting Rules
Rule not triggering?
- Check the rule is enabled (not grayed out)
- Verify conditions match exactly (case-sensitive)
- Look for conflicting rules running first
- Test with a simple condition first
- Check the activity log for rule execution
Wrong action happening?
- Review rule priority order
- Check if multiple rules are triggering
- Verify the assigned team member is active
- Ensure labels exist before applying them