XCLN: Maximum Number of Rules Per Folder

• Microsoft Exchange Windows 95 client, versions 4.0 and 5.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows 3.x client, versions 4.0 and 5.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows NT client, versions 4.0 and 5.0

Microsoft Exchange has the capability to define rules to automatically operate on messages in the Inbox or a public folder. There is a 32K "packed data" limit for the rules on each folder, whether Inbox or public folders. The maximum number of rules depends on the size of the rules defined and the amount of data required for a rule varies depending on the rule. For example, a rule to move messages into a folder, for a single recipient, takes about 660 bytes. Hence there is no defined limit for the maximum number of rules that can be assigned to a folder. On the average it is between 40 and 50 rules per folder.

The following error will be displayed when the number of rules exhaust the 32K memory limit:

     Changes to the rule could not be saved. There is not enough
     memory or the rules are too complex. Try deleting some rules.