Mail Distribution Rules
Mail distribution rules automatically add recipients to a correspondence item when the conditions you define are met. Instead of requiring every author to manually CC the right people on every RFI or NCR, rules ensure consistent distribution — reducing omissions and saving time.
How rules work
When a member composes a new correspondence item:
- As they fill in fields (type, metadata, project), the system evaluates all active distribution rules.
- Rules that match the current correspondence add their configured recipients to the appropriate recipient field (To, CC, or BCC).
- Auto-added recipients appear in the recipient list with a Rule badge. Authors can remove them if needed, unless the rule is configured as Restrictive (see below).
Creating a distribution rule
- Go to Settings → Mail → Distribution Rules (org-level) or Project Settings → Mail → Distribution Rules (project-level).
- Click New Rule.
- Configure the rule:
Condition
A condition defines when the rule applies. Each rule has a single condition in the form:
[Field] [Operator] [Value]
| Field | Example values |
|---|---|
| Correspondence Type | rfi, ncr, tq, si, general |
| Priority | normal, urgent, for_information |
| Project | Any project in the organisation |
| Custom metadata field | Any configured metadata field and its options |
Operators: equals, not equals, contains (for text fields)
Example condition: Correspondence Type equals ncr
To match multiple conditions, create multiple rules — each rule evaluates one condition. Recipients from all matching rules are combined (unless the rule is restrictive — see below).
Recipients
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Members | Yes | One or more members to add when the condition matches. Search by name or email. |
| Recipient type | Yes | To, CC, or BCC — which field the recipients are added to |
Rule behaviour
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Active | Only active rules are evaluated at compose time. Deactivate without deleting to temporarily suspend a rule. |
| Restrictive | If enabled, auto-added recipients cannot be removed by the author. Used for mandatory compliance distributions (e.g. all NCRs must CC the Quality Manager). |
| Additive (default) | Auto-added recipients can be removed by the author if they are not relevant to this specific item. |
- Click Save.
Rule evaluation order
When multiple rules match the same correspondence, all matching rules' recipients are merged into the recipient list. There is no priority order among rules — they are all additive unless individual rules are marked restrictive.
Example rules
| Rule name | Condition | Recipients | Type | Restrictive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCR Quality CC | Type = NCR | Quality Manager | CC | Yes |
| Urgent RFI Notify | Type = RFI AND Priority = Urgent | Project Director | CC | No |
| All outgoing — BCC archive | (any) | distribution-archive@org.com | BCC | Yes |
| Site Instructions — Contractor | Type = SI | Contractor Site Manager | To | No |
Using distribution lists
Instead of adding individual members, you can reference a Distribution List as a recipient. The system expands the list at compose time to include all its current members.
This means rules with distribution lists stay current automatically — when you add or remove a member from the distribution list, all rules referencing that list update without editing the rule itself.
See Distribution Lists for how to create and manage lists.
Project-level rules
Rules created at the organisation level apply across all projects. Project-level rules apply to that project only and are combined with org-level rules when composing in that project.
To limit an org-level rule to specific projects, use a Project condition: Project equals [Project Name].
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| Recipients not being auto-added | Verify the rule is Active. Check the condition matches the correspondence type exactly (case-sensitive). |
| Auto-added recipient cannot be removed | The rule is marked Restrictive. Contact your Project Admin to change the rule. |
| Wrong members added | The condition may be matching too broadly. Narrow the condition or add additional conditions. |
| Distribution list members not appearing | The distribution list may be empty or the members may have left the project. Check the list. |
What's next
- Mail Approval Rules — require internal approval before correspondence is sent
- Distribution Lists — create reusable recipient groups for rules
- Mail Type Configuration — define the types that rule conditions can reference