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Outlook / Hotmail Email Forwarding Setup

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Overview

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Prerequisites

• Active Outlook.com or Hotmail account
• Your ZappWay forwarding address (format: [email protected])
• Access to Outlook settings
• Admin permissions if using Microsoft 365 Business

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Step-by-Step Setup

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Step 1: Access Outlook Settings

1. Log in to your Outlook account at outlook.com or outlook.live.com
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon ⚙️) in the top right corner
3. At the bottom of the quick settings panel, click “View all Outlook settings”

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Step 2: Navigate to Forwarding Settings

1. In the settings window, click “Mail” in the left sidebar
2. Select “Forwarding” from the submenu
3. You’ll see the email forwarding configuration page

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Step 3: Enable Email Forwarding

1. Check the box for “Enable forwarding”
2. In the text field that appears, enter your ZappWay forwarding address:
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   [email protected]
   
   (Replace xxxxx with your actual inbox ID from ZappWay)
3. Check the box for “Keep a copy of forwarded messages” (recommended)
   • This maintains a backup in your Outlook inbox
   • Allows you to review all correspondence
4. Click “Save” at the top of the settings window

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Step 4: Verify Configuration

1. After saving, you should see:
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   ✓ Enable forwarding: Checked
   ✓ Forward my email to: [email protected]
   ✓ Keep a copy of forwarded messages: Checked
   
2. If any settings appear incorrect, make adjustments and save again

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Step 5: Test Your Setup

1. From another email account, send a test email to your Outlook address:
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   To: [email protected] (or @hotmail.com)
   Subject: Test ZappWay Forwarding
   Body: This is a test email to verify forwarding is working correctly.
   
2. Wait 2-3 minutes for processing
3. Verify the following:
   • ✓ Email appears in your Outlook inbox
   • ✓ Email is forwarded to ZappWay (check ZappWay dashboard)
   • ✓ AI processes and generates a response
   • ✓ Response is sent from [email protected]
   • ✓ You receive the AI response in your test account

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Configuration Summary

✓ Enable forwarding: Checked (ON)
✓ Forward my email to: [email protected]
✓ Keep a copy of forwarded messages: Checked (ON)

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Microsoft 365 Business Setup

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Option 1: Outlook Rules (If Forwarding is Disabled)

1. Go to Settings → View all Outlook settings
2. Navigate to Mail → Rules
3. Click “Add new rule”
4. Configure the rule:
   • Name: “Forward to ZappWay”
   • Condition: Apply to all messages (or specify criteria)
   • Action: “Forward to” → Enter ZappWay address
   • Stop processing more rules: Uncheck (optional)
5. Click “Save”

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Option 2: Contact IT Administrator

1. Contact your IT department or Microsoft 365 administrator
2. Request permission to enable email forwarding
3. Provide them with the ZappWay forwarding address
4. Explain the business need for AI email automation
5. They may need to enable forwarding via Exchange Admin Center

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Troubleshooting

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Issue: Forwarding Option Not Available

1. For Microsoft 365 users: Your organization may have disabled forwarding
2. Contact your IT administrator to enable forwarding
3. Alternatively, use Inbox Rules (see Microsoft 365 section above)
4. Consider using a personal Outlook.com account if organizational policy prevents forwarding

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Issue: Emails Not Forwarding

1. Verify “Enable forwarding” checkbox is checked
2. Check that forwarding address has no typos or extra spaces
3. Try disabling and re-enabling forwarding
4. Clear browser cache and cookies
5. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
6. Check Outlook service status at Microsoft Service Status

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Issue: Forwarding Delays

• Outlook forwarding can take 2-5 minutes (normal)
• Peak times may experience longer delays
• If delays exceed 10 minutes consistently, contact support
• Check that Outlook servers aren’t experiencing issues

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Issue: Changes Not Saving

1. Ensure you clicked the “Save” button at the top
2. Try closing and reopening settings
3. Clear browser cache
4. Try incognito/private browsing mode
5. Use a different browser
6. Check your internet connection

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Issue: Forwarded Emails Going to Spam

1. Check your ZappWay inbox (not your Outlook inbox)
2. In ZappWay, check spam/junk folder
3. Mark ZappWay emails as “Not Spam”
4. Add @mail.zappway.ai to Outlook contacts
5. Create an inbox rule to trust ZappWay domain

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Issue: Verification Required (if applicable)

1. Some configurations may require verification
2. Check your ZappWay inbox for verification email from Microsoft
3. Click the verification link
4. Return to Outlook settings to complete setup

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Important Notes

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Security Considerations

• Outlook takes security seriously and may flag external forwarding
• You may receive security notifications from Microsoft
• This is normal - approve the forwarding if you trust ZappWay
• Microsoft may ask you to verify the forwarding periodically

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Forwarding Limitations

• Free Accounts: Generally support forwarding without restrictions
• Business Accounts: May have organizational policies preventing forwarding
• Forwarding Limit: Outlook may limit the number of forwarding addresses

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Data Retention

• “Keep a copy” ensures emails remain in Outlook
• Recommended for compliance and backup purposes
• You can always review original emails in Outlook
• Forwarded emails don’t count against storage twice

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Best Practices

1. Always Keep Copies: Check “Keep a copy of forwarded messages”
2. Test Weekly: Send test emails to verify forwarding is active
3. Monitor Both Inboxes: Check Outlook and ZappWay regularly
4. Document Configuration: Take screenshots of your settings
5. Review Periodically: Microsoft may update settings locations
6. Inform Your Team: Let colleagues know about the automation

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Additional Setup Options

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Create Folder Organization (Optional)

1. In Outlook, create a folder called “Forwarded to ZappWay”
2. Go to Settings → Rules
3. Create a rule to move forwarded emails to this folder
4. Keeps your inbox organized while maintaining copies

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Set Up Categories (Optional)

1. In Outlook, create a category called “ZappWay Processed”
2. Manually or automatically categorize emails handled by AI
3. Helps track which emails received AI responses

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Additional Help

• Visit: Outlook Help Center
• Search: “Forward email in Outlook.com”
• Live Chat: Available in Outlook settings

• Email: [email protected]
• Include:
  • Outlook email address
  • Screenshots of forwarding settings
  • Error messages (if any)
  • Whether using personal or business account