Outlook: Mark a private flag on sent emails

Question

I've recently started to automatically add a flag "for follow-up" on every email I send. (I would like to keep track of those emails I sent out).

My problem currently is that my recipients also getting those flags and notifications.

How can I create a flag for this scenario that will be private?

Thanks Ariel

EDIT: I'm adding the flag via a rule, so I need a way to configure it via rules.

Answer 1

In the "Follow Up" pulldown you can check/uncheck "Flag for Recipients" (before sending the mail).
See here at the bottom of the page and here.

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About the bug with sending of the "Follow Up"-flag ("X-Message-Flag" header) in the rules the following:

I tested this with Outlook 2013 (dutch version).

If you use a SMTP server to send mail and manually set the "Follow Up" the X-Message-Flag is added after the message is sent. The recipient does not get your private "Follow Up" flag. Only if you set it to "Custom" and check "Flag for Recipient". This is the correct behavior.

But if you set it as a rule "Apply this rule after I send the message" it does send the X-Message-Flag. This should be considered a bug. (below is a possible solution)
You can check this if you create a mail and change, while composing, your private "Follow Up" to a different date, you see in your "Sent mail" your own "Follow Up" but also that of your recipient.

I also found another bug:
If you use IMAP (and maybe Exchange too) and you set the "Follow Up" manually the X-Message-Flag is added before the message is stored and presumably also before it's sent. This way the recipient does get the "Follow Up" flag. This is probably due to the fact that the message has to be stored before sending. But this could also be considered a bug.

And here also (with IMAP) if you set it as a rule it also does send the X-Message-Flag.

(b.t.w. With IMAP i only had the option to Flag or not Flag. No options for Tomorrow etc. Probably a limit with IMAP. See here.)

Now for a possible solution (working with Exchange):

You can strip the "X-Message-Flag" with a "Transport Rule" -> "Remove this header" with Exchange 2007/2010.

• Open Microsoft Exchange Console
• Navigate to: Microsoft Exchange \ Organization Configuration \ Hub Transport \ Transport Rules
• Right Click and select New Transport Rule and name it “Remove X-Message-Flag” click Next
• Keep it on "send to users inside or outside the organization" and click Next
• Choose "Remove header" and as message header write X-Message-Flag and twice click Next

If you have Exchange 2000/2003 you can use a script found on this page (in German).

Now you recipients don't get the "Follow Up" anymore.
Downside is even if you want to send a "Follow Up" to your recipient you won't be able to.

Edit:
For "Office 365 for enterprises" you can do it too:
According to this forum you can add a "Transport rule" for "Office 365 for enterprises".
See here.
and choose Modify message properties... Remove a message header