Manage Clutter by using PowerShell

Clutter is a new Exchange server feature that was created for facilitating better and more efficient mailbox management by Exchange users.

The Clutter feature is implemented by analyzing the Exchange mailbox data and based on a “learning process” and other algorithmic decide which of the mail items is “less important”.

The Clutter mechanism will relocate this “less important” mail items into the Clutter folder. The mail items are not deleted by instead, “removed” from the mail inbox folder and by doing so, enable to user to focus solely on important mail items.

A few words from a Microsoft article:

Last fall, we introduced Clutter, which moves less important emails out of your inbox and keeps you focused what’s most important to you. Today Clutter is moving over one million emails per day and saves users 82 minutes per month on average. Starting in June, Clutter will be on by default to help more people benefit from Clutter. We’re also introducing new administrative controls for Clutter and improving how Clutter interacts with users.

[Source of information: De-Cluttering everyone’s inbox]

Table of content

PowerShell | Help & additional information

In case that you are a novice in the PowerShell environment, you can use the following link to get more information about the “first steps” such as: downloading the required PowerShell
software components, how to use the PowerShell console, running a PowerShell script, etc.

Link Table

PowerShell Naming Conventions & general information

If you want to get more information about the Naming Conventions that we use for this article and get some general tips about: how to work with the PowerShell, read the article: Help and additional information – o365info.com PowerShell articles

Create remote PowerShell session

Before we can use the required PowerShell commands, we need to download and install the Office 365 cmdlets + create remote PowerShell session to Office 365 or Exchange Online. If you need more information about how to create a remote PowerShell session read the following articles: Part 2: Connect to Office 365 by using Remote PowerShell and Part 3: Connect to Exchange Online by using Remote PowerShell

How to use a PowerShell script

Most of the PowerShell articles include a PowerShell script that simplifies the use of the PowerShell commands. If you want to get more information about: How to use a PowerShell script, read the article: Connect to Office 365 and Exchange Online using a script

PowerShell command and Script languish in more details

If you are new to the PowerShell world, you can read more information about PowerShell in Office 365 environment in the article: The Power of PowerShell

1. Assign Clutter to mailbox

1.1 – Enable clutter for a specific mailbox

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Mailbox  <Identity> | Set-Clutter -Enable $True

PowerShell command Example

Get-Mailbox John | Set-Clutter -Enable $True

1.2 – Enable Clutter for of the mailboxes that don’t use Clutter

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Mailbox | ?{-not (Get-Clutter -Identity $_.Alias).IsEnabled} | %{Set-Clutter -Identity $_.Alias -Enable $false}

1.3 – Enable clutter for ALL users’ mailboxes (Bulk mode)

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited | Set-Clutter -Enable $True

2. Display information about clutter

2.1 – Display information about Clutter for a specific user

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Clutter -Identity  <Identity> | FL

PowerShell command Example

Get-Clutter -Identity John  | FL

2.2 – Display the use of Clutter for all mailboxes (Bulk mode)

PowerShell command Syntax

$hash=$null;$hash=@{};$mailboxes=get-mailbox;foreach($mailbox in $mailboxes) {$hash.add($mailbox.alias,(get-clutter -identity $mailbox.alias.tostring()).isenabled)};$hash | FT

2.3 – Display information about Clutter folder – number of items and size

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Mailbox –ResultSize Unlimited –RecipientTypeDetails UserMailbox | % {Get-MailboxFolderStatistics –Identity $_.Alias } | Where-Object {$_.Name –Like “Clutter” } | FT Identity, ItemsInFolder, FolderSize –AutoSize

3. General management tasks related to clutter

3.1 – Create a transport rule to bypass the Clutter folder

PowerShell command Syntax

New-TransportRule -Name <name_of_the_rule> -SubjectContainsWords "Meeting" -SetHeaderName "X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassClutter" -SetHeaderValue "true"

PowerShell command Example

New-TransportRule -Name “dont clutter o365 Meetings” -SubjectContainsWords "o365 Meeting" -SetHeaderName "X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassClutter" -SetHeaderValue "True"

3.2 – Create a folder tag to delete items from the Clutter folder after X days

(You will need to add the “clutter tag” to the required retention policy)
PowerShell command Syntax

New-RetentionPolicyTag –Name "<Tag name>" –AgeLimitForRetention <Number of days>  –Comment "<Comment>" –RetentionEnabled $True –RetentionAction <action type> –Type Clutter

PowerShell command Example

New-RetentionPolicyTag –Name "Delete mail items from Clutter folder after 60 days" –AgeLimitForRetention 60 –Comment "Retention tag to Delete mail items from Clutter folder after 60 days" –RetentionEnabled $True –RetentionAction DeleteAndAllowRecovery –Type Clutter

4. Disable Clutter

4.1 – Disable Clutter for a specific mailbox

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Mailbox <Identity> | Set-Clutter -Enable $False

PowerShell command Example

Get-Mailbox John | Set-Clutter -Enable $False

4.2 – Disable clutter for all users’ mailboxes (Bulk mode)

PowerShell command Syntax

Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited | Set-Clutter -Enable $False

5. Download the Clutter PowerShell menu script

For your convenience, I have “Wrapped” all the PowerShell commands that were reviewed in a PowerShell Script named: Clutter.ps1
You are welcome to download the script and use it.