a processing device executing a rules engine receives a message with one or more associated rules , wherein each of the one or more associated rules is provided as an attachment to the message or within a body of the message , and wherein each of the one or more associated rules in the received message affect processing of the received message . the rules engine processes the one or more associated rules in the received message , wherein each of the one or more associated rules comprises a conditional element and an action to be performed that affects processing the received message when the conditional element is satisfied . processing the one or more associated rules comprises , for each associated rule , determining whether the conditional element is satisfied , and responsive to determining that the conditional element is satisfied , performing the action that affects the processing of the received message .