Email has become an integral part of our work lives. What used to be a novelty is now at the center of business communication. Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used email clients, with over 400 million active users.
Becoming an Outlook power user allows you to process emails faster, perform better at work, and make email communication more efficient. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Outlook.
Table of Contents
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Memorizing keyboard shortcuts for common Outlook tasks can save you a lot of time. Here are some useful shortcuts:
- Ctrl + R: Reply to email
- Alt + R: Reply all or switch to work week calendar view
- Alt + W: Switch to week calendar view
- Ctrl + Shift + E: Search mailboxes
Spend some time learning more Outlook shortcuts to optimize your workflow.
Create Rules
Rules allow you to automate repetitive tasks in Outlook. For example:
- Move emails from specific senders to designated folders
- Flag important messages
- Categorize emails by topic
- Create follow-up tasks for emails
Take advantage of rules to organize your inbox and stay on top of important messages.
Use Email Templates
Creating email templates for frequently sent messages can save you time composing emails.
Benefits include:
- Standardize communication
- Reduce typing and editing
- Increase professionalism
Save templates for common responses, announcements, meeting invites, and more.
Limit Notifications
Getting distracted by notifications can severely impact productivity.
To minimize disruptions:
- Disable pop-up notifications
- Disable audio alerts
- Check email on a schedule instead of constantly
Stay focused by only allowing notifications for very important emails.
Organize with Folders
An organized Outlook folder structure allows you to:
- Quickly locate messages
- Reduce inbox clutter
- Separate types of communication
Group emails into intuitive folders by topic, project, sender, or priority level.
Use Add-ins and Integrations
Expand Outlook’s capabilities by integrating it with other apps. Useful add-ins include:
- Boomerang: Schedule emails to be sent later
- Evernote: Save emails and attachments to Evernote
- Trello: Create Trello cards from Outlook tasks
Integrations connect Outlook to tools you already use, increasing productivity.
Archive Old Messages
Archiving old messages helps:
- Reduce mailbox size
- Improve Outlook performance
- Decrease server storage space
Set up auto-archive to regularly clear out old content while still keeping it searchable if needed.
Use Advanced Search
Outlook’s advanced search allows complex queries to pinpoint specific messages such as:
- Emails from John Smith about “Project X”
- Meeting invites sent last month
- Messages with “invoice” in the subject line
Leverage search to quickly find what you need among thousands of emails.
Create Quick Steps
Quick steps allow you to automate multiple actions with one click. For example:
- Move an email to a folder and flag it
- Forward a message and categorize it
- Reply and delete the original
Customize quick steps to optimize your workflow.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts boost efficiency by reducing mouse clicks. Useful Outlook shortcuts include:
- Ctrl/Cmd + N: New email
- Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C: New contact
- Ctrl + Shift + A: New appointment
- Ctrl + Shift + K: New task
Memorize shortcuts for common actions to save time.
Becoming an expert Outlook user requires learning its advanced features and customizations. But once mastered, Outlook can help manage communication, improve productivity, and boost workplace effectiveness. Use these tips to take control of your inbox.
