User manual | Outlook 2013

Outlook 2013
 Microsoft® Office
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................3
Starting Outlook .....................................................................................................................................................3
Understanding the Outlook Interface ....................................................................................................................3
Understanding the Outlook Items ..........................................................................................................................5
Understanding the Message Window ....................................................................................................................5
Using the Navigation Pane .....................................................................................................................................8
Using the Reading Pane ..........................................................................................................................................9
Using the To-Do Bar............................................................................................................................................. 10
Setting up Outlook............................................................................................................................................... 10
Using the Email System ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Composing and Sending an Email ....................................................................................................................... 12
Specifying Message Options ................................................................................................................................ 15
Formatting Text ................................................................................................................................................... 17
Inserting a Signature............................................................................................................................................ 20
Attaching a File to a Message .............................................................................................................................. 22
Receiving and Reading Email ............................................................................................................................... 24
Replying to and Forwarding a Message .............................................................................................................. 27
Deleting a Message ............................................................................................................................................. 28
Organizing Messages ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Flagging a Message for Follow-up ................................................................................................................... 29
Using Color Categories .................................................................................................................................... 30
Viewing Conversations .................................................................................................................................... 32
Sorting Messages ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Organizing Messages in Folders ...................................................................................................................... 36
Printing Messages................................................................................................................................................ 38
Working with Contacts ............................................................................................................................................ 40
Address Books ..................................................................................................................................................... 40
Adding a Contact ................................................................................................................................................. 41
Editing and Deleting a Contact ............................................................................................................................ 43
Viewing and Sorting Contacts.............................................................................................................................. 44
Adding a Contacts Folder..................................................................................................................................... 46
Creating a Contact Group .................................................................................................................................... 48
Printing Contact Records ..................................................................................................................................... 49
Outlook 2013
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Using the Calendar .................................................................................................................................................. 51
Scheduling an Appointment ................................................................................................................................ 51
Scheduling a Meeting .......................................................................................................................................... 52
Working with Recurring Appointments ............................................................................................................... 55
Color-coding Appointments ................................................................................................................................ 56
Responding to Meeting Request ......................................................................................................................... 57
Updating and Canceling Meetings....................................................................................................................... 59
Viewing the Calendar .......................................................................................................................................... 60
Sharing Calendar Information ............................................................................................................................. 62
Checking Other People’s Calendar ...................................................................................................................... 66
Printing a Calendar .............................................................................................................................................. 67
Defining Your Available Time .............................................................................................................................. 68
Setting Out of Office Message ............................................................................................................................. 69
Working with Tasks ................................................................................................................................................. 71
Creating Tasks...................................................................................................................................................... 71
Creating a Task ................................................................................................................................................ 71
Creating a To-do Item ...................................................................................................................................... 73
Creating Tasks from Outlook Items ................................................................................................................. 73
Creating a Recurring Task ................................................................................................................................ 74
Updating Tasks .................................................................................................................................................... 76
Sending a Status Report .................................................................................................................................. 77
Changing Task Views ........................................................................................................................................... 78
Assigning a Task ................................................................................................................................................... 80
Completing a Task ............................................................................................................................................... 83
Printing Tasks....................................................................................................................................................... 85
More Outlook Features ........................................................................................................................................... 86
Creating and Using Search Folders ...................................................................................................................... 86
Setting Email Rules .............................................................................................................................................. 88
Using Mailbox Cleanup ........................................................................................................................................ 91
Manually Archiving and Retrieving Information ................................................................................................. 93
Dealing with Junk Email ....................................................................................................................................... 95
Challenge! ................................................................................................................................................................ 99
Outlook 2013
2
Introduction
Part of the Microsoft Office 2013 suite of
IN THIS CHAPTER
Starting Outlook
programs, Microsoft Outlook 2013 is a
communication-management
program
Understanding the Outlook Interface
that helps you quickly and efficiently
Understanding the Outlook Items
manage messages, schedules, address
Understanding the Message Window
books, and other information. This guide
Using the Navigation Pane
Using the Reading Pane
Using the To-Do Bar
Setting up Outlook
is designed for beginning to intermediatelevel computer users and offers a
comprehensive look at the features of
Outlook that most people will use most
frequently.
Starting Outlook
In order to use a program, you must start—or launch—it first.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click on the Start Button.
In the Search Program and Files box type Outlook.
Click on Outlook 2013 from the Program results.
The Microsoft Outlook 2013 program will open.
Finder / Applications
For quicker access, you might consider pinning the Outlook program to the taskbar or Start menu.
To do this, right-click Microsoft Outlook 2013 in the All Programs menu and select Pin to Taskbar
or Pin to Start Menu.
Understanding the Outlook Interface
The Outlook 2013 program screen may seem confusing and overwhelming at first. This lesson will help
you become familiar with it.
Outlook 2013
3
Quick Access Toolbar
Title Bar
Help Button
File Tab
Close Button
Ribbon
Instant Search
Reading Pane
To-Do Bar
Inbox
Navigation Pane
Zoom Slider
Status Bar
 Quick Access Toolbar: Contains common
commands such as Send/Receive and Undo.
You ca add and remove commands as
desired.
 Inbox: Lists all of your email messages and
can be arranged according to your
specifications.
 Instant Search: Enter key words to search
the current folder or location. Results
appear as you enter each search term.
 Title Bar: Displays the name of the program
you are currently using (Outlook), and the
item you are currently working with.
 To-Do Bar: Keep tabs on your calendar,
appointments, and tasks, all in one place.
The To-Do Bar can also be displayed in a
minimized format.
Outlook 2013
 Reading Pane: Displays the contents of the
selected message.
 Close Button: Click here to exit the Outlook
program.
 Help Button: Click here to open the Outlook
Help window.
 Ribbon: The tabs on the Ribbon replace the
menus and toolbars found in previous
versions of Outlook.
 Navigation Pane: Contains buttons and icons
you can click to move among Outlook’s
folders and tools.
4
 Zoom Slider: Click and drag the slider to
zoom in or out of an item or view. You can
also use the + and – buttons.
 File Tab: Click here to access common
commands (Open, Print, Save) as well as
more advanced ones (Automatic Replies,
Mailbox Cleanup, Rules and Alerts).
 Status Bar: Displays information and
reminders about Outlook items. Right-click
the status bar to specify what information is
shown.
Understanding the Outlook Items
In Outlook, an item is the basic element that holds information. Items are used to send and view e-Mails,
and also to organize information like tasks and contacts.
Table 1 - Outlook Items provides an overview of the items used in Outlook.
Mail Message
Compose a message to be sent by e-Mail.
Appointment
Add an appointment to your calendar.
Meeting Request
Contact
Set up an appointment to which you invite other people, or reserve resources
such as a conference room
Enter information about a person including their name, company, job title, and
e-Mail address.
Contact Group
Create a collection of contacts that allows you to quickly send mass e-Mails.
Task
Enter to-do items that can be tracked until completion.
Task Request
Inform someone else of a task you would like them to perform.
Note
Write something quickly in a note. Can be sorted using color categories.
Understanding the Message Window
The Mail message window, like the program window, features the Ribbon in place of menus and toolbars.
This lesson will help you become familiar with the basic features of the message window.
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Quick Access Toolbar
File Tab
Ribbon
People Pane
Send
button
Recipient
Subject line
Message Area
 Quick Access Toolbar: Contains common
commands such as Send/Receive and Undo.
You ca add and remove commands as
desired.
 Ribbon: The tabs on the Ribbon replace the
menus and toolbars found in previous
versions of Outlook.
 Recipient: Enter the email addresses of
recipients in the To field. Use the CC field to
send a copy of the message to recipients
who are not directly involved, but might be
interested in the message.
 Subject line: Enter a title here so that
recipients quickly know the reason for your
email.
 Message Area: Type your email message
here as you would using a word processor.
 People Pane: Displays information about the
person associated with the message.
 Send button: Once you’ve finished
composing your message, click the Send
button to send it.
 File Tab: Click here to access common
commands (Open, Print, Save) as well as
more advanced ones (Automatic Replies,
Mailbox Cleanup, Rules and Alerts).
Outlook 2013 provides easy access to commands through the Ribbon, the File tab, and the Quick Access
Toolbar.
Ribbon
The Ribbon replaces the menus and toolbars found in previous versions of Outlook. The Ribbon keeps
commands visible while you work instead of hiding them under menus or toolbars.
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The Ribbon is made up of three basic components:
 Tabs: Commands are organized into tabs on the Ribbon. See Table 1-3: Tabs on the Ribbon for a
description of the different types of tabs.
 Groups: The commands found on each tab are organized into groups of related commands.
 Buttons: To issue a command, click its button on the Ribbon.
File tab
With the File tab you can access common commands (Open, Print, Save) as well as more advanced ones
(Accounts Settings, Cleanup Tools, Manage Rules and Alerts).
Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar appears above the File tab and provides easy access to the commands you use
most frequently. The Send/Receive and Undo buttons appear on the toolbar by default; however, you can
customize this toolbar to meet your needs by adding or removing buttons.
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Using the Navigation Pane
Outlook is made up of several panes, each with its own set of tools and folders. You can switch between
these panes using the Navigation Pane.
 Switch between panes
The Mail pane appears by default whenever you start Outlook. To switch to another pane, such as
Calendar or Contacts, use the buttons in the Navigation Pane.
2016 Similar to 2013
 Customize the Navigation Pane
Click the Configure buttons button in the bottom-right corner of the Navigation Pane.
To minimize or expand the Navigation Pane, click the Minimize/Expand the Navigation Pane
button in the upper-right corner of the Navigation Pane; or click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon,
click the Navigation Pane button in the Layout group, and select an option from the list.
Click here to minimize or
expand the Navigation Pane
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Using the Reading Pane
You can preview a message without having to open it using the Reading Pane. By default, the Reading
Pane appears to the right of the Inbox, but you can move the Reading Pane to another position in the
window.
Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon, click the Reading Pane button in the Layout group and select the
position you want to use.
Organize Tab / Reading Pane
Typically, the Mail folder is the only folder in which the Reading Pane is used extensively.
You can view messages safely in the Reading Pane— potentially malicious scripts or attachments
are not activated or opened automatically.
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Using the To-Do Bar
Outlook 2013 has a feature called the To-Do bar that pulls together all the things you need to do and
displays them in a single part of the Outlook screen. The goal of the To-Do bar is to let you know what you
need to do at a glance rather than making you check your calendar, then check your e-mail Inbox, and
then check your Task list.
The items you’ll see most often in the To-Do bar include:
 Your next few appointments / meetings
 Tasks you’ve entered
 E-mail messages you’ve flagged for action
Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon, click the To-Do Bar button in the Layout group, and click the item you
want to show/hide.
Not Applicable
To turn off the To-Do Bar, click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon, click the To-Do Bar button in the Layout group,
and select Off from the list.
Setting up Outlook
You'll need to set up Outlook before you can start using the application to manage your email, contacts,
calendars, and tasks. The setup process will vary depending on how you plan to use Outlook. If you plan
to use Outlook in the workplace with an employer-provided email account, it's likely that your account will
already be set up when you start using Outlook. If not, your office's IT department or supervisor will help
you with the setup process.
1. Open Outlook 2013.
2. From the top Menu select the File tab.
Outlook 2013
Outlook Menu / Preferences / Accounts
10
3. Above the Account Settings button, click Add Account.
4. On the Auto Account Setup page, ensure that Email Account is selected and then enter the
following information:
 In the Your Name field, enter your name as you want it to appear on your emails.
 In the E-mail Address field, enter your [email protected]
 In the Password field, enter your password. Re-enter the password in the Retype Password
field.
 Click Next.
5. Wait for Outlook to find your server. This could take a few minutes.
6. Click Finish once Outlook has completed configuring your Office 365 account.
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Using the Email System
IN THIS CHAPTER
Composing and Sending an Email
Specifying Message Options
Formatting Text
Over the past decade, email (short for
electronic mail) has become an accepted
and even required form of business
communication. And of course, many people
use email to keep in touch with friends and
Inserting a Signature
family, either from work or from home.
Attaching a File to a Message
Outlook makes it easy to connect to multiple
Receiving and Reading Email
email accounts, either on a business network
Replying to and Forwarding a Message
or over the Internet, and provides all the
Deleting a Message
tools you need to send, respond to, organize,
Organizing Messages
filter, sort, find, and otherwise manage
Printing Messages
Composing and Sending an Email
email messages.
Home Tab / New Email
This lesson explains how to perform the most basic e-Mail task of all: how to compose and send an e-Mail
message.
1. Click the MAIL button in the bottom Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the New E-Mail button in the New group. An Untitled
– Message window appears.
3. Enter the recipient’s e-Mail address in the To, Cc and/or Bcc field(s).
To: Use for primary message recipients. Usually, these are the people you want to respond to the
message. Each message must have at least one address in the To box.
Cc: Use for “courtesy copy” recipients. These are usually people you want to keep informed about
the subject of the email message but from whom you don’t require a response.
Bcc: Use for “blind courtesy copy” recipients. These are people you want to keep informed, but
whom you want to keep hidden from other message recipients. Bcc recipients are not visible to any other
message recipients and therefore aren’t included in message responses unless specifically added to one
of the address boxes in the response message.
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The To and Cc address boxes are always displayed in the message header. The Bcc address box is
not displayed by default. You can display it in the message header by clicking the Bcc button,
located in the Show Fields group on the Options tab of the message composition window.
You can insert an email address into an address box in the following ways:



Enter the entire address.
Enter part of a previously used address and then select the address from the Auto-Complete List
that appears.
Click the address box label to display the Select Names dialog box, in which you can select one or
more addresses from your address book(s).
If you want to send the message to more than one person, insert a semicolon (;) between each
recipient’s e-Mail address—for example, [email protected]; [email protected]
KEYBOARD SHORTCUT Press Ctrl+K to initiate address resolution. For more information about keyboard
shortcuts, see “Keyboard shortcuts” at the end of this book.
4. Type the subject of the e-Mail in the Subject field. The Subject field lets your recipients know what
the message is about.
Enter a brief description of the message contents or purpose in this field. The subject is not required, but
it is important to provide information in this field, both so that you and the recipient can identify the
message and so that the message isn’t blocked as suspected junk mail by a recipient’s email program.
Outlook will warn you if you try to send a message with no subject.
5. Click inside the body area of the message window and type your message. You can include many
types of information, including formatted text, hyperlinks, and graphics in the message body.
6. Click the Send button in the Message window. Your message is released into cyberspace and on
its way to the specified recipient(s).
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Troubleshooting the Auto-Complete List
As you enter a name or an email address into the To, Cc, or Bcc box, Outlook displays matching addresses
in a list. You can insert a name or address from the list into the address box by clicking it or by pressing
the arrow keys to select it and then pressing Tab or Enter.
Sometimes the Auto-Complete List might contain incorrect or outdated addresses—for example, if you
have previously sent a message to an incorrect email address, or if a person changes his or her email
address. The list might also contain people with whom you no longer correspond. If you don’t remove
incorrect or outdated addresses from the list, it can be easy to mistakenly accept Outlook’s suggestion
and send a message to the wrong address.
To clean up the Auto-Complete List:
Similar to 2013
1. In the list, point to the name or address you want to remove.
2. Click the Delete button (the X) that appears to the right of the name or address.
You can modify the Auto-Complete List settings in the Send Messages section of the Mail page of the
Outlook Options dialog box as follows:
 To prevent the Auto-Complete List from appearing when you enter an address, clear the
Use Auto-Complete List to suggest names… check box.
 To remove all entries from the Auto-Complete List (and start the list from scratch) click the
Empty Auto-Complete List button, and then click Yes in the dialog box that appears.
Managing multiple accounts
If you have configured Outlook to connect to multiple email accounts, you need to ensure that the
message is being sent from the correct account.
By default, Outlook assumes that you intend to send a message from the account you’re currently working
in. If you begin composing a message while viewing the Inbox of your work account, for example, Outlook
selects the work account as the message-sending account. If you reply to a message received by your
personal account, Outlook selects the personal account as the message-sending account.
You can easily change the message-sending account. When Outlook is configured to use multiple
accounts, a From button appears in the message header.
If Outlook is configured to connect to only one account, you can display the From button by clicking
From in the Show Fields group on the Options tab of a message composition window. Clicking the
From button displays a list of active accounts from which you can choose.
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Outlook 2013
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Specifying Message Options
Outlook lets you specify options for your email messages. You can mark messages as urgent, specify a
read receipt for all messages, or request that your messages be encoded so that they can only be read by
the intended recipient(s).
Set message priority
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If the intended recipient of a message receives a lot of email throughout the day, specify your message as
important so that it will stand out in his or her Inbox.
1. In the Message window, click the MESSAGE tab on the Ribbon.
2. Click the High Importance or Low Importance button in the Tags group.
High Importance: Inserts a red exclamation point next to the message subject.
Low Importance: Inserts a blue, downward-pointing arrow next to the message subject.
Request a Read or Delivery Receipt
Not Applicable
In Outlook 2013, you can request delivery and read receipts when you send a message. That way, you can
track when a recipient receives and reads the message.
Outlook 2013
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Note: Read receipts only work if your recipient’s email program supports them.
1. In the Message window, click the OPTIONS tab on the Ribbon.
2. Select Request a Delivery Receipt and/or Request a Read Receipt in the Tracking group.
Request a Delivery Receipt: Sends a notification when the message has been successfully delivered.
Request a Read Receipt: Sends a notification when the recipient has opened the message.
Don’t rely too heavily on read receipts; the recipient has the option to deny returning a receipt.
Other Ways to Request Receipts
Click the OPTIONS tab on the
Ribbon and click the Dialog Box
Launcher in the Tracking group.
Under
Voting
and
Tracking
options, select Request a delivery
receipt for this message, Request
a read receipt for this message, or
both. Click Close when you’re
finished.
Other Options
You might have noticed a variety of other message options on the Ribbon or in the Properties dialog box.
Outlook 2013
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Importance
Sensitivity
Security Settings
Use voting buttons
Request a delivery
receipt
Request a read receipt
Have replies sent to
Do not deliver before
Expires after
Save sent message to
Specifies whether the message is of high, normal, or low importance.
Displays a tag indicating how the recipient should treat the message.
Encodes the message so it is not readable by anyone except the intended
recipient(s).
Allows the recipient to quickly answer a sender’s question by use of voting
buttons. Outlook can then tabulate the results of the vote for the sender.
Returns a message to you verifying the date and time the message arrived at
the Inbox of the recipient.
Returns a message to you verifying the date and time the message was
opened by the recipient.
Sends all replies to the message to someone else, such as an assistant.
Waits to send the message until the date and time you specify.
Makes the message unavailable after a specified date and time.
Saves a copy of the sent message in the specified folder.
Formatting Text
Outlook can send and receive email messages in three message formats:
Outlook 2013
Options Tab
17
HTML: Supports paragraph styles (including numbered and bulleted lists), character styles (such
as fonts, sizes, colors, weight), and backgrounds (such as colors and pictures). Most (but not all) email
programs support the HTML format. Programs that don’t support HTML display these messages as Plain
Text.
Rich Text: Supports more paragraph formatting options than HTML, including borders and shading,
but is compatible only with Outlook and Exchange Server. Outlook converts Rich Text messages to HTML
when sending them outside of an Exchange network.
Plain Text: Does not support the formatting features available in HTML and Rich Text messages but
is supported by all email programs.
You cannot format message text if your message format is set to Plain Text. To see which message
format you are using, click the FORMAT TEXT tab on the Ribbon.
Email message content isn’t limited to simple text. You can create almost any type of content in an email
message that you can in a Microsoft Word document. Because Outlook 2013 and Word 2013 share similar
commands, you might already be familiar with processes for creating content such as lists and tables.
You can personalize your messages by using an individual font style or color and by inserting your contact
information in the form of an email signature or business card.
Similar to 2013
Outlook 2013
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Options Tab
Checking your Spelling
It’s a good idea to spell-check your messages before you send them. Not only do spelling errors make you
look unprofessional, they also reflect poorly on your product or organization.
By default, Outlook checks for spelling errors as you type, underlining misspelled words in red. This makes
it easy to correct spelling errors individually.
1. In the message window, right-click the misspelled word. A contextual menu appears, offering
suggestions for the correct spelling of the word.
2. Select the correct spelling of the word from the contextual menu.
3. Outlook corrects the spelling of the word and the red underline disappears.
Working with Hyperlinks
A hyperlink is a dynamic word or icon that, when clicked, opens a specific file or location. You can create
a hyperlink to a Web page, picture, document, and more.
1. In the body area of the message, select the
area where you want to insert the hyperlink.
2. Right click on your selection and choose
Hyperlink option.
3. Type the Web address of the page you want
to link to in the address area.
4. Click OK.
Message Tab / Hyperlink
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To Insert Email address hyperlink to your document
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Select text that you want to add email hyperlink.
Right click on and choose Hyperlink.
Go to E-mail Address tab.
Insert E-mail address and Subject of your emails.
Click OK.
Inserting a Signature
A signature is boilerplate text or a file that can be attached to an email message. Your signature appears
at the bottom of any new messages you compose and can include such things as:





Your name, title, and organization
Your phone and fax number
Your address
A link to your Web page
Your organization’s mission statement, a witty one-liner, or your favorite quote.
Message Tab / Signature
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Create a signature
Message Tab / Signature / Edit Signatures
1. Create a new message. A new message window appears.
2. Click the MESSAGE tab on the Ribbon. Click the Signature button in
the Include group and select Signatures. The E-MAIL SIGNATURE
tab of the Signatures and Stationery dialog box appears.
3. Click the New button. The New Signature dialog box appears.
4. Enter a name for the signature and click OK. Now create the
signature as you want it to appear.
5. Type the text that you want to appear in the signature in the Edit
signature area.
6. Click OK.
The next time you create a new message, your signature will appear at the bottom of the message.
Set signature defaults
You can choose a default signature, you can choose which email account, as well automatically use it –
for new messages, replies and forwards.
1. Specify how you want to use the signature in the “Choose default signature” section. Selecting
different signatures for each one of these actions is possible.
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Edit Signatures / Default Signature
2. Click OK.
Insert a signature manually
If you want to insert a different signature, or you don’t have a default signature, you can also insert
signatures manually.
1. Create a new message. A new message
window appears.
2. In the Message window, click the INSERT
tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Signature button in the Include
group and select the signature you want to
insert from the list.
The signature is inserted into the message.
Attaching a File to a Message
A convenient way to distribute a file (such as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, Excel workbook, Word
document, or picture) is by attaching the file to an email message. Message recipients can preview or
open the file from the Reading Pane, open it from the message window, forward it to other people, or
save it to their computers.
1. In the Message window, click the MESSAGE tab on the Ribbon and click the Attach File button in
the Include group. The Insert File dialog box appears.
2. Navigate to and select the file you want to insert and click Insert. The selected file is attached to
the message.
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Other Ways to Attach a File
In the Message window, click the INSERT tab on the Ribbon and click the Attach File button in the Include
group.
Attach other items
You can also attach other items to a new Mail message, such as another email, an appointment, or a
contact’s Business Card.
1. In the Message window, click the MESSAGE tab on the Ribbon and click the Attach Item button in
the Include group.
Drag and drop contact, email, etc.
A list of items appears, including:
 Business Card: Select this option to include a Business Card from your Contact list.
 Calendar: Select this option to include your free/busy information.
 Outlook Item: Select this option to include an Outlook item, such as an e-Mail, appointment, or
task.
2. Select the type of item you want to attach and follow the prompts if necessary.
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Receiving and Reading Email
Each time you start Outlook and connect to your email server, any new messages received since the last
time you connected appear in your Inbox.
If you don’t want to wait for Outlook to retrieve your messages, you can check for messages manually.
3. Click the MAIL button in the on the bottom Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
4. Click the SEND/RECEIVE tab on the Ribbon and click the Send/Receive All Folders button in the Send
& Receive group. Outlook checks all accounts for messages. Any new, unread messages appear in
bold.
Home Tab / Send - Receive
When new messages, meeting requests, or task assignments arrive in your Inbox, Outlook alerts you in
several ways so that you can be aware of email activity if you are using another application or if you’ve
been away from your computer.
 A desktop alert appears on your screen for a few seconds, displaying the sender’s information, the
message subject, and the first few words of the message.
You can open the message from the desktop alert.
 A chime sounds.
 A New Mail Message icon appears on the Outlook taskbar button.
You can configure Outlook to briefly change the shape of the mouse pointer to an envelope.
You can configure the individual notification options from the Mail page of the Outlook Options dialog
box, Mail Options.
Icons displayed in the message header indicate optional information such as:




The most recent response action taken.
Whether files are attached.
If it has been digitally signed or encrypted.
If the sender marked it as being of high or low importance.
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Changing Views
There are three standard views of the message list:
Compact This view displays two lines of message properties, including the read status, subject,
sender, time received, whether files are attached to the message, and any color categories or follow-up
flags associated with the message. This is the default view.
Single This one-line view displays the importance, reminder, item type or read status, whether files
are attached to the message, sender, subject, received, size, category, and follow-up flags. The Reading
Pane is open by default in this view.
Preview This view displays from one to four lines of information about each message. For every
message, Preview view displays the same information as Single view. For each unread message, Preview
view also displays a part of the message content—specifically, the first 255 characters (including spaces).
If a message contains fewer than 255 characters, <end> appears in the preview text. The Reading Pane is
closed by default in this view.
Changing a view lets you control the amount of information you see when you open your Inbox.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Pane. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon and click the Change View button in the Current View group.
3. Select a view from the list. The selected view is applied.
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You can view the text of a message in several ways:
 You can open a message in its own window by double-clicking its header in the message list.
 You can read a message without opening it by clicking its header once in the message list to display
the message in the Reading Pane.
 You can display the first three lines of each unread message under the message header by using
the Preview feature. Scanning the first three lines of a message frequently gives you enough
information to make basic decisions about how to manage it. The only drawback is that in Preview
view, each unread message takes up five lines rather than the two lines in the default Messages
view, so fewer messages are visible on your screen at one time.
Opening an Attachment
Whenever you see a paper clip icon next to a message, the message contains an attachment.
Never open an unfamiliar or suspicious attachment. Install a good anti-virus program on your
computer and save files to your computer before opening them.
You can view message attachments in several ways:
 You can preview certain types of attachments (including Word documents, Excel workbooks,
PowerPoint presentations, and PDF files) directly in the Reading Pane by clicking the attachment
(one time) in the message header.
When you click the attachment, the
message text is replaced by a preview
of the attachment contents, and the
Attachments tool tab appears on the
ribbon. To redisplay the message
content, click the Message button that
appears to the left of the attachments
in the message header.
Open Email / Preview Option
 You can open the attachment in the program assigned to that file type from the Reading Pane or
from an open message window by double-clicking the attachment in the message header.
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 You can save the attachment to your hard disk and open it from there. This strategy is
recommended if you suspect an attachment might contain a virus, because you can scan the file
for viruses before opening it (provided that you have a virus scanning program installed).
1. Right-click the attachment in the Reading pane.
2. Select Save As or Save All Attachments from the contextual menu.
If you receive a contact record or business card as a message attachment, you can add it to your
primary address book by dragging the attachment from the email message to the Contacts link or
button on the Navigation Bar.
Replying to and Forwarding a Message
Reply to a message
Replying to an email is like answering a letter; it acknowledges that you received the message and allows
you to respond.
1.
2.
3.


Click the MAIL button in the bottom Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
Double-click the message to which you want to reply. The message opens in its own window.
Click the MESSAGE tab on the Ribbon and click the Reply or Reply All button in the Respond group.
Reply: Sends your reply to the author of the message only.
Reply All: Sends your reply to the author of the message and everyone else who received the
message.
4. Type your reply and click the Send button.
Forward a message
Forwarding a message sends the message on to someone else instead of back to the original sender.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click the MAIL button in the bottom Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
Double-click the message that you want to forward.
The message opens in its own window.
Click the MESSAGE tab on the Ribbon and click the Forward button in the Respond group.
In the To field, enter the e-Mail address(es) of the person(s) to whom you want to forward the
message.
6. Type any comments you wish to add to the message and click the Send button.
NOTE: All attachments and message options, such as “High Importance” tags, are included when you
forward a message.
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Forward As Attachment
Message / Attachment
Creates a blank message that contains no text but includes the original message as an attachment. The
original message text and any attachments are available to the new recipient when he or she opens the
attached message.
Deleting a Message
When you’re finished with a message, it’s a good idea to delete it. Deleting messages as soon as you’re
done with them keeps your Inbox organized and free from clutter.
Delete a message
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar and select the message you want to delete.
2. Press the <Delete> key. The message is removed from your Inbox and placed in the Deleted Items
folder.
Retrieve a message
Just like the Windows Recycle Bin, you can retrieve an item if you accidentally delete it.
1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the Folder tab.
Not Applicable / Workaround: OWA
3. Select Recover Deleted Items.
4. Click the message you want to recover, and then check Restore Selected Items.
5. Click OK.
To select multiple items, press Ctrl as you click each item, and then click Recover Selected Items.
Recovered items are restored to the folder you're working in.
Items can only be recovered within 30 days of when they were emptied from within "Deleted
Items" folder. After this time elapses, items cannot be restored. Also, if items are purged from
"Deleted Items" folder, they can no longer be recovered.
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If a folder is deleted, it cannot be restored. Only messages can be restored (the folder structure
cannot be restored). All messages will be restored to your inbox regardless of which folder they
were deleted from.
Items within the recover utility will only show the message headers. The full message will be
available after the message has been recovered.
Organizing Messages
Outlook 2013 automatically handles certain types of organization for you. You can organize items in
Outlook by storing related items in folders and by assigning color categories to related items of all types.
Outlook makes it easy to follow related messages from multiple people by displaying the messages in
Conversation view. With Outlook Search, you can quickly locate items that contain specific content or
meet specific criteria; you can save search results as Search Folders in which you can view up-to-date
search results at any time.
Flagging a Message for Follow-up
Similar to 2013
Flagging a message is an easy way to remind yourself to follow up on an important e-Mail or task. When
you flag an item, a small icon appears next to the message, and a copy of the message is added to your
To-Do List.
Flagging a message is extremely easy.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears
2. Click the Flag area of the message you want to flag. The default flag—the Today flag—is applied
to the message, and a copy of the message is added to your To-Do List.
Change flags
The default flag is the Today flag, but there are several others flags from which to choose.
1. Click the message containing the flag you wish to change. You can also right-click the flag you
wish to change and select a new flag from the contextual menu.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Follow Up button in the Tags group. A list of
flags appears.
3. Select a flag from the list.
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Description of the flags:
Flag
Today
Tomorrow
This Week
Next Week
No Date
Custom
Start date
Current Date
Current date plus one day
Current date plus two days, but no later than the last
work day of this week
First work day of next week
No date
Current date is displayed; choose a custom date if
desired
Due Date
Current Date
Current date plus one day
Last work day of this week
Last work day of next week
No date
Current date is displayed; choose a
custom date if desired
Remove a flag
Once you’ve followed-up on a flagged message, you can remove the flag or mark it as “Complete”.
1. Right-click the flag you want to remove.
2. Select Mark Complete or Clear Flag from the contextual menu.
Using Color Categories
Similar to 2013
Color categories let you organize your Outlook items into specific groups, making the information they
contain easier to distinguish. You can choose from a set of default categories, or you can create your own.
Assign a color category
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
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2. Select the message you wish to categorize
3. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Categorize button in the Tags group. A list of
categories appears.
4. Select a category from the list. The selected category is applied to the message.
You can assign multiple categories to a message.
Rename a category
Outlook includes several color categories such as the “Red Category” or “Blue Category.” You can rename
these categories to meet your needs.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Categorize button in the Tags group. A list of
options appears.
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3. Select All Categories from the list. The Color Categories dialog box appears.
4. Click the color category you wish to rename and click Rename. The color category name
becomes editable.
5. Type a new name for the category and click OK when you’re finished. The category is renamed.
Create a new category
Outlook may contain default categories, but you can create your own to better meet your needs.
1. Select All Categories from the list. The Color Categories dialog box appears.
2. Click New. The Add New Category dialog box appears. Here you can name the category, assign
a new color, or create a keystroke shortcut.
3. Set the properties of the new category and click OK. The new category is added to the list of
categories.
Clear a category
If you decide you don’t want to categorize a message after all, you can clear the category.
Right-click the message from which you wish to clear categories and select Clear All Categories.
Viewing Conversations
Conversation view is an alternative arrangement of messages grouped by subject. All the messages with
the same subject appear together in your Inbox (or other message folder) under one conversation header.
The conversation header provides information about the messages within the conversation, including the
number of unread messages and whether one or more messages includes an attachment, is categorized,
or is flagged for follow up.
 When you receive a message that is part of a conversation, the entire conversation moves to the
top of your Inbox and the new message appears when you click the conversation header.
 When a conversation includes unread messages, a blue vertical line appears to the left of the
header and the conversation subject is in bold blue font, just as an unread message would appear.
 When you have multiple unread messages, the number is indicated in parentheses following the
subject. The senders of the unread messages are listed below the subject.
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Organize Tab / Conversations
Turn on Conversation View
When Conversation View is enabled, Outlook groups messages with the same subject into conversations.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon and click the Show as Conversations check box in the
Conversations group. The Microsoft Outlook dialog box appears. You can apply Conversation View
to the currently selected folder or to all folders.
3. Select the folder where you want to apply Conversation View. Conversation View is applied.
Conversations are grouped by subject. If any message recipient changes the subject of a
message, then that message becomes a new conversation.
If the Show Conversations check box is inactive, make sure that you have sorted your messages
by Date (Conversation).
Change Conversation Settings
Changing Outlook’s Conversation settings changes how Conversations are displayed.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon and click the Conversations Settings button in the Messages
group. A list of options appears:
Managing Conversations
Conversations can clutter your Inbox. You can keep your Inbox tidy by ignoring conversations you don’t
want to read or by cleaning up a conversation.
 Ignore Conversation. This command moves the selected conversation and any related messages
you receive in the future directly to the Deleted Items folder.
 Clean Up Conversation. This command deletes redundant messages—messages whose text is
wholly contained within later messages—from a conversation. By default, Outlook doesn’t clean
up categorized, flagged, or digitally signed messages. You can modify conversation clean-up
settings on the Mail page of the Outlook Options dialog box.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
2. Click the conversation you wish to ignore / clean up.
3. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Ignore / Clean up button in the Delete group.
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Troubleshooting Conversation View
As with many features, Conversation view has its fans and its detractors. Because Conversation view displays only
unique messages until you fully expand the conversation, a specific message that you’re looking for might not be
immediately visible. If this happens, you can turn off Conversation view (by clearing the Show In Conversations check
box in the Conversation group on the View tab) and then use one of the following methods to locate the message you
want to find:

Sort the messages by subject, and then type the first few letters of the message subject to scroll those
messages to the top of the message list.

Enter the subject into the Search box at the top of the message list and then specify any other criteria
(such as the sender or date) of the message that you’re looking for to narrow the results.
Sorting Messages
When your Inbox is jam-packed with messages, it can be difficult to find anything. When this happens, try
sorting your messages using Outlook’s arrangement options. You can sort your messages by the date they
were sent, who sent them, and other attributes.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
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Organize Tab / Arrange By
34
2. Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon and select an arrangement from the Arrangement group.
Alternatively, you can click the current arrangement in the message list header, and then click the
arrangement or option you want.
By default, Outlook displays messages arranged by date, from newest to oldest. Alternatively, you can
arrange items by any of the following attributes:
Account. Messages are grouped by the email account to which they were sent. This is useful if you
receive messages for more than one email account in your Inbox.
Attachments. Messages are grouped by whether they have attachments and secondarily by date
received.
Categories. Messages are arranged by the category you assign them to. Messages without a
category appear first. Messages assigned to multiple categories appear in each of those category groups.
Flag: Start Date or Due Date. Unflagged messages and messages without specific schedules appear
first. Messages that you’ve added to your task list with specific start or due dates are grouped by date.
From. Messages appear in alphabetical order by the message sender’s display name. If you receive
messages from a person who uses two different email accounts, or who sends messages from two
different email clients (for example, from Outlook and from Windows Mail), the messages will not
necessarily be grouped together.
Importance. Messages are grouped by priority: High (indicated by a red exclamation point), Normal
(the default), or Low (indicated by a blue downward-pointing arrow).
To. Messages are grouped alphabetically by the primary recipients (the addresses or names on the
To line). The group name exactly reflects the order in which addresses appear on the To line.
Size. Messages are grouped by size of the message, including any attachments. Groups include
Huge (1–5 MB), Very Large (500 KB–1 MB), Large (100–500 KB), Medium (25–100 KB), Small (10–25 KB),
and Tiny (less than 10 KB). This feature is useful if you work for an organization that limits the size of your
Inbox, because you can easily locate large messages and delete them or move them to a personal folder.
Subject. Messages are arranged alphabetically by their subjects and then by date. This is similar to
arranging by conversation except that the messages aren’t threaded.
Type. Items in your Inbox (or other folder) are grouped by the type of item—for example,
messages, encrypted messages, message receipts, meeting requests and meeting request responses,
tasks, Microsoft InfoPath forms, and server notifications.
After arranging the items in your message list, you can change the sort order of the arrangement by
clicking the sort order indicator that appears to the right of the message list header.
Each group has a header. You can expand or collapse an individual group by clicking the arrow to the left
of the group name in the header.
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Regardless of the view and arrangement you choose, you can sort messages by any visible column simply
by clicking its column heading (and reverse the sort order by clicking the column heading a second time).
Organizing Messages in Folders
To keep your Inbox content low and avoid an accumulation of unrelated messages, you can organize
messages into folders. When you create a folder by clicking the New Folder button on the Folder tab of
any module, you specify the location of the folder within your existing Outlook folder structure and the
type of items you want the folder to contain.
You can move messages to folders manually, or if your organization is running Exchange, you can have
the email system move them for you. You can automatically move messages to another folder by creating
a rule—for example, you can automatically move all messages received from your manager to a separate
folder. You can also set up different rules that go into effect when you’re away from the office.
Quickly locating messages
You can use the Search feature to locate specific terms in any Outlook item. Although you can search for
items in the Calendar, People, Tasks, and Notes modules, you most often use it to locate messages in your
Inbox and other mail folders.
The Search feature can locate search terms in a message or in a file attached to a message. As you enter
a search term in the Search box located at the top of the content area in any module, Outlook filters the
items to show only those items in the module that contain the search term and highlights the search term
in the list of results.
Outlook first displays up to 30 “recent results.” Clicking the More link at the bottom of the list or the
Include Older Results button in the Results group on the Search tool tab displays additional results within
the selected search scope.
Search Bar (upper-right corner) / Search Tab
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The Search tool tab appears when you activate the Search box in any Outlook module. You can enter
search terms into the Search box and refine your search by using the commands on the Search tool tab.
Using Search Folders
A Search Folder displays all the messages in your mailbox that match a specific set of search criteria, no
matter which folders the messages are actually stored in. When you create a Search Folder, it becomes
part of your mailbox and is kept up to date. The Search Folder module is located in the Folder Pane, within
your top-level mailbox, at the same level as the Inbox.
If you want quick access to messages that fit a specific set of criteria, you can create a custom Search
Folder. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Display any mail folder.
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Smart Folders
37
2. On the Folder tab, in the New group, click New Search Folder to open the New Search Folder dialog
box.
Search Folder categories include
Reading Mail, Mail from People and
Lists, Organizing Mail, and Custom.
Printing Messages
Sometimes it can be refreshing to read a message in hard copy, especially if the message is long. Printing
a message in Outlook is extremely easy.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
Select the message you want to print.
Click the FILE tab and select Print.
Click the Print Options button.
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File Menu / Print
38
If necessary, you can adjust the following settings:
Printer Select an installed printer or add a new one.
Print Options Change the default printing options in the Print dialog box before printing. You can
also change an existing print style (the way the message is presented on the printed page) or create a new
one.
Settings Choose from the existing print styles available for the selected message or other Outlook
item. The default print style is Memo style, which prints your name, the message header information, and
then the message content.
5. Click Print to begin printing.
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Working with Contacts
Having immediate access to current, accurate contact
IN THIS CHAPTER
information for the people you need to interact with—by
Address Books
email, phone, mail, or otherwise—is important for timely
Adding a Contact
and effective communication. You can easily build and
Editing and Deleting a Contact
maintain a detailed contact list, or address book, in the
Viewing and Sorting Contacts
Microsoft Outlook 2013 People module. From your
Adding a Contacts Folder
address book, you can look up information, create
Creating a Contact Group
Printing Contact Records
messages, and share contact information with other
people. You can also keep track of your interactions with
a person whose contact information is stored in Outlook.
Address Books
The Address Book can get its information from one or more sources, including Internet directory services
and third party address books. Here are the two most common sources that the Address Book uses:
Global Address List If you use Outlook in a networked environment, the Global Address List contains your
organization’s users, groups, and contact groups. The Global Address List is similar to a large telephone
directory that is available for everyone to use. A network administrator usually manages the Global
Address List, so you can’t make any changes to it.
Outlook Address Book The Contacts address book of your default email account is your main address book,
and it is the address book that appears by default in the People module. The Contacts address book is
empty until you add contact records to it.
Home Tab / Contact Search
Open the Address Book
It doesn’t matter if you’re working with e-Mail or the calendar—you can always find the Address Book.
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1. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Address Book button in the Find group. The Address
Book appears. By default, names from your organization are displayed from the Global Address
List.
2. Click the Close button. The Address Book closes.
Adding a Contact
The Contacts list contains information about people and organizations with whom you interact. You can
enter as much or as little information about your contacts as you want in the Contacts list, including
names, phone numbers, e-Mail accounts, and addresses.
You can use the Contacts list with other Outlook tools. For example, you can schedule an appointment
with or send an e-Mail to a contact. You can even use the Contacts list with other programs, such as
software for an electronic organizer.
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar.
2016 Similar to 2013
By default, the Contacts list appears in Business Cards view. In this view, your contacts are displayed as Electronic
Business Cards, which look like actual paper business cards on the screen.
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2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the New Contact button in the New group. The Untitled
Contact window appears. You can enter the contact’s name, company, job title, e-Mail address,
Web page address, phone numbers, and/or addresses.
3. Enter as much contact information as you want in the window.
If you create a contact with the same name as another contact, the Duplicate Contact Detected
dialog box appears. Here, you can add a new record if the contact is a new contact or update the
contact’s existing record.
Several of the fields in the Contact window have buttons and list arrows next to them. The buttons
display dialog boxes to assist you with the fields, while the arrows are used if a contact has
multiple phone numbers, e-Mail accounts, or addresses.
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4. Click the CONTACT tab on the Ribbon and click the Save & Close button in the Actions group. The
Contact window closes and the new contact appears in the Contacts list.
Adding a Contact from an E-Mail
Not Applicable
You can add someone to your Contacts list using an e-Mail you’ve received. To add an e-Mail sender’s
name and e-Mail address to your Contacts list, simply drag the e-Mail to the People button in the
Navigation Bar. Outlook will add the sender’s name and e-Mail address to the Contacts list—and you can
add any additional information yourself.
1. Click the Mail button in the Navigation Bar. The Inbox appears.
2. Click and drag the e-Mail to the People button in the Navigation Bar. The Contact window opens,
and the person’s name and e-Mail address are filled in automatically.
3. Enter any additional information for the contact.
4. Click the CONTACT tab on the Ribbon and click the Save & Close button in the Actions group.
Editing and Deleting a Contact
It’s easy to view and change information about your contacts. You can edit contact information by doubleclicking a contact to open it in the Contact window, or you can edit information about a contact directly
in the Contacts list. The latter method is more efficient; simply select the entry you wish to edit and make
your changes.
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Edit a contact
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar. Outlook displays the Contacts list.
2. Double-click the contact you want to edit in the Contacts list. That person’s contact window
appears.
3. Make the necessary changes.
4. Click Save. The window closes and the changes to the contact’s information are saved.
Delete a contact
You can also delete contacts if you no longer need them.
1. Double-click the contact you want to delete in the Contacts list. That person’s contact window
appears.
2. Click the CONTACT tab on the Ribbon and click the Delete button in the Delete group. The contact
is moved to the Trash folder in your Mailbox.
Viewing and Sorting Contacts
Like other folders in Outlook, the Contacts list has several different ways to look at the same information.
These different views are very useful when it comes to organizing the Contacts list.
Change Contacts list view
Not Applicable
By default, contacts appear in Outlook in People view. In this view, your contacts are displayed as an
alphabetical list.
Changing the Contacts view changes how much information is displayed about your contacts in the
Contacts list. You can display more detailed information about each contact, such as with the Business
Cards or Cards view. Or, you can display more contacts on the screen at once, such as with the Phone or
List view.
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar.
Outlook displays the Contacts list.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon.
3. Select the view you want to use from the Current
View group. The new view is applied.
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Each view presents information from your contact records either as cards or in a list:
People Displays only contact names in the contact list, and the available information for the
selected contact in the Reading Pane. Contact names are displayed in alphabetical order by first or last
name, depending on the File As selection. This view displays information about the contact from multiple
sources. For example, if you have an Outlook contact record for a person you network with on LinkedIn
and Facebook, the People card displays a compilation of the information from all three locations. This
view, which is new in Outlook 2013, is the default view.
Business Card Displays the business card associated with each contact record—either the default
card created by Outlook or a custom card if you have one. Business cards are displayed in the alphabetical
order specified by the File As selection.
Card Displays contact information as truncated business cards that include limited information,
such as job title and company name.
Phone Displays a columnar list that includes each contact’s name, company, and contact numbers.
You can choose the grouping you want from the Arrangements gallery on the View tab.
List Displays a columnar list with contact records arranged in groups. You can choose the grouping
you want from the Arrangements gallery on the View tab.
In any list view, you can expand and collapse the groups or select and take action on an entire group of
contacts. You can also enter information directly into any contact record field displayed in the list.
Sort contacts
If you are working in Phone or List view, you can further sort your contacts by categories, company, or
location.
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar. Outlook displays the Contacts list.
2. Click the VIEW tab on the Ribbon. There are three options for sorting your contacts:
 Categories: Organizes and sorts contacts by color category (if categories have been assigned to
contacts).
 Company: Organizes and sorts contacts by company (if a company has been assigned to contacts).
 Location: Organizes and sorts contacts by location (if a location has been assigned to contacts).
3. Select an arrangement from the Arrangement group.
Arrange By
Finding and Organizing Contacts
There are several ways to search for information in your contacts.
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar. The Contacts list appears. To find a contact or
contact information, choose from the following search methods:
Outlook 2013
45
 Search address books: Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon, enter a contact’s name or company
name in the Search address books box in the Find group, and press <Enter>.
 Instant Search (Search Contacts): Just as you can search e-Mail messages using keywords, you can
also search contacts. Enter search keywords (or even a phone number) in the Search Contacts box
at the top of the Contacts list.
 Alphabetical index: If you are viewing your contacts in Business Cards or Cards view, click a letter
button in the index that appears by the cards to display contacts beginning with that letter.
 Sort table: If you are viewing your contacts in a table view such as Phone view, click a column
heading to sort the contacts by that column’s criteria.
Alphabetical index
Search Address Book
Search Contacts
2. Select a search method and complete your search.
Adding a Contacts Folder
You can organize your contacts by creating folders for specific categories of contacts.
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar. The Contacts list appears.
Outlook 2013
46
2. Click the FOLDER tab on the Ribbon and click the New Folder button in the New group.
3. Enter a name for the new folder and make sure Contact Items is selected under the “Folder
contains” list arrow.
4. Click OK. The new folder appears in the Navigation Pane under My Contacts. Now you can move
contacts into the new folder.
Click and drag a contact from the Contacts list to the new folder’s icon in the Navigation Pane. The contact
is moved to the new folder.
You can also organize contacts by assigning them to color categories. Right-click a contact in the
Contacts list, point to Categorize, and select a category.
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47
Creating a Contact Group
Home Tab / New Contact Group
A contact group, known in previous versions of Outlook as a distribution list, lets you group e-Mail
addresses together. A contact group can save you time when you have to send e-Mail to:
 All employees in the same department or organization.
 Colleagues on the same project or committee.
 A group of friends.
Contact groups appear in your Contacts list the same way that a person’s name does. To address an eMail message using a contact group, follow the same steps that you would with any other message.
Before you can send e-Mails to recipients in a contact group, you need to create the group.
1. Click the People button in the Navigation Bar. The Contacts list appears.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the New Contact Group button in the New group. The
Untitled–Contact Group window appears.
3. Enter a name for the contact group in the Name text box. For example, you could name the contact
group “Family” or “Management Team”. Now you’re ready to choose which recipients you want
to include in the contact group
4. Click the CONTACT GROUP tab on the Ribbon and click the Add Members button in the Members
group.
There are three sources you can use to add recipients to a contact group:
 From Outlook Contacts: Use this option to add a recipient already in your Outlook Contacts list.
 From Address Book: Use this option to add a recipient from the Address Book, including any
recipients in the Global Address List.
 New E-Mail Contact: Use this option to add a recipient who has not been entered as an e-Mail
contact.
5. Select an option from the list. Depending on the option you select, either the Select Members or
Add New Member dialog box appears.
6. Select or enter the recipients you wish to add.
7. Click the Save & Close button in the Actions group on the Ribbon.
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Printing Contact Records
File Menu / Print
Depending on the view, Outlook offers a variety of print styles, such as those described in the following
table.
Style
Description
Card
Contact information displayed alphabetically in two columns. Letter Business Card,
graphics appear at the top of each page and the beginning of each letter Card, People
group.
Small Booklet
Contact information displayed alphabetically in one column. Formatted Business Card,
to print eight numbered pages per sheet. Letter graphics appear at the Card, People
top of each page and the beginning of each letter group, and a contact
index at the side of each page indicates the position of that page’s
entries in the alphabet.
Medium
Booklet
Contact information displayed alphabetically in one column. Formatted Business Card,
to print four numbered pages per sheet. Letter graphics appear at the Card, People
top of each page and the beginning of each letter group, and a contact
index at the side of each page indicates the position of that page’s
entries in the alphabet.
Memo
Contact information displayed under a memo-like header that contains Business Card,
your name. One record per sheet.
Card, People
Phone Directory
Contact names and phone numbers displayed in two columns. Letter Business Card,
graphics appear at the top of each page and the beginning of each letter Card, People
group.
Table
Contact information displayed in a table that matches the on-screen Phone, List
layout.
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Available in these
views
49
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50
Using the Calendar
IN THIS CHAPTER
Scheduling an Appointment
You can use the Microsoft Outlook
2013 calendar to organize your daily
activities and to remind you of
Scheduling a Meeting
important tasks and events. Using the
Working with Recurring Appointments
calendar effectively can help you stay
Color-coding Appointments
organized, on time, and on task. You
Responding to Meeting Request
can schedule and track appointments,
Updating and Cancelling a Meeting
meetings, and events, and block time
Viewing the Calendar
as a reminder to yourself to take care
Sharing Calendar Information
of tasks. You can also share your
Checking Other People’s Calendar
Printing a Calendar
Defining Your Available Time
Setting Out of Office Message
calendar
information
with
other
people in several ways; for example,
you can share an entire calendar or
only selected information with people
inside or outside of your organization.
Scheduling an Appointment
Appointments are blocks of time you schedule for only yourself (as opposed to meetings, to which you
invite other Outlook users). An appointment is any scheduled activity that takes place within a one-day
time period, and has a specific start time and end time (as opposed to an event, which occurs for one or
more full 24-hour periods).
1. Click the Calendar button in the Navigation Bar.
2. Click the New Appointment button on the Ribbon.
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Similar to 2013
51
3. Type a description of the appointment in the Subject field.
4. Specify the date of the appointment and its start and end time.
When creating an appointment, you indicate your availability (referred to as Free/Busy time) by marking
it as Free, Working Elsewhere, Tentative, Busy, or Out Of Office. The appointment time is color-coded on
your calendar to match the availability you indicate. Your availability is visible to other Outlook users on
your network, and is also displayed when you share your calendar or send calendar information to other
people.
5. Enter additional information about the appointment as desired.
6. Click the Save & Close button in the Actions group on the Ribbon. The Appointment window closes
and the appointment appears in your calendar.
Scheduling a Meeting
When you schedule a meeting, the Calendar blocks off the specified time span—for example, from 10
a.m. to noon.
1. Click the Calendar button in the Navigation Bar.
2. Click the New Meeting button on the Ribbon. An Untitled—Meeting window appears.
3. Fill in the necessary information for the meeting you want to set up.
To… - Attendee to be invited to the meeting.
Similar to 2013
Subject - Subject title for the appointment.
Location - Type the location of where the meeting will occur.
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Start time - Select the date and start time of the appointment.
End time - Select the date and end time of the appointment.
Description box - Type in any description or details of the appointment for your own reference.
Show As – Change how the time for this event is marked on your calendar.
Reminder - Select the desired reminder time to the right of the bell icon in the top middle of the
Appointment window.
You can also attach files such as Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and more to the meeting.
These can be saved and/or opened by the other Attendees. Either drag a file from your computer
into the body of the Appointment, or select Insert tab, then the Attach File icon from the top row
of the Appointment window.
4. Select the Scheduling Assistant icon near the top of the Meeting tab and review the chart that
appears to the right of each individual's name.
Blue: The time is marked as busy.
Blue and White Striped: This time is scheduled with tentative appointments.
Purple: This time is marked as out of office.
Black and White Striped: Outlook has no information for this time.
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
To change the desired meeting time simply
slide the sides of the blue vertical bracket
indicating your meeting's start and end
times to a different place in the chart. Use
the scroll bar at the very bottom of the
chart to view more times and dates if
needed.

To classify attendees, click the icon next to
the attendee's name until you see the icon
for the desired classification. Attendee
classifications are taken into account by the
Suggested Times.
Organizer: This is the creator of the meeting; it will by
default appear to the left of your name (and will not be
an option for other attendees). This position is regarded
as necessary by the Suggested Times list
Required Attendee: Invitees to be regarded as
necessary by the Suggested Times list. Invitees are by
default listed as required.
Optional Attendee: Invitees for whom attendance is
optional; separated from Required Attendees in the
Suggested Times list.
Resource: This label marks rooms or equipment added
to the meeting, and is regarded as necessary by the
Suggested Times list
5. Click Appointment in the Meeting tab at the top of the screen. This will return you to the
Appointment screen. You will see the details for the date and time you selected.
6. Click Send once you have completed the necessary details and you have now successfully sent out
a meeting invitation and created a meeting. There should now be an entry for the meeting in your
calendar.
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Working with Recurring Appointments
Similar to 2013
A recurring appointment is an appointment that occurs at regular intervals; for example, every Friday at
10 a.m.
Create a recurring appointment
1. Click the New Items button in the New group on the Ribbon and select New Appointment from the
drop-down.
2. Type a description of the appointment in the Subject field.
3. Click the Recurrence button in the Options group.
4. The Appointment Recurrence dialog box appears. Here you need to specify the time of the
appointment, how often the appointment should recur (for example, every Friday), and the start
and end date of the recurrence.
5. Make your specifications in the Appointment Recurrence dialog box and click OK.
6. Click the Save & Close button in the Actions group.
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Edit a recurring appointment
1. Double-click the appointment you want to edit. The Open Recurring Item dialog box appears. You
have two options here:
 Open this occurrence: Edits only the selected occurrence of the recurring appointment.
 Open the series: Edits every occurrence of the recurring appointment.
2. Select the appropriate option and click OK. The appointment opens in its own window.
3. Edit the appointment as necessary.
4. Click the Save & Close button in the Actions group. Outlook saves your changes.
Delete a recurring appointment
1.
2.


3.
In the Calendar, click the appointment that you want to delete.
Press the <Delete> key. The Confirm Delete dialog box appears. You have two options here:
Delete this occurrence: Deletes only the selected occurrence of the recurring appointment.
Delete the series: Deletes every occurrence of the recurring appointment.
Select the appropriate option and click OK.
Color-coding Appointments
Similar to 2013
Color categories let you organize your Outlook items by color, making it easier to distinguish between
different types of information. In the Calendar, you can color-code your appointments, meetings, and
events.
By default, six color categories are available.
You can apply one or more categories to an
item at a time.
1. Select the appointment, meeting, or
event you want to color-code.
2. Right-click the item you want to colorcode, point to Categorize in the
contextual menu.
3. Select a color category from the list.
4. The selected color is applied to the
appointment.
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Responding to Meeting Request
Similar to 2013
1. Open the meeting request or notification in your Inbox (rather than in your Calendar).
2. You can respond to a meeting request in one of these four ways:
Accept the request. Outlook deletes the meeting request and adds the meeting to your calendar.
Tentatively accept the request, which indicates that you might be able to attend the meeting but are
undecided. Outlook deletes the meeting request and shows the meeting on your calendar as
tentatively scheduled.
Propose a new meeting time. Outlook sends your request to the meeting organizer for confirmation
and shows the meeting with the original time on your calendar as tentatively scheduled.
Decline the request. Outlook deletes the meeting request and removes the meeting from your
calendar.
3. In the drop-down menu that appears, select one of the following:
 Edit the Response before Sending: This allows you to include a message with your response.
 Send the Response Now: Sends a response immediately.
 Do Not Send a Response: If you choose this option the meeting organizer won't be notified whether
or not you'll be attending. Avoid using this option.
When attendees accept and send their replies to your meeting request, the replies appear in your Inbox.
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Tracking Attendees
Meeting Tab / Scheduling
You can easily check which attendees have accepted, declined, or have not responded to an invitation.
1. Click on the Tracking button on the Meeting toolbar.
2. Under the Response column check the attendees' responses. You can also manually change the
attendees' responses by clicking on the drop down and selecting from the list.
Remember that the Tracking button only appears after the meeting invitation is sent out.
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Updating and Canceling Meetings
You might find it necessary to change the date, time, or location of a meeting after you send the meeting
request. As the meeting organizer, you can change any information in a meeting request at any time,
including adding or removing attendees, or canceling the meeting.
To edit a meeting request, double-click the meeting on your calendar. If the meeting is one of a series (a
recurring meeting), Outlook prompts you to indicate whether you want to edit the meeting series or only
the selected instance of the meeting. Make the changes you want, and then send the meeting update to
the attendees. Each attendee will receive a meeting update message.
Changes to meeting details are tracked so that attendees can quickly identify them.
To cancel a meeting, click the meeting on your calendar, or open the meeting window.
1. Click on the Cancel Meeting button on the Meeting tab.
2. Click on the Send Cancellation button.
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3. Attendees will receive a notice that the meeting has been cancelled. The notice contains a link to
automatically remove the cancelled meeting from their calendar.
After you edit or cancel a meeting, Outlook sends an updated meeting request to the invited attendees
to keep them informed. If the only change you make is to the attendee list, Outlook gives you the option
of sending an update only to the affected attendees.
Viewing the Calendar
The Calendar module offers four distinct views of content, which are available from the Change View list
in the Current View group on the View tab. These views are:
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Calendar. This is the standard view in which you display your Outlook calendar. In the Day, Work Week,
or Week arrangement, Calendar view displays the subject, location, and organizer (if space allows) of each
appointment, meeting, or event, in addition to the availability bar and any special icons, such as Private
or Recurrence.
Preview. In the Day, Work Week, or Week arrangement, Preview view displays more information, including
information from the notes area of the appointment window, as space allows.
List. This list view displays all appointments, meetings, and events on your calendar.
Active. This list view displays only future appointments, meetings, and events.
You can use these additional tools to change the time period shown in the calendar:
 Display the previous or next time period by clicking the Back button or the Forward button next to the
date or date range in the calendar header.
 Display the current day by clicking the Today button in the Go To group on the Home tab.
 Display a seven-day period starting with the current day by clicking the Next 7 Days button in the Go
To group on the Home tab.
 Display week numbers to the left of each week in Month view and in the Date Navigator. If you
implement this option, you can click the week tab to display that week.
You can use the Date Navigator to change the day or range of days shown on the calendar.
By default, the Outlook 2013 Calendar module displays the current month and next month in the Date
Navigator at the top of the Folder Pane. You can display more or fewer months by changing the width or
height of the area allocated to the Date Navigator.
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You can allocate up to 50 percent of the program window to the Folder Pane.
Sharing Calendar Information
Co-workers can view your available working time when they schedule meetings with you or view your
calendar through Outlook. If you want to share more information with co-workers or with people outside
of your organization, you have several options for doing so.
If your email address is part of an Exchange network, you can give permission to other people on your
network to view, modify, or create items within a calendar or any other type of Outlook folder. The level
of access each co-worker has is governed by the permissions you assign to him or her.
To share a calendar with a co-worker:
1. In the Calendar module, display the calendar you want to share.
Organize Tab / Permissions
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2. On the Home tab, in the Share group, click the Share Calendar button to create a message, called
a sharing invitation.
3. Address the message to the person with whom you’d like to share your calendar. If you’d like to
request that the person reciprocate by sharing his or her calendar with you, select the Request
permission to view recipient’s Calendar check box.
4. In the Details list, click the level of detail you want to share: Availability only, Limited details, or Full
details.
5. Add any notes you want to in the content pane, send the message, and then click Yes in the
Microsoft Outlook dialog box that asks you to confirm that you want to share the calendar with
the specified permissions.
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After you share a calendar, you can specify the actions each person with whom you share the calendar
can take. On the Permissions page of the Calendar Properties dialog box, which you display by clicking the
Calendar Permissions button in the Share group on the Home tab, you can select a permission level, which
includes specific Read, Write, Delete, and other settings, or you can select individual settings in each
category.
From the Permissions page, you can change the default permission level to your calendar and permit coworkers to view more information than only your availability.
You can delegate control of your calendar so that a co-worker or assistant can create and respond to
meeting requests on your behalf, and specify that meeting requests should be delivered to your delegate
rather than to you. You receive copies of the meeting requests and copies of your delegate’s responses,
but you don’t have to respond.
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To delegate control of your calendar to another Outlook user, follow these steps:
1. On the Info page of the Backstage view, click Account Settings, and then click Delegate Access.
2. In the Delegates dialog box, click Add to open the Add Users dialog box.
3. In the Add Users dialog box, click the person you want to delegate control to, click Add, and then
click OK to open the Delegate Permissions dialog box. Notice that you can delegate individual
permission levels for each module.
4. In the Delegate Permissions dialog box, set the permission level you want the delegate to have for
each module.
5. Select the Automatically send a message… check box to ensure that your delegate is aware of the
permissions you’re delegating to him or her.
6. If you want to allow your delegate to view details of items that you mark as private, select the
Delegate can see my private items check box.
Tools Menu / Accounts / Advanced / Delegates Tab
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7. In the Delegate Permissions dialog box, click OK. The delegate appears in the Delegates dialog box.
You can modify the delegation permissions for an existing delegate, or rescind the delegation, at
any time.
Checking Other People’s Calendar
Organize Tab / Open Calendar
1. Select Calendar in the Navigation pane.
2. Right click on Shared Calendars and select Add Calendar From Address Book.
3. Enter the name of the colleague whose calendar you want to view for Name or click Name to select
a name from the Address Book, select a name and click OK.
4. Click OK. The shared Calendar appears adjacent to any calendar that is already in the view.
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Printing a Calendar
File Menu / Print
Printing the Calendar is no different than printing anything else in Outlook, except for a few unique
Calendar-related options that you need to be aware of. You can customize the Calendar print settings so
your printed calendar looks the way you want it to.
The available print styles vary based on what view you’re in when you choose the Print command.
The default print styles include the following:
Daily Style Prints the selected date range with one day per page. Printed elements include the
date, day, TaskPad, reference calendars for the current and upcoming months, a breakdown of working
hours in 30-minute blocks, and an area for notes.
Weekly Agenda Style Prints the selected date range with one calendar week per page, including
reference calendars for the selected and following month.
Weekly Calendar Style Prints the selected date range with one calendar week per page. Each page
includes date range and time increments for working hours, and reference calendars for the selected and
following month.
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Monthly Style Prints a page for each month in the selected date range. Each page includes the
selected month with a few days showing from the previous and subsequent months, along with reference
calendars for the selected and following month.
Tri-fold Style Prints a page for each day in the selected date range. Each page includes the daily
schedule, weekly schedule, and Task Pad.
Calendar Details Style Lists your appointments for the selected date range, in addition to the
accompanying appointment details.
You can select the date or range of dates to be printed and modify the page setup options to fit your
needs.
Defining Your Available Time
Outlook Menu / Preferences / Calendar
In your Outlook calendar, the time that you indicate you are available for other people to schedule
meetings with you is referred to as your work week.
By default, the Outlook work week is defined as from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (in your local time zone),
Monday through Friday. You can change this to match your individual work schedule. In Outlook 2013,
you can specify a start time and end time for your standard work day, specify the days of the week that
you work, and specify the day of the week that you’d like to appear first when you display only the work
week in your calendar.
1. On the Home tab, click the Arrange dialog box launcher to display the Calendar page of the Outlook
Options dialog box.
The work week settings are located in the Work time section at the top of the page.
2. Define the days and times that you are available to meet with co-workers.
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Adding national and religious holidays to your calendar
You can easily add the holidays of a specific country or religion to your Outlook calendar. To do so, follow
these steps:
1. Display the Calendar page of the Outlook Options dialog box.
2. In the Calendar Options section, click the Add Holidays button to open the Add Holidays to Calendar
dialog box.
The holidays of more than 110 countries are available to add to your calendar.
3. Select the check boxes of the locations or religions whose holidays you want to add to your
calendar, and then click OK.
After Outlook adds the selected country’s holidays to your calendar, click OK in the confirmation message
box and in the Outlook Options dialog box.
Setting Out of Office Message
Tools Menu / Out of Office
1. Open Outlook.
2. Click the File tab.
3. Click the Automatic Replies (Out of Office) button.
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4. Click the Send automatic auto-replies button.
5. Check the Only send during this time range box.
6. Next enter a Start and End time in the box as seen below.
7. In the Inside My Organization tab insert the message you wish to be sent out.
8. In the Outside My Organization tab insert the message you wish to be sent out to people
outside of your organization.
9. Click OK.
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Working with Tasks
IN THIS CHAPTER
Creating Tasks
Updating Tasks
Changing Task Views
If you use Microsoft Outlook 2013 on a daily
basis, you might find it far easier to use the builtin task-tracking functionality. You can add tasks,
flag messages for follow-up, assign due dates,
receive reminders, and mark tasks as complete
Assigning a Task
when you finish them. You can even assign tasks
Completing a Task
to other people, and if those people use Outlook,
Printing Tasks
you can view their progress on assigned tasks as
they track progress milestones.
Creating Tasks
Recording your tasks makes them easier to remember and manage. Outlook tasks provide a great way to
organize what you need to get done.
In Outlook, you can create a task item that you can track until completion, or you can create a to-do item.
A to-do item is an e-Mail message or contact that has been flagged for follow-up. All these items appear
in the To-Do List. In this lesson, we’ll look at how to add a task or create a to-do item from a message or
contact.
Creating a Task
1. Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar. The To-Do List appears in Tasks.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the New Task button in the New group. A Task item
window appears.
Similar to 2013
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71
3. Enter a subject and other information about the task. The table to the right provides an overview
of the fields available in the task item window.
4. Enter task details in the text area
5. Click the TASK tab on the Ribbon and click the Save & Close button in the Actions group.
When you create a task item, the only information you really need is the subject. As with many other
types of Outlook items, you can set several options for tasks to make it easier to organize and identify
tasks.
Start Date
Specifies the date when the task will appear in the Tasks list as a reminder.
Due Date
Specifies the when the task must be completed.
Status
Priority
Specifies the status of the task: Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Waiting on
Someone else, or Deferred.
Specifies the importance level of the task: Low, Normal, or High.
% Complete
Specifies the percentage of the task that is finished.
Reminder
Displays a reminder for the item. The reminder appears until you dismiss it or mark
the task as complete.
Specifies the name of the person who created the task. If the task is sent to another
person, that person becomes the owner of the task.
Owner
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Creating a To-do Item
A to-do item is any Outlook item, such as a task, e-Mail, or contact that has been flagged for follow-up.
Tasks are automatically flagged as to-do items when you create them, while you must flag e-Mails and
contacts yourself.
 Right-click an e-Mail message or contact, point to Follow-up, and select a follow-up flag.
The item is marked for follow-up, as shown in the example to the right, and will appear in Tasks, as shown
in the example below.
Flagging an e-Mail message or contact creates a to-do item, but doesn’t create a new task.
Because the to-do item is still an e-Mail message or contact after being flagged, you can’t assign
it as a task to someone else or track its progress or percentage of completeness. You can move
the message between mail folders, but deleting the message also deletes it from the to-do item list.
Creating Tasks from Outlook Items
You frequently need to take action based on information you receive in Outlook—for example,
information in a message or in a meeting request. You might want to add information from another
Outlook item to your task list, to ensure that you complete any necessary follow-up work.
 Drag the item to the Tasks link or button on the Navigation Bar, and when a plus sign appears
next to the cursor, release the mouse button.
This method opens a task window that already has information filled in from the original item. You can
change settings, add information and attachments, assign the task to other people, and make other
changes.
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Creating a Recurring Task
If you have a task that you do on a regular basis you can create a recurring task that automatically repeats.
1. Click the TASKS button in the Navigation Bar.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the New Task button in the New group. A Task item
window appears.
3. Enter the task information.
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4. Click the TASK tab on the Ribbon and click the Recurrence button in the Recurrence group.
The Task Recurrence dialog box appears. In the “Recurrence pattern” area, you tell Outlook when and
how often the task recurs. You have several choices here:
 Daily: Tasks that recur every day or every work day.
 Weekly: Tasks that recur on the same day(s) of the week, such as a report due every Friday or a
payroll due every other Thursday.
 Monthly: Tasks that recur on every month, such as an inventory audit that occurs on the 5th of
every month.
 Yearly: Tasks that recur annually, such as tax.
5. Select a recurrence pattern. The options to the right will change based on whether you selected
Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly.
6. Select additional recurrence options from the options that appear, then set the start and end date
in the “Range of recurrence” area.
7. Click OK.
To stop the task from recurring, open the task, click the Recurrence button in the Recurrence group
on the Ribbon, and select Remove Recurrence.
To skip just the current occurrence of a recurring task, open the task and click the Skip Recurrence
button in the Recurrence group on the Ribbon.
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Updating Tasks
Tasks generally appear on the Outlook task lists by start date or due date. You can change the details or
dates of a task, or track the progress you’ve made on it.
To update the status of a task:
Not Applicable
1. Open the task window.
2. In the % Complete list, enter or select (by clicking the arrows) the percentage of the project you
estimate as complete to change the status to reflect your selection. Tasks that are 0% complete
are Not Started, tasks that are 1% to 99% complete are In Progress, and tasks that are 100%
complete are Completed.
3. If you want to manually change the task status—for example, to Deferred or Waiting on someone
else—click that option in the Status list.
4. Save and close the task to update the task both in your own task list and in the task originator’s
task list.
You can’t track the status of a flagged message.
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Sending a Status Report
You can send an e-Mail to inform someone else of the progress you’re making on a task.
1. Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar.
2. Double-click the task you want to work with. The Task item window appears.
3. Click the TASK tab on the Ribbon and click the Send Status Report button in the Manage Task.
Not Applicable
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An e-Mail message containing a report about the task item appears. It includes the start and due dates,
current status, % Complete, the Date completed (if it has been completed), and the number of hours
spent on the task.
4. Enter a recipient in the To box, type a message, and click the Send button. The message is sent.
Changing Task Views
In the Tasks module, you can display the To-Do List folder, which includes both tasks and flagged
messages, or the Tasks folder, which includes only tasks. Outlook provides many options for viewing and
arranging the contents of each folder. You can create additional folders to contain task items if you want
to.
The main place to keep track of tasks and to-do items is in the Tasks area.
1. Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Change View button in the Current View group.
Organize Tab / Arrange By
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Detailed
Simple List
Displays many details about each task, including color category and percentage
complete.
Displays a few details so you can see your tasks at a quick glance. The In Folder
column tells you whether the to-do item is a flagged e-Mail item or a task.
To-Do List
Displays all tasks and to-do items with very little detail. Also displays Reading Pane.
Prioritized
Displays all tasks in order of priority in a list.
Active
Displays tasks that are incomplete (including overdue ones) in a list.
Completed
Lists all tasks that have been marked complete.
Today
Displays a list of all tasks due today.
Next 7 Days
Displays tasks that are due in the next seven days in a list.
Overdue
Displays tasks that are overdue in a list.
Assigned
Shows only the tasks that have been assigned to others, sorted by the task owner's
name and due date.
Displays a lists of tasks stored on the server.
Server Tasks
3. Select the view you want to use.
4. Double-click a task to view it.
In Tasks, you can use the Instant Search feature to find tasks and to-do items. Simply enter search
keywords in the Search Tasks box at the top of the Tasks list screen or in the Search To-Do List box
at the top of the To-Do List screen
To help you organize and locate tasks, you can assign color categories to them.
View tasks in the To-Do Bar
Not Applicable
You can also keep tabs on your tasks and to-do items using the To-Do Bar.
1. If necessary, click the To-Do Bar drop-down in the Layout group button and select Tasks.
The expanded To-Do Bar appears on the right side of the screen. At the bottom of the To-Do Bar, below
the calendar and appointments, you can see all your tasks and flagged to-do items.
2. Double-click a task to view it.
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View tasks in Calendar
You can also access your tasks in the Daily Task List in Calendar.
2016 Not Applicable
2011 Tools Tab / My Day
1. Click the Calendar button in the Navigation Bar.
The Calendar appears. In Day and Week views you can see a Tasks area beneath the calendar. Here you
can view and work with tasks and to-do items. If it is not showing, click the Daily Task List button in the
Layout group on the VIEW tab.
2. Double-click a task to view it.
Assigning a Task
Not Applicable
Besides creating tasks for yourself, you can assign a task to someone else. A task request is sent by e-Mail,
and the recipient can accept or decline it.
To delegate a task to another Outlook user:
1. Open the task in the task window. On the Task tab, in the Manage Task group, click the Assign Task
button.
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2. In the To box that appears in the task header, enter the name or email address of the person you
want to assign the task to.
3. Review the task subject, dates, status, priority, and completion settings and ensure that they are
as you want them—after you assign the task, you will no longer be able to change the task details.
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4. Make sure the Keep an updated copy of this task on my task list and Send me a status report when
this task is complete check boxes are selected.
5. In the task header, click the Send button. If a message box notifies you that the task reminder has
been turned off, click OK to send the task request and notify you when the assignee accepts or
declines the task.
Accept or decline an assigned task
Not Applicable
To accept, decline, respond to, or reassign a task request:
1. Accept or decline the task from the Reading Pane, or open the task request to see additional
options for managing the task request on the Task tab of the task window ribbon.
2. Take one of the following actions:
 In the Respond group, click the Accept button to accept the task or the Decline button to decline
the task, and send the associated response to the task owner.
 In the Respond group, click Reply to send a message to the task owner without accepting or
declining the task, or the Forward button to forward the task content to another person without
reassigning the task.
Once you mark the task’s status as Complete, an e-Mail will be sent to the person who assigned
the task, notifying him or her of the task’s completion.
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Forward a task
Not Applicable
If you just want to send a copy of a task to someone without assigning it to that person, you can forward
the task.
1. Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar. The To-Do List appears.
2. Right-click the task you want to forward and select Forward from the contextual menu. An e-Mail
message appears with the task included as an e-Mail attachment.
3. Enter the e-Mail address of the person you want to send the task to and click the Send button. The
task is sent.
Completing a Task
Whether you’ve completed a task, given up on it, or are otherwise through with it, at some point you’re
going to want to clear some tasks off your list. In this lesson, we’ll look at how to go about completing,
clearing, and deleting tasks.
Mark as complete
Similar to 2013
You can mark tasks and to-do items as complete once you’re done with them.
1. Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar. The To-Do List appears.
2. In Simple List view, click the Complete check box next to the completed task. The task appears with
a line through it to let you know it is complete.
Other Ways to Mark a Task as Complete:
 Right-click a task anywhere it’s displayed and select Mark Complete from the contextual menu.
 Click the item’s flag.
 Open the task’s item window, click the Status list arrow, and select Completed or enter 100% in
the % Complete box.
Similar to 2013
Clear a follow-up flag
You can remove to-do items that are not tasks—such as e-Mail messages marked with a flag for followup—from the To-Do List by clearing the item’s flag.
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Right-click the to-do item and select Follow Up → Clear Flag from the contextual menu. The item is no
longer flagged and is not included on To-Do List.
What’s the difference between clearing a flag and marking it as complete? Marking a to-do item
as complete is better for your records because it still appears in the to-do list. By clearing a flag,
it’s as though the item was never flagged, which may cause confusion in the future.
Delete a task
Similar to 2013
You can also delete a task whether it’s completed or not.
1. Select the task. You can select the task in the To-Do List, Task list, To-Do Bar, or Calendar.
2. Click the HOME tab on the Ribbon and click the Delete button in the Delete group. The task is
deleted.
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Printing Tasks
File Menu / Print
You can print a list of your tasks or just individual tasks.
Print a task list
1. Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar. Whichever list is visible will be the one that is printed.
If you want only tasks to be printed, make sure the Tasks list is displayed. If you’d rather print all
your to-do items, make sure the To-Do List is displayed.
2. Click the FILE tab on the Ribbon and select Print. Options for printing your Tasks appear.
3. Click the Print button. The list prints.
Only Table Style is available for printing tasks. The exceptions are the Active and Assigned views,
which also have Memo Style.
Print a task item
1.
2.
3.
4.
Similar to 2013
Click the Tasks button in the Navigation Bar. The To-Do List appears.
Double-click the task you want to print. The Task item window appears.
Click the FILE tab on the Ribbon and select Print. Options for printing your Tasks appear.
Click the Print button. The task prints.
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More Outlook Features
IN THIS CHAPTER
Creating and Using Search Folders
Setting Email Rules
Microsoft has set up the program to function in
the way that will be of the most use to the most
people, but the fact is that each of us has a
different working style and has different needs
Using Mailbox Cleanup
for our working environment. Fortunately, you
Manually Archiving and Retrieving
Information
can configure many aspects of the appearance
Dealing with Junk Email
and functionality of Outlook 2013 to make it the
most efficient platform for the way you work.
Creating and Using Search Folders
Smart Folders
Search Folders are valuable e-Mail organization tools. Unlike the other Outlook folders, Search Folders
are virtual folders that display messages that match specific criteria. The message themselves are stored
in other Outlook folders, such as the Inbox.
Because you don’t have to constantly move and copy items to other folders in Outlook, Search Folders
are easy to use and are more effective for sorting and organizing than standard folders.
Create a custom Search Folder
You can create your own custom Search Folders to view e-Mail messages.
1. Right-click on the Search Folders button on the Navigation Pane and select New Search Folder.
The New Search Folder dialog box appears. You can create a new Search Folder using one of the options
in the list. All you need to do is select an option and enter any additional criteria. You can also create a
custom Search Folder to meet more specific criteria.
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2. Select Create a custom Search Folder from the bottom of the list and click the Choose button. The
Custom Search Folder dialog box appears.
3. Type a name for the Search Folder in the Name box. Choose a name that describes the Search
Folder.
4. Click the Criteria button. The Search Folder Criteria dialog box appears. Here you can select criteria
on the Messages, More Choices, and Advanced tabs.
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5. Enter criteria for the Search Folder and click OK.
6. Click the Browse button. The Select Folder(s) dialog box appears.
7. Select the folders you want to search and click OK. Your Search Folder is created; you simply need
to exit the dialog boxes.
8. Click OK twice. The dialog boxes closes, and your Search Folder appears in the Navigation Pane.
Setting Email Rules
Home Tab / Rules / Create Rule
You can have Outlook evaluate your incoming or outgoing email messages and take various actions with
them based on sets of instructions you set up, called rules. You can create rules based on different
message criteria, such as the message sender, message recipients, message content, attachments, and
importance. By using rules, you can have Outlook move, copy, delete, forward, redirect, reply to, or
otherwise process messages based on the criteria you specify. You can choose from a collection of
standard rules or create your own.
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1. On the Info page of the Backstage view, click the Manage Rules & Alerts button to display the Email
Rules page of the Rules and Alerts dialog box.
2. On the E-mail Rules page, click New Rule to start the Rules wizard. You can base a rule on one of
the nine rule templates provided by Outlook, or you can start from a blank rule for incoming or
outgoing messages. The wizard leads you through the steps of creating a standard or custom rule.
3. Under Step 1: Select a template, select the template that you want from the Stay Organized or
Stay Up to Date collection of templates.
4. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value. For example, if you click the
people or public group link, the Address Book opens.
5. Click Next.
6. Under Step 1: Select condition(s), select the conditions that you want the messages to meet for
the rule to apply.
7. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any condition that you added,
and then specify the value.
8. Click Next.
9. Under Step 1: Select action(s), select the action that you want the rule to take when the specified
conditions are met.
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10. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any action that you added,
and then specify the value.
11. Click Next.
12. Under Step 1: Select exception(s), select any exceptions to the rule, and then click Next.
13. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any exception that you added,
and then specify the value.
14. Click Next.
15. Under Step 1: Specify a name for this rule, enter a name.
16. Under Step 2: Setup rule options, select the check boxes for the options that you want.
 If you want to run this rule on messages that already are in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now
on messages already in "Inbox" check box.
 By default, the new rule is turned on. To turn off the rule, clear the Turn on this rule check box.
 To apply this rule to all email accounts set up in Outlook, select the Create this rule on all accounts
check box.
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17. Click Finish.
Using Mailbox Cleanup
Organize Tab / Arrange By Size
Like a physical Mailbox, your Outlook Mailbox fills up over time. Knowing the size of your Mailbox, the
amount of free space you have, and how to clean up your Mailbox helps keep things organized.
You should periodically empty your Mailbox. Use the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box to help you empty
Outlook of unnecessary or duplicate items.
1. Click the FILE tab on the Ribbon and select Info. Information about your e-Mail account appears.
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2. Click the Cleanup Tools button and select Mailbox Cleanup. The Mailbox Cleanup dialog box
appears. Use any of the following methods to reduce the size of your Mailbox:
 View Mailbox size: Click the View Mailbox Size button to view the total size of your Mailbox as well
as the size of each folder.
 Find items: Search for items to delete based on their age or size.
 Auto-Archive items: Archive old items. These items will still be available under Archive Folders in
the Folder List.
 Empty the Deleted Items folder: View the size of your Deleted Items folder and permanently delete
items.
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 Delete conflicts: View conflicts and delete any alternative versions of items in your Mailbox.
3. Select the options you wish to use and follow the prompts.
4. When you’re finished, click the Close button in the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box. Your changes are
applied.
Manually Archiving and Retrieving Information
Tools Menu / Rules
As your folders become larger, Outlook becomes slower, and finding items can become increasingly
difficult. That is where archiving becomes useful. When you archive Outlook information, you transfer old
items to a storage file. The items are then deleted from their original folder in Outlook.
Because archived items are copied to the archive file and then removed from Outlook, be cautious about
what you archive. This lesson explains how to archive Outlook information manually.
1. Click the FILE tab on the Ribbon and click the Cleanup Tools button. A list of options appears.
2. Select Archive from the list. The Archive dialog box appears.
3. Make sure that the Archive This Folder and all subfolders option is selected. This option will let you
specify which folder you want to archive. If you choose the other option, “Archive all folders
according to their AutoArchive settings”, every folder in Outlook (except those not set to archive)
will be archived.
4. Select the folder that you want to archive. If you want to archive everything, select Mailbox and
all the folders will be archived. Now choose the date at which you want to begin archiving.
5. Click the Archive items older than list arrow and select the how old an item must be in order to be
archived. All items older than the date specified will be moved into the archive file. Items that are
newer remain in Outlook.
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On My Computer (Inbox)
6. (Optional) Specify the name and location of the archive file in the Archive File box. The default
location is a folder called Archive, and the archive is saved as an Outlook Data File (.pst).
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Note: If you specify a new name and location for the archive file, make sure you use the same file when
you archive information in the future. Newly archived items are just added to the archive, so you’ll want to
make sure they’re all in the same place.
7. Click OK.
Access archived items
Your archiving system is working great. Unfortunately, you need to find an e-Mail message archived two
years ago. No problem – the archived items are just a few clicks away.
1. Click the ellipsis button … on the Navigation Bar. Click the Folders button. The Folder List appears
in the Navigation Pane.
2. Select Archive Folders (or the name you specified for your archived items) in the Folder List. The
archive appears.
On My Computer (Inbox)
Dealing with Junk Email
Similar to 2013
Unsolicited Mail, known as spam, is easily the most annoying aspect of e-Mail, and it’s increasing at an
alarming rate. When you get unwanted Mail, Outlook 2013 will automatically filter it into a separate
folder, based on the content and structure of the message. It doesn’t catch all spam, and occasionally a
good message will end up in the Junk E-Mail folder, so it’s a good idea to understand how Outlook deals
with spam.
On the other hand, you might not be aware that one or more messages has been redirected to your Junk
E-mail folder; if someone tells you that he or she has sent you a message but you haven’t received it, it’s
a good idea to check whether it’s in your Junk E-mail folder.
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You can display the contents of the Junk E-mail folder by clicking Junk E-mail in the Folder Pane. When the
Junk E-mail folder contains one or more messages, the number of messages in the folder is shown in
parentheses at the end of the folder name. If any of the messages in the folder have not been read, the
folder name is bold.
Outlook converts message content in the Junk E-mail folder to plain text and disables any active links or
content within the message. The InfoBar in the message header provides specific information about the
message’s status.
Any remote graphics (graphics that are displayed from Internet locations rather than embedded in the
message—sometimes called web beacons) that were present in the message are converted to URLs,
which reveals where the graphics originated.
To process a message from the Junk E-mail folder:
1. Select or open the message you want to process.
2. On the Home tab (if you selected the message) or the Message tab (if you opened the message),
in the Delete group, click the Junk button to display the options for processing the message.
3. Click one of the first four options in the Junk list to block the sender or to add the sender, the
sender’s domain, or the recipient group to your Safe Senders or Safe Recipients list. Clicking any of
these options does not remove the message from the Junk E-mail folder.
4. To move the message to your Inbox, click Not Junk. If you want to add the sender to your Safe
Senders list, select the Always trust e-mail from check box in the Mark as Not Junk message box.
Then click OK.
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Configuring junk email options
You manage junk mail settings from the Junk E-mail Options dialog box, which you open by clicking Junk
E-mail Options in the Junk list. You set specific junk email processing options for each email account to
which Outlook is configured to connect. The account for which you’re configuring options is shown in the
title bar of the Junk E-mail Options dialog box.
 No Automatic Filtering: All e-Mail is moved to the Junk E-Mail folder, including e-Mail from blocked
senders.
 Low: Only the most obvious junk e-Mail messages are moved to the Junk E-Mail folder.
 High: Most junk e-Mail is sent to the junk e-Mail folder, but some regular Mail may be caught as
well.
 Safe Lists Only: All Mail that does not come from your Safe Senders list will be sent to the junk eMail folder.
If you want Outlook to automatically delete suspected junk email, select the Permanently Delete
Suspected Junk E-mail Instead Of Moving It To The Junk E-mail Folder check box. Do not select this
check box if you set the protection level to High or to Safe Lists Only. With these settings, it is likely that
the Junk E-mail Filter will catch quite a few valid messages that you don’t want deleted.
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Adding Addresses to the Safe and Blocked Senders List
 On the Safe Senders page, you can add a specific person’s email address to the Safe Senders list
(for example, [email protected]) or specify that email received from any sender at a particular
domain is safe by adding only the domain.
To ensure that messages from your
legitimate contacts aren’t moved
to the Junk E-mail folder, you can
select the two check boxes at the
bottom of the dialog box.
 On the Safe Recipients page, you can add distribution lists or mailing lists of which you are a
member to your Safe Recipients list.
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Challenge!
Exercise 1.
Class preparation
1. Locate the MS Outlook - training resources email you will have
received
2. Open the email and drag the attachments to the Drafts folder of
your mailbox
Exercise 2.
Customise Mail layout
Each section of Outlook has a customizable content pane. This enables you to personalize your screen in
each section. This is a local setting you will have to configure on your workstations.
In the mail section
1. Go to the View tab
2. Click on the Reading pane button
3. Select Off
Using your mouse manually adjust the width of
the:
 Navigation pane
 Reading pane
 To-Do Bar
Exercise 3.
Create and automate email signatures
1. Click New Email
In the new message:
2. Go to the message tab
3. Click Signatures > Signatures…
4. Click New
Create a new signature as a default signature for new emails.
Exercise 4.
Send an email
Start a New email
1. Click the To… button
2. Search for the recipient
3. Select the user record
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4. Click the To -> button
5. Insert your new signature
Add a contact as an attachment:
1. Click the Insert tab on the email ribbon
2. Click Outlook Item
3. Select contacts folder and a contact item
4. Insert multiple items with CTRL or SHIFT
5. Click OK
Check your spelling and grammar and always ensure the
content is enterprise appropriate. Emails are persistent
business documents.
Exercise 5.
Manage email settings
Adjust email notifications
1. Click the File tab
2. Select Options
3. Click the Mail menu item in the Options dialogue box
4. Uncheck the notification boxes as desired
Exercise 6.
Adjust email viewing options
Use conversation view
Conversation view aggregates emails and summarizes them by subject. As you receive a new email
with that subject the whole conversation moves to the top of your email list. This can include emails
in other folders.
1. Click the View tab
2. Select Date in the Arrangement group
3. Check Show as Conversations
4. Select This folder button
Color code incoming emails
It is possible to use conditional formatting to color code incoming correspondence.
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1. Click the View tab
2. Click View Settings
3. Click Conditional Formatting
4. Click Add
5. Type Manager in the Name field
6. Click the Condition button
7. Click the From… button
8. Search and select your manager’s name
from the address book then click OK
9. Click the More Choices tab
10. Check the Only items that are: checkbox
11. Set the list item to unread
12. Click OK
13. Click the Font button
14. Choose a font color
15. Click OK
16. Click OK to confirm the new condition
17. Click OK to confirm the view change
Until you receive a new email from your manager or mark an email as unread no emails
will be highlighted according to this rule.
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Exercise 7.
Applying flags and categories
Email flags
Use flags as a follow up reminder
 Left click the Flag icon on any email
 Left click again to indicate complete
 Right click the Flag icon on any email for specific timeframes or to
schedule a reminder
Categories
Establishing categories for managing mail will only apply to your own account. Other users will be able
to define and apply their own account
Apply categories
1. Right click in CATEGORIES section to access category menu
2. Click on a category to apply
This can be repeated to apply multiple categories.
Apply a category with one click
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Right click in CATEGORIES section to access category menu
Select the ‘Set Quick Click…’
Choose a category to be applied
Click OK
Left click on an email in the Categories section
The defined category will be applied to selected messages.
Customise Categories
Right click an email > All Categories
OR

Click the Categorize tool in the Tags group on the
Home tab

Select Rename or create New categories
as required
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Exercise 8.
Schedule an out of office message
1. Click the File tab
2. Click Automatic Replies
You can add the Out of Office Assistant tool to your
quick access toolbar.
3. Click Send automatic replies to send replies until
manually disabled
In addition: check ‘Only send during this time range’ to
schedule an automated period
4. Enter a message/s which will be sent in response to
any email during your absence
5. Click the Rules button
6. Click Add Rule…
7. Check the Forward box and then click the To…
button
8. Select a colleague
9. Click OK
10. Confirm email forward for all emails by clicking Yes
These rules will be used each time you schedule an out
of office period unless they are disabled or deleted.
11. Click OK to confirm the rules
12. Click OK to schedule the out of office period
To stop Automatic Replies
13. Click on File
14. Click on Automatic Replies button
15. Select ‘Do not send automatic replies’ button
16. Click on OK
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Exercise 9.
Customise calendar settings
1. Click the File tab > Options
2. Select the Calendar menu item
Set work hours
 Update work schedule to show others your
usual work hours.
This will adjust shaded sections on the days you
select.
Adjust default meeting reminder
 Adjust the Default Reminders dropdown in
Calendar options
Exercise 10.
Share your calendar
1. Go to Calendar section of Outlook
2. Click Share Calendar in the Share group
3. Choose recipients
4. Check Request Permission to view recipient’s calendar if appropriate
5. Click Send
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Customize sharing permissions
1. Click Calendar Permissions on the Share group
2. Select the staff member and update their permissions
as required
3. Click on OK
Sharing your calendar enables Read permissions only. You
will be required to customize the Write and Delete
permissions as required.
Exercise 11.
Schedule a meeting
1. Return to the Mail section and select the Timesheet email
2. Click the Meeting button in the Respond group
When you click Send – meeting invitations will be sent
out to recipients.
3. Click the Scheduling Assistant button
4. Add recipients
5. Select a date and time, based on the displayed availability
6. Click on Send
Converting appointments and meetings
 Convert meeting to appointment -> Click Cancel Invitation
 Convert appointment to meeting -> Click Invite Attendees
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Recurring appointments
When setting up a meeting:
1. Click the Recurrence button in the Options group
2. Select recurrence options including frequency and
an end date
3. Click OK
This offers an invitation to recipients to a series of
meetings which will be entered into their calendar.
Exercise 12.
Respond to meeting invitations
An Outlook meeting invitation is an enhanced email with Yes, Tentative and No buttons on it. It is good
practice to answer these invitations and to have Outlook send a response. This ensures that meeting
organizers are aware of attendance and can reschedule if necessary.
Click the email invitation:
1. Click one of the attendance options: Accept/Tentative/Decline
2. Choose the Send the Response Now option
OR
•
Click Propose New Time with a provisional Tentative or Negative
response
•
Alter the start and end times and click
Propose Time
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Exercise 13.
Print your calendar
In the Calendar section:
1. Click the File tab
2. Click Print
OR
 Press CTRL + P
3. Alter the Calendar print settings
4. Click Print
Exercise 14.
Add notes to a contact
Go to the People section:
1. Double click a contact
2. Click Notes
3. Add relevant notes about relevant interactions with this
user
Exercise 15.
Create a contact group
A contact group is an email distribution list you can access from any of the address fields when creating
an email or meeting.
1. Click New Contact Group
2. Enter the name ‘Outlook 2013 Course’
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3. Click Add Members > From Outlook Contacts
4. Select contacts as appropriate
5. Click Save & Close
This group will now be available via autocomplete
when you start typing a recipient when sending an
email.
Exercise 16.
Create a contacts folder
Contact folders hold individual and groups of
related contacts.
1. In the Navigation Bar right click on the
Contacts folder
2. Click New Folder…
3. Type in the name: ‘Outlook 2013’
4. Select the Contacts folder
Ensure a subfolder isn’t selected
5. Click OK
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Populate folder with contacts
1. Select the Contacts folder
2. Locate existing contacts and contact groups
Changing the Current View to List may speed this
process.
3. Hold down the right mouse button over a contact and drag
and drop it into the
‘Outlook 2013’ folder
Exercise 17.
Share a contacts folder
1. Select the Outlook 2013 contact folder
2. Click Forward Contact in the Share group of the
Home tab > As an Outlook Contact
3. Add recipients to the email
4. Click Send
The contacts will be sent as an attachment.
Save a contact attachment
5. Click and drag the attachment over the Contacts
section
6. Drop the contact into a contacts folder
Exercise 18.
Create a task
In the Tasks section:
1. Click New Task
2. In the Subject field, type: ‘Create new timesheet form’
3. Set the start date as today and the finish date one week
from today
4. Click Details in the Show group
5. Add ‘2 hours’ to the Total work: field
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You can now save this task for completion or assign it to
someone.
Exercise 19.
Assign the task
1. Click Assign Task in the Manage Task group
2. Add a recipient
3. Add any relevant details
4. Click Send
Completing an assigned task
In the Mail section when a task assignment arrives:
1. Click Accept or decline as appropriate.
2. Either send a custom response or simply an automated
acceptance or rejection notification
3. Hover on Tasks at the bottom to see a quick view of
your tasks
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4. Go to the Tasks section and click the
Tasks list
5. Double click the Task to update it including % complete
6. Click Mark Complete when the task is completed
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