Outlook Tips and Tricks: 12 Ways to Manage Email Faster in Outlook for Windows

Applies to: classic Outlook for Windows (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021 and 2019) and the new Outlook for Windows. Most tips also work in Outlook on the web.

First: which Outlook do you have?

Windows now has two Outlook apps, and some menus differ between them. Classic Outlook has a File tab at the top left. The new Outlook has no File tab and uses a Settings gear at the top right instead. Where a step differs, both versions are given below.

1. Learn the keyboard shortcuts that matter

You don’t need to learn them all. These cover most of a normal day in classic Outlook:

Action	Shortcut
New email	Ctrl + Shift + M
Reply / Reply all	Ctrl + R / Ctrl + Shift + R
Forward	Ctrl + F
Send	Alt + S (or Ctrl + Enter, which asks for confirmation the first time)
Search the current folder	Ctrl + E
Mark as read / unread	Ctrl + Q / Ctrl + U
Move to a folder	Ctrl + Shift + V
Go to Mail / Calendar	Ctrl + 1 / Ctrl + 2

The new Outlook supports most of these too. In its settings you can also pick which shortcut style it uses (for example classic Outlook or Outlook.com style); search Settings for Keyboard shortcuts.

2. Search like a pro with search words

Type these into the Outlook search box to narrow results quickly. You can combine them:

• from:anna shows email from senders matching “anna”.
• subject:invoice finds the word in the subject line only.
• hasattachments:yes shows only messages with attachments.
• received:yesterday or received:last week limits results by date (classic Outlook).
• Put a phrase in quotes, such as "project budget", to match the exact words.

In classic Outlook, the Search tab that appears when you click the search box also has buttons for these filters, and lets you switch between the current folder and All Mailboxes.

3. Schedule an email to send later

• Classic Outlook: in the message window, go to the Options tab and select Delay Delivery. Tick Do not deliver before, pick a date and time, close the box and select Send. The message waits in the Outbox; with a POP or IMAP account, Outlook must be open at that time for it to go.
• New Outlook: select the arrow next to Send, choose Schedule send and pick a time.

This is handy for writing in the evening without emailing colleagues out of hours.

4. Give yourself time to undo a send

In the new Outlook and Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Compose and reply and set Undo send to up to 10 seconds. After sending, an Undo button appears briefly.

Classic Outlook has no undo button. A common workaround is a rule that defers every message by a minute or two: File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule, choose Apply rule on messages I send, and add the action defer delivery by a number of minutes. Messages then sit in the Outbox for that time, so you can open and fix them. (Message recall exists too, but it only works in limited cases within the same organisation, so don’t rely on it.)

5. Let rules file email for you

Rules move, flag or categorise mail as it arrives, so newsletters, notifications and reports never clutter your inbox.

• Classic Outlook: right-click a message from the sender, select Rules > Create Rule, tick the conditions (such as the sender) and choose Move the item to folder. For more options, use File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
• New Outlook: go to Settings > Mail > Rules and select Add new rule, or right-click a message and choose Rules > Create rule.

Rules for Microsoft 365 and Exchange accounts run on the server, so they work even when Outlook is closed. If you use a shared mailbox, see how to add a shared mailbox in Outlook first so its mail shows up where you can manage it.

6. Do several actions in one click with Quick Steps

A Quick Step bundles actions such as “mark as read, categorise and move to the Done folder” into one button. In classic Outlook, find the Quick Steps box on the Home tab, select Create New, add your actions and give it a name and an optional shortcut (Ctrl + Shift + a number). The new Outlook also has Quick steps; search Settings for Quick steps to set them up.

7. Use Focused Inbox or conversations

Focused Inbox splits your inbox into Focused and Other, putting important mail first. In classic Outlook, turn it on or off with View > Show Focused Inbox; in the new Outlook, look under Settings > Mail > Layout. If a sender lands in the wrong tab, right-click the message and choose Always Move to Focused (or Other).

To group replies together, classic Outlook has View > Show as Conversations. Some people love it and some hate it, so try both.

8. Ignore and clean up noisy threads

• Ignore: in classic Outlook, select a message in a reply-all thread you don’t need and press Ctrl + Del (or Home > Ignore). The whole conversation, including future replies, goes to Deleted Items.
• Clean Up: Home > Clean Up > Clean Up Conversation removes messages whose text is fully quoted in a later reply, so a long thread shrinks to the messages that matter.
• Sweep: in the new Outlook and Outlook on the web, Sweep can remove all mail from a sender or keep only the latest one.

9. Reuse text with Quick Parts and signatures

If you type the same paragraph often, such as directions, a standard reply or bank details for invoices, save it once. In a classic Outlook message, select the text, then go to Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Next time, insert it from Insert > Quick Parts, or type the start of its name and press F3.

For signatures, use File > Options > Mail > Signatures in classic Outlook, or Settings > Accounts > Signatures in the new Outlook. You can make separate signatures for new emails and for replies.

10. End meetings early by default

Back-to-back meetings leave no time to move between rooms or calls. In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Calendar and tick Shorten appointments and meetings. Choose to end them early (for example, 30-minute meetings end 5 minutes early). The new Outlook has a similar setting under Settings > Calendar.

11. Set up automatic replies before you leave

With a Microsoft 365 or Exchange account, go to File > Automatic Replies in classic Outlook, or Settings > Accounts > Automatic replies in the new Outlook. Set a start and end time so it switches off by itself, and write a separate, shorter message for people outside your organisation.

For Outlook.com, Gmail or other IMAP accounts, the option may be missing in classic Outlook; set it up in that provider’s web mail instead.

12. Keep your mailbox from filling up

A full mailbox stops you sending mail. In classic Outlook, File > Tools > Mailbox Cleanup shows folder sizes and finds large or old items. Sort a folder by Size to find big attachments, save the ones you need, then delete the messages and empty Deleted Items. If your organisation provides an Online Archive, old mail can be moved there automatically.

Related guides

• How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook
• Word product activation failed: how to fix it
• How to remove an account from Microsoft Teams
• How to convert a picture to Excel
• Excel tip: how to move a row without overwriting data

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook
• Microsoft Support: Delay or schedule sending email messages in Outlook

Frequently asked questions

Do these tips work in the new Outlook?

Most do, but menus are in different places. The new Outlook has Settings instead of the File tab, and a few classic features, such as Quick Parts, work differently or aren’t available yet. Each tip above notes where the new Outlook differs.

Can I recall an email in Outlook?

Only in limited cases: both you and the recipient need to be in the same Microsoft 365 or Exchange organisation, and recall doesn’t always succeed, especially once the message has been read. For everyday safety, use Undo send (new Outlook) or a delay rule (classic Outlook).

What is the fastest way to clean up my inbox?

Combine a few rules for newsletters and notifications, Focused Inbox, and Ignore for reply-all threads. Then use search words like hasattachments:yes to find and remove large old messages.

How do I switch back from the new Outlook to classic Outlook?

If your version offers it, turn off the New Outlook toggle at the top right. Some organisations control which version is available, so ask your IT team if the toggle is missing.