How to organize your outlook email inbox efficiently

Method 1: Organizing by Folders

Folders in Outlook are easy to use if you know what to do. Here are some of the basics to using folders:

Step 1- Creating a New Folder

To create a folder in Outlook, click Folder tab from the Ribbon. Then, click on the New Folder icon. The Create New Folder dialog box displays:

Open

Input the name of your new folder in the Name field. Click on the folder where you want to place the new folder and click OK when you are done.

In this example, A folder “Memo” is created. Here is what the folders look like now:

Open

Step 2- Rename a Folder

You can change the name of a folder once you have created it. Select the folder you want to rename by clicking on it. Click on the Rename Folder icon in the Folder tab. You will notice that a box appears around the folder name.

Type a new folder name in the box. When you are done typing, press the Enter key on your keyboard. Your new folder name is saved.

Step 3- Moving an Email to a Folder

Once you have created several folders, you are ready to start putting emails into them. Return to your main inbox to view your emails:

Click on a email to select it and simply drag the email into the folder of your choice.

Step 4- Deleting a Folder

Occasionally you may find that you do not want a folder you have created. When this happens, you can easily delete the folder.

Click on the folder you wish to delete in the Navigation panel (on the left) to select it:

Click the Delete icon in the Ribbon. The folder is deleted.

Method 2: Organizing by Categories

Let us take a closer look at how to customize and use categories to organize your inbox.

Step 1- Rename a Category

By default, the categories are named by color. To rename a category click the down arrow to the right of the Categorize icon. From the drop-down menu select All Categories. The Color Categories dialog box appears:

Step 2- Delete a Category

After you have customized your categories, you may find that you are not using all of them. If that happens, you can delete the unused category.

To delete a category, click on the All-Categories option in the Categories drop-down menu. The Color Categories dialog box opens:

Click the checkbox next to the color you want to delete.

When a prompt appears asking you to confirm the deletion click Yes. When you are done making changes to the categories click OK. The category you deleted no longer appears on the Categorize drop-down menu and you will not be able to apply it to an email.

Step 3- Apply a Category to an Email

Once you have customized your categories, you are ready to start applying them to emails in your inbox. To apply a category to an email, click on the email to select it. Click on the Categorize icon. The Categorize drop-down menu displays:

Step 4- How to Remove a Category from an Email or Change It

Over time, the category of an Email may change. You can remove a category from an Email or change it. Here’s what to do.

To remove the category from an Email, click on the Email in your inbox to select it. Click the Categorize icon. From the drop-down menu, click on the category that is currently applied to the email to remove it:

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