Organizing your Email in Outlook

Quick Guide to Transitioning from Gmail to Outlook

If you're used to Gmail, Outlook will feel familiar in many ways, but it offers many tools for organizing email, calendars, tasks, and contacts all in one place. This guide will help you quickly get comfortable managing your inbox.

1. Understanding the Outlook Layout

Gmail vs. Outlook

Gmail Outlook
Labels Folders & Categories
Starred Flagged
Archive Archive
Promotions/Social Tabs Focused Inbox & Rules
Tasks To Do & Tasks
Google Calendar Outlook Calendar

Main Areas of Outlook

📥 Inbox – View incoming email

📂 Folders – Organize messages by topic or class

🏷️ Categories – Color-code emails

📅 Calendar – Manage schedules and assignments

✅ To Do – Track tasks and deadlines

2. Keep Your Inbox Organized

Create Folders

Folders are Outlook's primary organization tool.

Examples:

Inbox
├── Biology
├── English
├── Student Organizations
├── Financial Aid
└── Job Applications

To Create a Folder

  1. Right-click your Inbox.
  2. Select Create New Folder.
  3. Enter a name.
  4. Press Enter.

3. Sort Email Automatically with Rules

Rules automatically move messages into folders.

Example

Move all emails from your Biology professor into the Biology folder.

  1. Right-click an email.
  2. Select Rules.
  3. Choose Always Move Messages From...
  4. Select a folder.

Now Outlook organizes those emails automatically.

4. Use Categories for Visual Organization

Categories work like color-coded labels.

Example Categories

🔴 Urgent

🟡 Assignment Due

🟢 Student Organization

🔵 Instructor Communication

Add a Category

  1. Right-click an email.
  2. Select Categorize.
  3. Choose a color.

An email can have multiple categories.

5. Flag Important Messages

Instead of starring emails like Gmail:

✅ Use Flags

Flags help you remember to follow up.

Flag an Email

  1. Hover over a message.
  2. Click the Flag icon.

You can also set reminders for flagged messages.

6. Use Search Like a Pro

The search bar is one of Outlook's most powerful features.

Search Examples

Type any key words or email address in to the search bar to find related emails.  You can also tell Outlook to search for items in a specific way using the options below or by using the filter option.

Find messages from a professor:

from:smith

Find messages with attachments:

hasattachments:yes

Find unread emails:

isread:no

Find emails about a topic:

subject:scholarship

 

7. Manage Email Volume

Focused Inbox

Outlook automatically separates email into:

Focused

Important messages and conversations

Other

Newsletters, announcements, and lower-priority emails

Check the Other tab periodically so you don't miss anything important.

8. Turn Emails into Tasks

When an email requires action:

  1. Flag it.
  2. Add it to Microsoft To Do.
  3. Set a due date.

Examples:

  • Submit assignment
  • Schedule advising appointment
  • Apply for internship

This prevents emails from becoming forgotten tasks.

Print Article