Do you feel stressed by a messy inbox? You can learn 9 important ways to organize your emails with Outlook folders. You will see how to create, arrange, and manage folders in Microsoft Outlook. This will help you keep your email system neat.
The average person gets around 120 emails every day.
With so many messages coming in, it is easy to feel lost and have a messy inbox.
Luckily, Microsoft gives good tools to help you take control back. One of the best features is Outlook folders.
This function helps you make and manage folders in Outlook. It makes organizing and sorting your emails easier.
This guide will show you 9 helpful methods to improve email management with Outlook folders, rules, and categories:
- Create a new Outlook folder.
- Organize your inbox with folders.
- Add emails to folders by yourself.
- Use rules to sort emails automatically.
- Add subfolders in Outlook.
- Give categories to emails.
- Move folders around.
- Put folders in order in Outlook.
- Add folders to Favorites.
- Change the name of folders.
- Remove folders.
- Optimize Outlook inbox with Folders.
Are you ready to improve your email management? Let us begin.
How to create an Outlook folder
Making a folder in Outlook is an easy job. It allows you to organize your emails without any trouble. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Log into your Outlook account.
Step 2: In the Folders section, click on Create a new folder.
Step 3: Type a name for your new folder and then click Save.
Now, you have set up a new folder in Outlook! Next, we will see how to use this folder to manage your emails well.
How to organize your Outlook inbox with folders
Starting with folder making is a good way to clean your inbox and make email organization better. Effective management needs more than just adding folders.
This section will explain how to move, rename, nest, and remove folders. We will also look at using rules and categories.
When you master these methods, you will have an expert-level organization of your Outlook email.
1. Add Emails to a Folder Manually
First, you need to add emails to your new Outlook folder. Follow these steps to do it by hand:
Step 1: Open your Outlook account.
Step 2: Select the emails you want to move.
You can push Ctrl + A to choose all emails or use Shift to choose a group.
Step 3: Click Move to in the navigation bar and then select Move to a different folder.
You can also write the folder name in the Search for a folder box.
Step 4: Choose the folder where you want to move your emails. For this example, choose the Microsoft folder that you made before.
That is all! You have moved your emails to a folder. If you manage many emails, automating this process can help you be more productive and focus on important tasks.
2. Create an Automatic Email Sorting Rule
Outlookâs Rules feature helps you manage your email by applying actions to messages that match your rules. Here is how to set up a rule:
Step 1: Open Outlook.
Step 2: Right-click on an email.
Step 3: Go to Rules, then Create Rule.
Step 4: Click More options.
Step 5: Give your rule a name that clearly shows its purpose.
Step 6: Set a Condition to decide which emails the rule will manage. For example, choose the From condition and put Microsoft Outlook as the sender to apply the rule to emails from this sender.
Step 7: You need to choose an action. This action can be moving emails to a specific folder. Choose the option Move. Then select the right folder, like the Microsoft folder.
This rule will sort new emails automatically. To sort current emails, you must select the Run rule now.
Step 8: Click Save. This will activate your rule.
Now, your emails will be organized automatically. They will follow the rules you made. For more details about Outlook rules, you can read our full guide. You can also update or delete any rule. To do this, go to Outlook settings. Then click Mail and Rules. There, you can edit or remove rules when you need to.
3. Create Subfolders in Outlook
Your folders can grow very large. This can make your inbox hard to use. To help with this, you can create subfolders in existing folders. This helps you organize your emails better.
Step 1: Open Outlook.
Step 2: Click the three-dot menu next to the folder. You want to add a subfolder there.
Step 3: Choose Create a new subfolder.
Step 4: Write a name for your subfolder. Then, press Save.
Your new subfolder is now in Outlook. This way helps you keep similar emails grouped. It also makes them easy to find.
To show or hide subfolders, you must click the arrow next to the parent folder.
4. Label Your Emails with Categories
Outlook gives you categories to tag your emails. You can also tag calendar entries and tasks. These labels have different colors. They help you group and identify related items in your Outlook account. This improves your email management with colors.
Step 1: Open Outlook.
Step 2: Right-click on an email in your inbox.
Step 3: Hover over the Categorize menu. Select Manage Categories.
Step 4: You can create a new category or change an old one.
Step 5: Choose a name and color for your category. Then click Save.
Make categories that work well with your folder organization. For example, you can use different colors for emails from different clients. You can also highlight urgent messages.
Step 6: Use these categories to organize your emails in your folders. Open a folder, click right on an email, hover over Categorize, and pick the right label.
Now, you categorize your emails in Outlook. This method helps you see different types of emails by their color.
5. Moving Folders in Outlook
Outlook puts folders in order from A to Z by default. This means “AAA” is before “ZZZ.” However, you can change the order of folders however you want. I like to put my most important folders at the top for easy access. Here is how you can move a folder in Outlook:
Step 1: Open Outlook.
Step 2: In your folder list, click and hold the folder you want to move.
Step 3: Drag the folder to where you want it.
You can also right-click the folder, choose Move, and pick the new place in the pop-up window before clicking Move again.
You can now change the order of your folders by dragging them if you need to. This feature works inside one mailbox and between different mailboxes or Outlook Data Files (.PST).
6. Arranging Folders Alphabetically
If you have moved your folders and want to go back to alphabetical order, it is easy to fix. Follow these steps to sort your folders back to the original order:
Step 1: Open Microsoft Outlook.
Step 2: Go to the Folder tab.
Step 3: Click Show All Folders A to Z in the Clean Up section.
Your folders will now be in alphabetical order. You can keep this order or organize them however you want.
7. Putting a Folder in Your Favorites
If you need to access certain folders often in Outlook, you can put them in your Favorites. This can help you save time. This feature helps you to mark your most-used folders. This makes it easier for you to access them. Here is how to add a folder to Favorites:
Step 1: Sign in to your Microsoft Outlook account.
Step 2: Find the folder you want to add. Click on the three dots next to that folder.
Step 3: Choose the option to Add to Favorites.
Now, the folder appears in the Favorites section of your Outlook. You can access it quickly whenever you need it.
8. Renaming an Outlook Folder
If you want to change the name of a folder in Outlook, the process is easy. Here is how to rename a folder:
Step 1: Open Outlook.
Step 2: Look for the folder you wish to rename. Click the three dots beside it.
Step 3: Pick Rename from the menu.
Step 4: Type the new name for the folder. Click Save.
You can change folder names as needed. Make sure they are clear and related to their contents.
9. Removing a Folder
If you want to delete a folder in Outlook, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to your inbox.
Step 2: Click the three dots next to the folder you want to delete.
Step 3: Choose the Delete folder option.
Step 4: Confirm this choice by clicking OK.
This folder moves to Deleted Items. To erase it forever, go to Deleted Items. Right-click on the folder and choose Delete again.
Remember that deleting a folder also removes its emails. To avoid losing important emails, move them to another folder first. Find here how to recover deleted emails in Outlook. Select all items with CTRL + A, drag them to another folder, and then delete the now-empty folder.
Organize Your Outlook Inbox With Folders
Folders are good tools for improving email organization. They help you to keep control over your inbox. This guide shows how to set up folders in Outlook. This is an important step for a better email experience.
We also talk about how you can use rules to sort your emails. This makes it easier to manage your email. Using categories helps to sort and organize your folders more.
We cover methods to rename, move, and delete folders. This helps you create a better structure. If you use these strategies, you can have a more organized inbox quickly.
If you want to improve your email management more, our free Outlook add-on is what you need. It lets you send bulk emails easily from Office 365 or Excel. This saves time and help your email communication.