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Outlook

Rules

Rules are ways to automatically take action on incoming messages. They help reduce time filing manually or taking the same action when a similar message arrives to the Inbox. Rules can aid in staying organized and notified when it comes to receiving messages. Since rules occur automatically, you should not set rules for messages that require immediate attention.

Examples of emails that are good to apply rules to include:

  • Newsletters
  • CC'ed emails (where you won't have any tasks and/or a reply is not needed).
  • Vendor promotions
  1. From your Inbox, find an email from a sender that you’d like to create a rule for.
  2. Right-click and choose Rules.
  3. Select Create Rule.
  4. Select the condition(s) for messages to meet such as being from a specific sender.
  5. Select the action for messages to take such as moving to a folder.
  6. Select Run rule now (this will automatically move any messages that meet the criteria that are currently in your Inbox to the specified folder, for example).
  7. Select Save.

Notes: 

  • If you choose to Move the item to folder, you will be prompted to select which folder you want the messages moved to. You may need to create a new folder by selecting New, naming the new folder, and clicking OK.
  • For more sophisticated rules, you can set up additional conditions, actions, and exceptions for the rule.

Categories

Color categories can be assigned to email messages in Microsoft Outlook, which enables you to quickly identify them and associate them with related items. You can assign more than one color category to messages, or use a Quick Click category to click once and assign a color category to a message in your Inbox.

A color category must be in the color category list before you can assign it. If a color category is not listed, you can create a new one and assign it to an item for the first time. You can also choose from several default color categories and rename them to be more meaningful to you.

  1. On the Home tab of Outlook, select Categorize.
  2. Choose Manage Categories.
  3. Either create a New category and choose a color from the color list, or Edit a current category.
  4. To use to later, go to Home > Categorize > Select the desired category.

Quick Steps

Quick Steps allow you to apply multiple actions at the same time to an email. For example, if you are repeatedly forwarding messages to your manager or team members, you can set up a one-click Quick Step to help you save time. It’s important to note that Quick Steps will not run automatically like Rules. Instead, you must manually choose the Quick Step to be performed on each mail message.

  1. Click on the Home tab, under the Quick Steps section, click the arrow to expand the options and select Manage Quick Steps.
  2. Name your quick step. For example, the name of the folder where the message will go or the name of the category that will be assigned.
  3. Select an action from the drop down list such as Move to Folder.
    1. You can assign multiple actions to a single Quick Step. For example, you could assign a category and move the message to a different folder in a single click.
  4. Continue to add actions as needed.
  5. Select Save.
  6. To use to later, select an email message and go to Home then click on the Quick Step you want to use.

Templates

Email templates are useful for messages that are sent out regularly and contain the same information. Instead of searching for previous emails, saving drafts, or copying text from a sent item, you can create and save email templates to use later. 

  1. Go to the Home tab and select New > Mail.
  2. Compose your message draft, including your subject, body, recipients, and any attachments.
  3. Select File > Templates > Save email as template.
  4. Enter a name for your template
  5. Select Save.
  6. To use it later, go to Home > New > Mail from template. 

Quick Parts

Quick Parts let you save and reuse frequently typed text blocks, sentences, paragraphs, or URLs. Instead of repeatedly copying and pasting the same responses or typing out standard replies, you can insert them into an email message with a single click. 

  1. Create a new email message.
  2. Type in the content you want to save.
  3. Highlight the content you just created.
  4. Select Quick Parts > Create Quick Part > Enter a Name.
    1. Note: The Quick Parts function may be found under the Insert tab on the message window.
  5. To use it later, from an email message, go to Quick Parts > Select the Quick Part you want to insert.
    1. Note: The Quick Parts function may be found under the Insert tab on the message window.

Schedule messages

Scheduling messages lets you create a message at any time an schedule it for a specific day and time to be sent. 

  1. Create a new email message.
  2. Enter in the recipients, write the body of the message, and add any attachments.
  3. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Send button > Select Schedule Send.
  4. Select Custom Time and choose the date and time you want the message to be sent.

Pin Messages

Pinning messages keeps them at the top of your Inbox until the pin is removed.

  1. Hover over an email message in your Inbox. 
  2. Select the push-pin icon to pin/unpin.

Drag messages to the calendar for follow-up

Dragging messages allows you to create a calendar entry from an email message. This is a good option if there is a task associated with the email and you want to block off time on your calendar to follow-up.

  1. Select an email message and click and drag it to the Calendar icon.
  2. Add/remove any required attendees (remove attendees to post to your calendar only).
  3. Add the calendar entry date and time.
  4. Select Save or Send if other attendees have been added.

OneNote

Send/Print to OneNote

By using Send to or Print to OneNote, you can include items such as email messages or web page print-outs to your notes.

From Outlook:

  1. Open a message.
  2. Click on the Apps icon in the top menu. 
  3. Select Send to OneNote.
  4. Choose a Notebook and section to move the item to.
  5. Select Save.

From a browser:

  1. Navigate to a page.
  2. Select File > Print > Choose Send to OneNote as the printer.
  3. Choose a Notebook and section to move the item to.
  4. Select Print.

Tags

Tags help you organize items within your notes at the text line or paragraph. You can search for items based off of their tag to quickly find important content.

  1. Place your cursor next to a line of text.
  2. Select Tags and choose from the list.
  3. Find tags later by, Search > Tags. 

Dock to Desktop

Dock to Desktop is a feature that pins your OneNote window to the side of your screen (such as the right or left edge), so that your other apps and OneNote fit side-by-side without overlapping. 

  1. Open OneNote.
  2. Select View > Dock to Desktop(note: not available on Mac).

Insert Meeting Details

The Meeting Details feature lets you import calendar and schedule information straight from Microsoft Outlook into your notes.

What it imports:

  • Meeting title and subject
  • Date and time
  • Location or online Teams link 
  • List of attendees/participants with check-boxes (useful for tracking who showed up)
  • Meeting agenda or invitation description
  1. In OneNote, choose Home > Meeting Details(note: found under the Insert tab on a Mac).
  2. From the menu that appears:
    • To select a meeting that occurs today, choose its time and subject in the list.
    • To select a meeting that occurs on a different day, select the calendar icon to select a specific date. Choose the time and subject of the meeting you want, and then choose Insert Details.

Insert Date and Time

The Insert Date and Time feature allows you to quickly stamp the current date, time, or both directly onto your note page.

Use for:

  • Keeping track of daily entries or personal notes.
  • Recording exact times when specific discussion points or action items happen.
  • Time stamping check-ins, phone calls, or sequential events
  1. Click where you want to place the timestamp.
  2. Select the Insert tab.
  3. Choose Date, Time, or Date & Time.

Link to Other Notes

This feature allows you to link to outside sites, or link to other pages in the notebook. You can use this feature to reference previous meeting notes, direct individuals to more information in the notebook, or create a quick links page for most commonly visited pages in the notebook.

Insert a Web Link:

  1. Click where you want to place the link.
  2. Select the Insert tab.
  3. Click on Link.
  4. Paste the URL.

Link to OneNote Content:

  1. Right-click on a page in OneNote.
  2. Select Copy link to page.
  3. Navigate to the page where you want to place the link, right-click on the page, and choose Paste.

Teams

Grid and List Views

You can organize your interface by Grid or List view. 

  1. Go to Settings (3-dot icon at the top-right).
  2. Select Chats and Channels from the left panel. 
  3. Under the Layout category, select the radio button of the layout you would like to use. 

Combined Views

This view shows your channels and chats together in the left panel. 

  1. Go to Settings (3-dot icon at the top-right). 
  2. Select Chats and Channels from the left panel. 
  3. Scroll to Viewing chats, teams, and channels category and select the radio button of the layout you would like to use. 

Sections

You can create sections to organize your chats and channels. From your team or you Chat: 

  1. Hover over the chat or channel you would like to move, then select the 3-dot icon to the right. 
  2. Hover over Move to section, then select the section or create a new section. 

Group Chat

Create conversations with small groups of people not part of a team. 

  1. Lookup one person you want to add your group by typing their name in the Search field at the top of the Teams interface. 
  2. Select participant icon at the top-right of your screen. 
  3. Select Start a group. 
  4. Add additional members of the group, then select Create. 
  5. You may change the name of the group by selecting the pencil icon to the right of the current group name. 

Approvals in Posts

Approval processes can be create in the post area of your team. Send and receive approval information from one place. 

  1. Create a post in a team channel, then select the + sign at the bottom of the text field. 
  2. Select Approvals. 
  3. Choose the Basic request tile. 
  4. Complete the form and send. 

Post in Multiple Channels

Send one message or announcement to multiple teams at once. 

  1. Create a post in a team channel, then select the + sign at the bottom of the text field. 
  2. Select Post in other channels. 
  3. Choose Multiple channels. 
  4. Select the checkbox next to all the channels you want to receive the message. 

Follow Up On a Message

This feature can be set up as an option for posts in all of your teams. You can find this and many other workflows in your Workflows app. 

  1. Go to the 3-dot icon in your app bar on the left edge of your interface. 
  2. Find and select Workflows.
  3. Select the Templates option at the top and to the right of the title Workflows.
  4. Select Follow up on a message.
  5. Complete the wizard to set-up. 

To find option in a post:

  1. Hover over the message and go to the 3-dot icon in at the top-right. 
  2. Hover over or select More options and the Follow up feature should appear. 

 

Additional Resources

  • Instructor-led workshops are available at no cost to enroll through our Course Catalog.
  • Video tutorials are available at no cost any time through LinkedIn Learning via MyTalent.
  • Additional step-by-step information can be found on our How To site.
  • Schedule one-on-one or departmental sessions with one of our trainers by emailing training@ku.edu.
  • Join our Office 365 Team to learn about upcoming changes, new features, and additional tips and tricks.

Support

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