Stephen Renald

Posted on May 28

Microsoft Outlook Cheat Sheet For All Users

#cheatsheet #webdev #beginners #tutorial

Below is a comprehensive Microsoft Outlook cheat sheet designed for beginners, coders, and experienced professionals. It covers essential features, keyboard shortcuts, email management tips, calendar and task functionalities, and advanced features like VBA automation for coders. The cheat sheet is structured for quick reference and includes practical examples where relevant.

This cheat sheet is designed for beginners, coders, and experienced professionals using Microsoft Outlook (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, 2019, and 2016). It includes shortcuts, tips, and advanced features to boost productivity.

I. Getting Started with Microsoft Outlook Cheat Sheet (Beginners)

Navigation Basics

Switch Views:
- Mail: Ctrl+1
- Calendar: Ctrl+2
- Contacts (People): Ctrl+3
- Tasks: Ctrl+4
- Notes: Ctrl+5
Search: Ctrl+E to focus on the search bar.
Tell Me: Alt+Q to access the "Tell me what you want to do" feature for quick task lookup. Example: Type "filter email" to find options like "Has Attachments."

Email Basics

Create New Email: Ctrl+Shift+M
Send Email: Alt+S
Reply: Ctrl+R
Reply All: Ctrl+Shift+R
Forward: Ctrl+F
Mark as Unread: Ctrl+U
Flag for Follow-Up: Ctrl+Shift+G
Insert Attachment: Alt+N, then AF to browse files.

Organizing Emails

Create a Folder: Right-click on your mailbox > New Folder.
Move Email to Folder: Drag and drop or use Ctrl+Shift+V.
Quick Steps:
- Create: Go to Home > Quick Steps > New Quick Step (e.g., move to specific folder and mark as read).
- Example: Set up a Quick Step to move emails from "boss@company.com" to "Priority" folder (Ctrl+Shift+9 to apply).
Rules:
- Create: Home > Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule.
- Example: Auto-move emails with "Project" in subject to "Projects" folder.

Calendar Basics

New Appointment: Ctrl+Shift+A
New Meeting: Ctrl+Shift+Q
Switch Views:
- Day: Ctrl+Alt+1
- Work Week: Ctrl+Alt+2
- Week: Ctrl+Alt+3
- Month: Ctrl+Alt+4
Share Calendar: Calendar > Share Calendar > Add recipient.

Tasks and Notes

New Task: Ctrl+Shift+K
New Note: Ctrl+Shift+N
Mark Task Complete: Click the flag or use Insert to toggle status.

II. Microsoft Outlook Cheat Sheet Productivity Tips (Experienced Professionals)

Email Management

Categories:
- Assign: Right-click email > Categorize > Choose or create a category.
- Example: Color-code emails from clients as "Red" for priority.
Search Folders:
- Create: Right-click Search Folders > New Search Folder (e.g., Unread Mail).
- Use: Quickly access emails matching criteria like "From: Manager."
Focused Inbox:
- Enable: View > View Settings > Focused Inbox.
- Tip: Move important emails to Focused tab by dragging or setting rules.
Clean Up Folder:
- Home > Clean Up > Clean Up Folder to remove redundant replies in threads.

Advanced Calendar Features

Overlay Calendars: View multiple calendars by clicking View > Overlay.
Schedule View: View > Schedule View to see team availability side-by-side.
Meeting Insights: Outlook suggests files/attachments based on email context (Microsoft 365).

Automation with Quick Parts

Create Reusable Text:
- Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
- Example: Save a standard email signature or response template.
Insert: Insert > Quick Parts > Select saved text.

Keyboard Shortcuts (Power Users)

Undo: Ctrl+Z
Create Meeting from Email: Ctrl+Alt+R
Go to Today (Calendar): Ctrl+Alt+Y
Archive Email: Backspace (Microsoft 365).
Open Address Book: Ctrl+Shift+B
Full List: See Microsoft Support for comprehensive shortcut lists.

III. Outlook Cheat Sheet For Coders: VBA and Automation

Enabling Developer Tab

File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Check "Developer."

Writing a Simple VBA Macro

Access VBA Editor: Alt+F11
Create Macro:
1. In VBA Editor, Insert > Module.
2. Paste the code below to auto-categorize emails based on sender.
3. Save and run (F5).

        Sub AutoCategorizeEmail()
        Dim objMail As Outlook.MailItem
        Dim objNS As Outlook.NameSpace
        Set objNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
        Set objMail = Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1)
        If objMail.SenderEmailAddress = "example@domain.com" Then
            objMail.Categories = "Priority"
            objMail.Save
        End If
        Set objMail = Nothing
        Set objNS = Nothing
    End Sub

Run Macro: Developer > Macros > Select AutoCategorizeEmail > Run.

Common VBA Use Cases

Auto-Reply to Specific Emails:

    Sub AutoReply()
        Dim objMail As Outlook.MailItem
        Set objMail = Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1)
        If InStr(objMail.Subject, "Urgent") > 0 Then
            Dim objReply As Outlook.MailItem
            Set objReply = objMail.Reply
            objReply.Body = "Received your urgent email. Will respond soon."
            objReply.Send
        End If
    End Sub

Export Emails to Excel:

    Sub ExportEmailsToExcel()
        Dim objExcel As Object
        Dim objWorkbook As Object
        Dim objWorksheet As Object
        Dim objFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
        Dim objMail As Object
        Dim i As Integer
        Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
        Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Add
        Set objWorksheet = objWorkbook.Worksheets(1)
        Set objFolder = Application.Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
        i = 1
        objWorksheet.Cells(i, 1) = "Subject"
        objWorksheet.Cells(i, 2) = "Sender"
        objWorksheet.Cells(i, 3) = "Received"
        For Each objMail In objFolder.Items
            i = i + 1
            objWorksheet.Cells(i, 1) = objMail.Subject
            objWorksheet.Cells(i, 2) = objMail.SenderName
            objWorksheet.Cells(i, 3) = objMail.ReceivedTime
        Next
        objExcel.Visible = True
    End Sub

Security Note

Enable macros only from trusted sources (File > Options > Trust Center > Macro Settings).
Save VBA projects with .otm extension for reuse.

IV. Customization and Integration

Personalize Outlook

Change Theme: File > Options > General > Office Theme (Colorful, Dark Gray, White, or Black in 2019+).
Ribbon Customization: Right-click Ribbon > Customize the Ribbon.

Integration with Microsoft 365 Apps

Teams: Schedule Teams meetings directly from Calendar (Ctrl+Shift+Q).
OneNote: Link notes to emails (Home > OneNote).
Loop Components: Insert collaborative snippets in emails (Microsoft 365).
OneDrive: Attach files from OneDrive for cloud-based sharing.

Add-Ins

Install: File > Manage Add-ins (e.g., Grammarly, Boomerang).
Developer Add-Ins: Create custom add-ins using JavaScript/Web Add-ins framework (see docs.microsoft.com).

V. Tips for All Users

Mobile Sync: Use Outlook iOS/Android apps for email, calendar, and tasks on the go.
Focused Inbox: Prioritize important emails (View > Focused Inbox).
Delay Sending: Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts > Delay Delivery (e.g., 2-minute delay for all emails).
Recover Deleted Items: Folder > Recover Deleted Items (Exchange accounts).

VI. Resources

Microsoft Support: Training courses and cheat sheets.
Computerworld: Guides for Outlook 2016, 2019, and 365.
HowTo-Outlook: Cross-platform Outlook tips.
Outlook PST Repair: If Outlook data file is corrupted and ScanPST is not enough to recover it.

This cheat sheet provides a balance of basic navigation for beginners, productivity tips for professionals, and VBA examples for coders. For further details, check the cited resources or use the "Tell Me" feature (Alt+Q) in Outlook to explore specific tasks.

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