We spend so much of our working lives processing email. If you're anything like me, you'll be getting hundreds of different emails every single day. So, we need to be at the top of our game. In my blog post, I will go through my 11 favourite productivity hacks using Microsoft Outlook. If you are more of a visual learner, you can check out my YouTube video on this topic right here!

My name is Jonathan Edwards, also known as the Bearded 365 Guy. I help businesses all over the world with Microsoft 365. You can find more information at bearded365guy.com.

Hack One: Don't Create So Many Email Folders

Don't create so many email folders—instead, archive emails. I might get some pushback from this because I know so many people who create dozens of folders underneath their inbox, sometimes creating subfolders within the folders. Stalling your productivity like this drives me crazy.

How do you know where you filed each email? I just don't think there's any point in doing this. Instead, Outlook provides an archive feature. You can open an email, decide the next action, and then archive that email.

Your goal is to get your inbox to zero every single day.

Hack Two: Easy Email Archiving

In every mailbox, you will see a folder called archive—the archive folder where you can archive your emails. I have an email I don't want to delete, so all I'm going to do is tap on the archive button. That email is out of my mailbox but is available in the archive folder. It's a much quicker and tidier way of organising your emails.

Now, you might think that won't work for me. I don't want all my emails in one folder. Well, it's time to move on to hack number two, which will reassure you that you do.

Hack Three: Categorise Your Emails

Hack number two, and this one goes hand in hand with hack number one and the most underrated Outlook productivity tool there is: categorise your emails. Before you archive your emails away, make sure that you categorise them.

You categorise them based on the next action. Maybe this email needs a follow-up when you've got more time. Maybe you're waiting for a response on this email. Maybe this email has something to do with an important project, or it's a newsletter that you want to read later. Whatever it is, make sure you categorise it and archive it.

Here is my step-by-step guide to categorising in the older and newer versions of Outlook Client or New Outlook:

1. Access Categories in Old Outlook Client:

• Go to Categories
• Select all Categories

2. Manage Categories:

• Rename existing categories to “Follow Up” or similar
• Change the colour of Categories
• Add new Categories where needed

1. Access Categories in New Outlook or Outlook Web Client:

• Click on the Settings Tab
• Go to General
• Select Categories

2. Rename Categories:

• Click on the Pencil Icon next to a Category
• Rename it to something like "Follow Up" or similar
• Click Save

Repeat for other categories, e.g., rename to "Waiting For", "Project X", etc. Remember to save each renamed category. Following these steps will help you manage your categories more effectively in both versions of Outlook!

Watch the YouTube video here if you’re a visual learner like me.

In the new Outlook or Outlook web client, you can enhance your email management by favouriting categories for easier access. Once favourited, these categories will appear prominently in your application, making them readily available. To apply categories to emails, simply open an email, apply a relevant category (such as "Newsletter"), and then archive the email.

The categorising then archiving action moves the email to the archive folder while keeping it categorised. Continue this process by categorising and archiving emails based on content, such as "Project X" for project-related emails or "Follow Up" for important reminders.

The method helps maintain a clean inbox while organising your emails by category. To access categorised emails, use the favourited categories to quickly find all emails under a specific category, whether they are follow-up items, newsletters, or project-related emails. By categorising and archiving emails, you can efficiently manage your inbox.

Hack Four: Use the Advanced Search Function in Outlook

Many people don't know how to use the advanced search function in Outlook. They often search with basic terms for emails they're looking for and get frustrated when they can't find them. However, if you know how to use the advanced search function in Outlook, your productivity time will increase significantly.

Pretend you have thousands or tens of thousands of emails, and you've put them all in the archive folder. You need to use the advanced search feature to find the exact email you need.

At the top, click on the drop-down, and now you have a lot more options to search for. You can search for all emails with an attachment, filed away with a specific category, from a particular sender, and within a date range. Advanced search makes Outlook much more powerful. If we go over to the webmail, we can do exactly the same. Click on the drop-down, and you will have many options to choose from. Using categories and the archive feature makes the Outlook search a really powerful tool.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to accessing the advanced search function in Outlook

Using the Search Box:

• Click on the Search box at the top of the Outlook window. Doing this will open the Search tab on the ribbon automatically
• Click on the horizontal dots icon (More commands) at the end of the toolbar to access the advanced feature
• Go to Search Tools and select Advanced Find from the menu
• You can always use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + F to open the advanced search dialogue box

Using categories combined with the archive feature makes the Outlook Search Box a powerful tool.

Hack Five: Scheduled Daily Email Processing

Hack number five is about scheduling email processing time each day, and this simple process saves so much time once you understand it. Rather than being distracted by email notifications, I closed my Outlook and started processing emails four times a day: first thing in the morning, just before lunch, mid-afternoon, and last thing at night.

I quickly realised that four times a day was too much, so I reduced it to three times a day. Now, I process my emails twice a day, mid-morning and last thing at night. I tell people that they should call me if they need me urgently. The results have been astounding, and I can get more done; my productivity has increased because I can focus.

Hack Six: GTD (Getting Things Done) Approach to Email Management

Hack six is the GTD (Getting Things Done) approach to email management. When I process my emails twice daily, I use this technique: if an email can be responded to within two minutes, I respond immediately. Once responded to, the email needs categorisation and archived. If the email doesn't require any action but needs to be kept, I categorise and archive it.

Junk emails go straight to the deleted items folder. If an email requires a response that will take longer than two minutes, I categorise it in a follow-up category and archive it. Then, I put that task into my task manager.

Hack Seven: Get Microsoft To-Do

Believe it or not, Microsoft Outlook is not a task manager. Many people use their inboxes as reminders to do tasks, which can cause anxiety. Following the GTD approach, emails taking longer than two minutes are categorised and archived in a follow-up category.

You need a task manager to manage these tasks, and Microsoft To-Do is an excellent option because it integrates with Outlook. You can create tasks and assign due dates, which automatically appear in your calendar. The new Outlook integrates nicely with Microsoft To-Do, allowing you to categorise and archive emails and then drag them into To-Do to plan your days properly.

Hack Eight: Snooze Emails

Sometimes, you get an email that needs action but not immediately. For example, I received an email about an event six weeks away. I don't want to think about it now so that I can snooze the email.

The new Outlook has a snooze email feature, allowing you to snooze an email until a future date. The email will disappear from your mailbox and be redelivered on the chosen date. The snooze feature helps manage emails that need attention later.

Hack Nine: Use Email Templates

Replying to emails faster using email templates is another productivity hack. Often, you write the duplicate emails repeatedly. Creating email templates can save time. You can add templates to Outlook; when you need to use them, it's just a few clicks. Using a template can turn a 10-minute email into a 10-second task. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating your email template in Outlook:

1. Open Outlook:

• Start by composing a new message or replying to an existing one

2. Access My Templates:

• Go to the Message tab
• Click the More Options button (three horizontal dots) in the top menu
• Select My Templates under Add-ins

3. Create a New Template:

• In the My Templates pane, click the + Template button
• Enter a title for your template
• Type and format your message content in the provided fields.
• Alternatively, you can type and format your message directly in the email window, then copy and paste it into the template to retain the formatting

4. Save the Template:

• Once you're satisfied with the content, click Save.

5. Using the Templates

• When composing a new email or replying to an email, go to the Message tab
• Click the More Options button and select My Templates from the dropdown menu
• Choose the desired template to insert it into your email

Hack Ten: Link Your Calendar to Your Outlook Signature

Including a link to your calendar in your Outlook signature can save time when scheduling meetings. Instead of going back and forth to find a suitable time, you can add a link to your bookings page in your signature. The link allows people to book a meeting with you directly, saving time and hassle.

Here's a step-by-step guide to include a link to your calendar in your Outlook signature:

1. Open Outlook Web Access:

• Go to Outlook Web Access and log in with your Microsoft 365 account

2. Access Settings:

• Click on the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner
• Scroll down and click on View all Outlook settings at the bottom

3. Navigate to Compose and Reply:

• In the settings menu, select Mail
• Click on Compose and reply

4. Create or Edit Signature:

• You can create a new signature or edit an existing one in the Email signature section
• Enter your desired signature text.

5. Get Your Bookings Page Link:

• Open a new tab and go to Microsoft Bookings
• Log in and navigate to your booking page
• Copy the URL of your booking page.

6. Add the Link to Your Signature:

• Go back to the Compose and Reply settings in Outlook
• Highlight the text in your signature where you want to insert the link (e.g., "Book a meeting with me")
• Click on the Link icon (chain link) in the signature editor toolbar
• Paste the URL of your booking page into the URL field
• Press OK to insert the link

7. Format the Link:

• You can format the link text (e.g., change the colour, make it bold)
• Ensure the link is correctly inserted and looks good in your signature.

8. Test and Save Your Signature:

• Scroll down to click Save and apply the signature changes
• Compose a new email to check your signature appears correctly and the link to your booking page works as expected

Hack Eleven: Outlook Rules Can Automate Email Processing

Outlook rules can automate email processing. For example, if you receive an Amazon order email that you must forward to your accountant and archive, you can create a rule to do this automatically

Rules can categorise, delete, or forward emails based on conditions, saving you time. You can read more about Outlook Rules here.

Hack Twelve: Copilot for Microsoft 365

Finally, there’s news. Microsoft released an AI product called Copilot for Microsoft 365, designed to help with productivity in Outlook. Copilot can draft new emails, summarise emails, and more, saving you time. It integrates with the latest Outlook and is designed to act as your assistant. Here’s a link to Copilot; why not take it for a spin and tell me what you think?

I hope you found these Microsoft Outlook productivity tips helpful! What's your favourite productivity hack? Let me know in the comments below.