Kansas State University

There comes a point when your inbox stops being helpful and starts feeling a little crowded. Messages from the same senders stack up. Subscriptions you never read linger, threads you meant to file keep sitting in your inbox “just in case.” It all adds up.

Eventually, we want that weight lifted. Getting prepared for the next semester is often a time when people do some housekeeping.

Outlook provides several helpful tools to help you cut through the noise. The following are a few ways to get started cleaning up your inbox:

• Use Sweep to filter messages for easier deletion or archiving.
• Use Copilot to summarize threaded messages, allowing you to decide whether they are worth keeping.
• Unsubscribe from outdated mailing lists.
• Mark low-priority threads as read so they no longer compete for attention.
• Remove old calendar invites that are no longer relevant.

To learn more about these tips, visit these Microsoft articles:

• Organize your inbox
• Organize your inbox with Archive, Sweep, and other tools
• Use Clutter to sort low-priority messages
• Summarize an email thread with Copilot in Outlook

Loop components in Outlook make collaboration more manageable by allowing you to co-create content. No more back-and-forth messages or version confusion. With Loop, updates are instant, and everyone stays on the same page.

Types of Loop components  Continue reading “Email collaboration with Microsoft Loop” →

Do you find yourself writing the same email over and over? Save time and streamline your workflow by using templates in Outlook on the web.

Creating a template

1. Compose a new email message as you normally would and then copy the message.
2. On the toolbar, click the Message tab.
3. On the toolbar, click the My Templates button.
4. Click the + Template link.
5. Give your template a name and paste your message into the text box.
6. Click Save to store your template for future use.

Using a saved template

1. Open a new email.
2. On the toolbar, click the Message tab.
3. On the toolbar, click the My Templates button.
4. Click on the three-dot menu in the email toolbar.
5. Customize as needed and hit Send.

By integrating email templates into your workflow, you’ll reduce repetitive typing, improve response times and maintain consistent messaging.

A well-organized inbox can decrease email overwhelm and significantly boost your productivity. Incorporate these tips to keep your inbox organized and clutter-free.

Use Categories to quickly locate specific types of emails

You can assign color-coded categories to your emails based on topics, projects, priorities, and more. To assign a category:

1. Right-click an email and select Categorize.
2. Choose or create a category.

Using categories makes it easier to sort and find related messages at a glance.

Create rules to automate email management

You can automatically sort, flag, or move emails based on specific conditions. The following are a few ways you can use rules::

• Move emails from a specific sender to a folder
• Categorize emails with specific keywords in the subject
• Flag important emails for follow-up
• Automatically forward emails from a specific sender
• Move newsletters to a “Reading” folder
• Delete emails with specific words in the subject
• Mark emails as read from a mailing list
• Move emails with attachments to a “To Review” folder

See Use inbox rules in Outlook to learn more.

Filter emails for efficient searching

Quickly find specific emails by filtering your inbox based on keywords, sender, or other criteria. To use a filter:

In the Search box in the top navigation, type your filter criteria. Also, notice you can choose to filter emails by specific folders.

A few filter examples:

• Filter by specific sender or domain.
• Filter with keywords in the subject line.
• Filter emails with attachments only
• Filter unread emails to quickly view messages you haven’t opened
• Filter by category (e.g., “project,” “priority”)
• Filter by importance level (e.g., “High Importance”)
• Filter by received date (e.g., within the last week)

Questions?

Submit any questions to the KSU Teams Support team.