How To Create and Use Categories in Outlook

Is your inbox overflowing with emails? Do you struggle to find important messages when you need them? If so, it’s time to take advantage of Outlook categories - a powerful tool that helps organize emails, tasks, and calendar events.

With color-coded categories, you can easily label and group your messages, making them easier to locate and manage. Whether you’re handling business emails, personal correspondence, or project-related communication, categories offer a simple way to bring order to your Outlook inbox.

Let’s examine how to create, assign, and manage categories in Outlook to keep your workflow smooth and efficient.

Understanding Categories in Outlook

What Are Categories in Outlook?

Categories in Outlook are custom labels that allow you to group emails, calendar events, tasks, and contacts. Each category has a color code, making it easy to spot important messages at a glance.

How to Organize Emails, Tasks, and Calendar Events with Categories

Instead of endlessly scrolling through your inbox, categories let you filter and find specific emails based on their labels. You can also apply categories to calendar appointments, tasks, and contacts, helping you stay organized across all Outlook features.

Differences Between Categories and Folders in Outlook

Categories and folders serve different purposes when organizing emails in Outlook. Categories allow you to label and group emails without physically moving them from the inbox, while folders are used to store emails in separate locations.

One key difference is that an email can have multiple categories, making it easier to filter and find based on different criteria. In contrast, an email can only belong to one folder at a time, which can sometimes make organization more rigid.

Categories work best for organizing emails by priority, project, or status, as they allow for flexible sorting and filtering. On the other hand, folders are ideal for archiving emails and keeping different types of communication separate.

How to Create Categories in Outlook

In Outlook Web

1) Login to Outlook.

2) Go to Settings, then choose Account.

3) When the Account Settings open, select Categories.

4) Click ”Create new” button to add a new category.

5) Name the category, select it’s color, then click Save.

In Outlook Desktop

1) Open the Outlook desktop app.

2) Go to Settings, then choose Account.

3) When the Account Settings open, select Categories.

4) Click ”Create new” button to add a new category.

5) Name the category, select it’s color, then click Save.

How to Assign Categories to Emails, Tasks, and Calendar Events

Assigning Categories to Emails in Outlook Web

1) Open your Inbox and then open an email.

2) Select the Categorize option in Outlook’s the actions menu (button with label icon).

3) Select the appropriate category.

Assigning Categories to Emails in Outlook Desktop

1) Open your Inbox and right-click an email.

2) Select the Categorize option in the drop-down menu.

3) Select the appropriate category.

Assigning Categories to Tasks in Outlook Web

1) Go to Microsoft To Do.

2) In the Microsoft To Do Open Tasks.

3) Open task you want to categorize.

4) In the task menu click “Pick a category” button to categorize it.

Assigning Categories to Tasks in Outlook Desktop

1) Go to Tasks and right-click on a task.

2) Select the Categorize option in the drop-down menu.

3) Assign a category to track different projects or deadlines.

Assigning Categories to Calendar Events in Outlook Web

1) Open your Outlook Calendar and click on an event.

2) Click Edit button.

3) Click More options button.

4) Click on Categorize button and assign category.

Assigning Categories to Contacts in Outlook Web

1) Go to People and choose a contact.

2) Click Add category and assign a category.

How to Search and Filter Items by Category

Searching Emails by Category Using the Outlook Search Bar

In your inbox, type the category name in the search bar to find all related emails.

Sorting Emails by Category for Quick Access

Click the Sort by dropdown menu and select Categories to arrange emails accordingly.

How To Edit Categories In Outlook

In Outlook Web

1) Login to Outlook.

2) Go to Settings, then choose Account.

3) When the Account Settings open, select Categories.

4) Find the category you want to edit, then press the Edit button (with pencil icon).

5) Make the changes you’d like to the name and color, then press Save.

In Outlook Desktop

1) Open the Outlook desktop app.

2) Go to Settings, then choose Account.

3) When the Account Settings open, select Categories.

4) Find the category you want to edit, then press the Edit button (with pencil icon).

5) Make the changes you’d like to the name and color, then press Save.

How To Delete Categories In Outlook

In Outlook Web

1) Login to Outlook.

2) Go to Settings, then choose Account.

3) When the Account Settings open, select Categories.

4) Find the category you want to delete, then press the Delete button (with trash can icon).

In Outlook Desktop

1) Open the Outlook desktop app.

2) Go to Settings, then choose Account.

3) When the Account Settings open, select Categories.

4) Select the category you want to delete, and then click Delete button.

Best Practices for Using Categories in Outlook

1) Keep your category list simple – Avoid overcomplicating your system.

2) Use consistent colors – Assign colors based on priority or type.

3) Apply categories immediately – Label important emails as soon as they arrive.

4) Automate with Outlook rules – Automatically assign categories to emails from specific senders.

Conclusion

Using categories in Outlook is a game-changer for staying organized. Whether managing emails, tasks, or calendar events, categories offer a simple and effective way to keep everything structured. By implementing color-coded labels and filtering options, you can save time and boost productivity.