Best Keyboard Shortcuts For Microsoft Outlook

🕔 3 minutes read Many users discover that using an extra keyboard with Outlook keyboard shortcuts improves their productivity. Keyboard shortcuts are a necessary substitute for using a mouse for people who have mobility or vision impairments since they can be more convenient than using a touchscreen. Here are some of the best shortcuts you can use for Outlook.

MS Outlook application is one of the most widely used email client in the world, this desktop application comes bundled with Microsoft Office package. Outlook is very useful for communication purpose in business environment, it stores attributes like emails, calendar items, contacts, notes, tasks and many others. To make Outlook more fun to work on, here is a list of all keyboard shortcuts which helps you move faster while working on your Outlook profile.

Outlook Shortcuts for Basic Operations:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Go to Mail CTRL+1
Go to Calendar CTRL+2
Go to Contacts CTRL+3
Go to Tasks CTRL+4
Go to Notes CTRL+5
Go to Folder List CTRL+6
Go to Shortcuts CTRL+7
Go to Journal CTRL+8
Switch between Folder List and main Outlook window F6 or CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move around Outlook window TAB
Go to a different folder CTRL+Y
Expand or collapse e-mail message in the list Left and right arrow keys

 

 

 

 

Outlook Shortcuts for Items:

Purpose Shortcut Key
Display Tip for the active element SHIFT+F1
Save CTRL+S or SHIFT+F12
Save and Close, Send ALT+S
Save As F12
Undo CTRL+Z or ALT+BACKSPACE
Delete CTRL+D
Print CTRL+P
Copy item CTRL+SHIFT+Y
Move item CTRL+SHIFT+V
Check names CTRL+K (using the Outlook e-mail editor)
Check spelling F7
Flag for follow-up CTRL+SHIFT+G
Forward CTRL+F
Send/post/invite all ALT+S
Find items F3 or CTRL+E
Search for text in items F4
Find next during text search SHIFT+F4
Use Advanced Find CTRL+SHIFT+F
Create a new Search Folder CTRL+SHIFT+P
Turn on editing in a field (except icon view) F2

Creating Items or file shortcuts for Outlook:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Appointment CTRL+SHIFT+A
Contact CTRL+SHIFT+C
Distribution list CTRL+SHIFT+L
Fax CTRL+SHIFT+X
Folder CTRL+SHIFT+E
Journal entry CTRL+SHIFT+J
Meeting request CTRL+SHIFT+Q
Message CTRL+SHIFT+M
Note CTRL+SHIFT+N
New Office document CTRL+SHIFT+H
Post in this folder CTRL+SHIFT+S
Search Folder CTRL+SHIFT+P
Task CTRL+SHIFT+K
Task request CTRL+SHIFT+U

Emails Shortcuts for Outlook:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Switch to Inbox CTRL+SHIFT+I
Switch to Outbox CTRL+SHIFT+O
Select the account from which to send a message CTRL+TAB (with focus on the To line) and then TAB to the Accounts button
Delete email permanently Shift+Delete
Send ALT+S
Reply to a message CTRL+R
Reply all to a message CTRL+SHIFT+R
Mark a message as not junk CTRL+ ALT+J
Display blocked external content (in a message) CTRL+SHIFT+I
Post to a folder CTRL+ SHIFT+S
Check for new mail CTRL+M or F9
Go to the next message UP ARROW
Go to the previous message DOWN ARROW
Go to the row above (message or group heading) ALT+ UP ARROW
Go to the row below (message or group heading) ALT+ DOWN ARROW
Compose a new message CTRL+N
Open a received message CTRL+O
Display the Address Book CTRL+SHIFT+B
Convert an HTML or RTF message to plain text CTRL+SHIFT+O
Add a Quick Flag to a message INSERT
Display the Flag for Follow Up dialog box CTRL+SHIFT+G
Mark as read CTRL+Q
Displays menu to download pictures / change automatic download settings / Add a sender to the Safe Senders List CTRL+SHIFT+W

Outlook Shortcuts for Contacts:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Dial CTRL+SHIFT+D
Search Address book F11

Shortcuts for Tasks in Outlook:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Accept ALT+C
Decline ALT+D

Shortcuts for Outlook Calendar:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Accept ALT+C
Decline ALT+D

Outlook Shortcuts for Send and Receive operations:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Send and receive all F9
Starts a send/receive operation for current folder by retrieving all items like header, item, attachments, etc. SHIFT+F9

Shortcuts for Adding web information:-

Purpose Shortcut Key
Edit a URL in the body of an item CTRL+left mouse button
Specify a Web browser SHIFT+left mouse button
Insert a hyperlink CTRL+K (When using Word as e-mail editor only)

Apart from the above mentioned shortcuts, there are numerous other shortcuts which Outlook has. But sometimes with the ease of these shortcuts, you may also end up facing lot of problems such as email deletion; user might accidentally delete a mail / element by using Shift + Delete key combination. The element deleted using this shortcut key is not redirected to deleted items. Also, many times due to improper closing of Outlook, the PST file gets corrupt and leads to inaccessibility of emails and other Outlook items. However luckily these Outlook items can be restored back by fixing PST files using reliable repair utility like Remo Repair Outlook PST software.

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Tony Landry

Tony Landry is a Web Content Editor at Remo Software. He loves to write, edit, and manage content for users trying to troubleshoot and fix problems on Windows, Outlook, storage drives and Cloud storage networks.

He has published more than 200 articles in Remo Software blog. He actively engages in research and problem-solving techniques to consistently generate great web content. Fixing various hardware problems on computer and storage devices along with a great knack for fixing Outlook errors, Tony is also the fun-time IT guy for all his work friends. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys cycling.

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