How to Create or Edit Categories in Outlook

How to Create or Edit Categories in Outlook

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Do you have idea on how to create and edit categories in Outlook, including how to create a new color category, assign a color category to an email, and edit the available categories in Outlook. We will take you through the process in this piece of article. Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and Outlook for Microsoft 365 are all supported.

How to Create a New Category of Colors in Outlook

Utilize Outlook’s categories to organize a variety of items, including email messages, contacts, and appointments. By assigning the same color to a collection of related items, such as notes, contacts, and messages, you can make them easier to track. If an item is related to more than one category, it should be assigned multiple colors.

Although Outlook includes a set of default color categories, it’s simple to add your own or modify the color and name of an existing label. Additionally, you can configure keyboard shortcuts to categorize highlighted items.

Categories are not available for emails stored in an IMAP account.

To create a new color category in Outlook, follow these steps:

  1. Select Categorize from the Tag group on the Home tab.
  2. Select the All Categories option.
  3. In the dialog box for Color Categories, click New.
  4. In the Name text box of the Add New Category dialog box, type a name for the new color category.
  5. Click the Color drop-down arrow and select a category color.
  6. To assign a keyboard shortcut to the newly created category, click the Shortcut Key drop-down arrow and select one.
  7. Click OK to save and close the Add New Category dialog box.
  8. Click OK to close the dialog box for Color Categories.

Assign an Email a Color Category

Individual emails can be assigned a color category to aid in the organization of your inbox. You may wish to organize your data by client or project.

To assign a color category to an Outlook message in your inbox, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on an email message in your inbox.

Additionally, you can categorize appointments and tasks by color. Right-click an appointment or task in your Outlook Calendar or To-Do List.

  1. Choose Categorize.

If you’d rather use the menu, navigate to Home and select Categorize from the Tags group.

  1. Select a color category for the email.
  2. The first time you use a category, you may be prompted to change its name. Type a new name if prompted.

To organize email by category, click the View tab, then select Arrange by and then Categories.

Outlook Categories Editing

To edit the list of color categories, follow these steps:

  1. Select Categorize from the Tags group on the Home tab.
  2. Select the All Categories option.
  3. After selecting the category you wish to modify, perform one of the following actions:
  • Modify the title of the category: Select Rename and enter a new name.
  • Change the color: Click the Color drop-down arrow and select a different color, or click None to remove a color from a category.
  • Delete a category from the list of categories: Choose Delete. This does not remove the category from previously applied items.
  1. When finished, click OK.

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