Using Outlook Quick Steps

By | August 22, 2022

Quick Steps apply multiple actions at the same time to email messages. This helps you quickly manage your mailbox. For example, if you frequently move messages to a specific folder, you can use a Quick Step to move the message in one click. Or, if you forward messages to your manager or peers, a one-click Quick Step can simplify the task.

Quick Steps or Quick Steps icon

The Quick Steps included with Outlook can be customized. You can also create your own to make a Quick Steps gallery of mail actions that you take most often.

Default Quick Steps

You can customize any of the default Quick Steps. When you use some Quick Steps for the first time, you are prompted to configure them. For example, if you want a Quick Step to move messages to a certain folder, you must specify the folder before you can use the Quick Step.

Default Quick Steps in Outlook include the following:

Quick StepAction
Move to:Moves the selected message to a mail folder that you specify and marks the message as read.
To ManagerForwards the message to your manager. If your organization uses Microsoft Exchange Server or Microsoft 365, your manager’s name is detected in the Global Address List and inserted in the To box, or you can specify the recipient.
Team E-mailForwards the message to others in your team. If your organization uses Microsoft Exchange Server or Microsoft 365, your team members names are detected in the Global Address List and inserted in the To box.
DoneMoves the message to a specified mail folder, marks the message complete, and then marks it as read.
Reply & DeleteOpens a reply to the selected message, and then deletes the original message.
Create NewCreate your own Quick Step to execute any sequence of commands, name it, and then apply an icon to help you identify it.

To configure or change existing Quick Steps, do the following:

  1. In Mail, select Home.
  2. In the Quick Steps group, select the More Dialog Box Launcher button on the ribbon arrow at the side of the Quick Steps box to open Manage Quick Steps.
  3. In the Quick Step box, select the Quick Step that you want to change, and then select Edit.
  4. Under Actions, change or add the actions that you want this Quick Step to do.
  5. If you want, in the Shortcut key box, select a keyboard shortcut that you want to assign to that Quick Step.
  6. If you want to change the icon for a Quick Step, select the icon next to the Name box, select an icon, and then select OK.

Create a Quick Step

  1. In Mail, select Home.
  2. In the Quick Steps group, in the Quick Steps gallery, select the Create New Quick Step.
  3. In the Name box, type a name for the new Quick Step.
  4. Select the icon button next to the Name box, select an icon, and then select OK.
  5. Under Actions, choose an action that you want the Quick Step to do. Select Add Action for any additional actions.
  6. To create a keyboard shortcut, in the Shortcut key box, select the keyboard shortcut that you want to assign.

Note: New Quick Steps appear at the top of the gallery on the Home tab in the Quick Steps group. Although changed Quick Steps keep the same location in the gallery, you can rearrange them in Manage Quick Steps.