Microsoft Outlook on the Web - Quick Start Guide

Accessing Outlook on the Web 

  • Open your web browser. 

  • Sign in with your Microsoft 365 credentials (email and password). 

Navigating the Interface 

  • Mail (✉️): Primary section to read, send, and organize emails. 

  • Calendar (📅): Schedule and view events. 

  • People (👥): Manage your contacts. 

  • To Do (✅): Keep track of tasks. 

  • Settings (⚙️): Top-right corner to adjust preferences. 

Composing a New Email 

  • Click "New mail" at the top left. 

  • Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)

     

  • Fill in: 
       - To: Recipient’s email. 
       - Subject: Email subject line. 
       - Body: Type your message. 

  • Use toolbar options to format text, attach files, insert emojis, or set importance. 

  • Click Send when ready. 

Reading and Managing Emails 

  • Click any email in your Inbox to open it. 

  • Use the top bar to: 
       - Reply / Reply All / Forward 

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail) 
   - Delete 

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)

   - Archive 

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)
   - Mark as read/unread 

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)

    - Move to folder 

 

Organizing Emails 

  • Drag and drop emails into folders. 

  • Create new folders: 
       1. Right-click Folders 
       2. Select Create new folder 

  •  
       3. Name it and press Enter. 

Searching Emails 

  • Use the Search bar at the top. 

  • Type a keyword, contact name, or subject. 

  • Results will appear automatically. 

  • Note that you can toggle between searching everything, Mail, Files, Teams or People. 

Attaching Files 

  • While composing an email, click the Attach (paperclip icon). 

  • Choose: 
       - Browse this computer to upload. This will open your file manager. On Mac it would be Finder. On Windows it would be Windows Explorer. You can navigate to your desired file and select it as an attachment. 
       - Browse cloud locations (OneDrive, etc.). You can even use upload and share which will upload the attachment to One Drive and share it with the people which you are emailing. This is the best practice for larger files. 

  - You will also see suggested files for attachment. 

Using the Calendar 

  • Switch to Calendar using the left app bar. 

  • Click a date/time to add events. 

  • Set: 
       - Title, time, location 
       - Add invitees 
       - Set reminders 

  • Click Save or Send for meeting invites. 

  • If you add attendees, suggested meeting times will show based on attendee schedule. 

Helpful Settings 

  • Click the gear icon (⚙️) > View all Outlook settings 

  • Adjust: 
       - Mail layout 

 
   - Automatic replies (Out of Office) is found under Account. 

 
   - Signature is found under account. 

 
   - Rules for managing emails automatically are found under Mail. You would click +Add new rule at the top right to start making a new rule. Rules are automatic settings to manage your mail. For example you can auto archive or auto send to folder, etc. 

Tips 

  • Use Categories to color-code emails. Just right click on the desired message in your inbox or folder. Mouse over Categorize and select your desired category. Default categories are color names. You can add custom category names. 

  • Set Flags to follow up on important messages. Default flags are Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week, No Date. You can set a custom date for a flag by clicking custom. Once you have completed the email, you can mark it complete. 

  • You can also Snooze messages. Unlike a Flag, Snoozing removes the message from your inbox and moves it to the Snoozed folder. The message will automatically return to your inbox on the day and time specified.  

  • Use Focused Inbox to separate important emails. The sorting is automatically done by machine learning. This feature is on by default and can be turned off in the Layout settings. To see messages outside the Focused area, just click the Other tab at the top of your inbox. 

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