If your inbox is filled with emails from work, clients, newsletters, projects, and personal contacts, finding the right message can quickly become frustrating. Fortunately, how to use categories in New Outlook is a simple skill that can make your mailbox much easier to manage.
Categories let you add color-coded labels to emails and other Outlook items. Instead of moving every message into a different folder, you can use categories to visually identify what an email is about and quickly find related items.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to create categories, apply them to emails, rename or remove categories, use color categories, and build a simple organization system in New Outlook.
What Are Categories in New Outlook?
Categories in New Outlook are labels that help you organise and identify items visually.
A category can be assigned a name and color. For example, you might create categories such as:
- Work
- Personal
- Important
- Clients
- Follow Up
- Projects
- Finance
Unlike folders, categories don’t necessarily move an email somewhere else. Instead, they add another layer of organization.
Think of categories as digital tags that help you recognize and group related Outlook items quickly.
Categories vs. Folders
Folders and categories serve different purposes.
Folders are useful when you want to physically organize messages into different locations. Categories are useful when you want to label an item without changing its storage location.
For example, an email from a client could remain in your Inbox while receiving both the Client and Follow Up categories.
This makes categories especially useful for people who manage a large number of emails.
How to Create a Category in New Outlook
Creating a category is one of the easiest ways to start organising your mailbox.
Follow these general steps:
- Open New Outlook.
- Find an email you want to categorize.
- Open the category menu from the Outlook toolbar or message options.
- Select the option to manage or create categories.
- Choose New category.
- Enter a name for the category.
- Select a color if available.
- Save the category.
Your new category can then be applied to messages and other supported Outlook items.
Choose Simple Category Names
Try to keep category names short and meaningful.
Instead of creating categories such as:
- “Emails That Need a Response Soon”
Use:
- Reply
- Follow Up
- Urgent
Simple names make your category system easier to understand and maintain.
How to Apply Categories to Emails
Once you have created categories, you can apply them to messages.
To categorize an email:
- Select the email in your inbox.
- Open the Categories option.
- Choose the category you want to apply.
- The category will be associated with the selected message.
Depending on your Outlook layout, you may also be able to access categories through the message’s context menu.
Apply More Than One Category
One of the biggest advantages of categories is that an email can have multiple categories.
For example, imagine you receive an email about an upcoming project from an important client.
You could assign:
- Client
- Project A
- Follow Up
This gives you multiple ways to identify and organize the same message.
Use multiple categories when an email genuinely belongs to more than one group.
Avoid adding too many categories to every message, because excessive labeling can make your system harder to manage.
How to Change the Category Color
Color is one of the most useful features of Outlook categories. Different colours can help you recognise the purpose of a message without reading it.
For example:
- Red — Urgent
- Blue — Work
- Green — Personal
- Yellow — Follow Up
- Purple — Projects
To change a category’s color:
- Open the category management options.
- Find the category you want to modify.
- Choose the color option.
- Select the color you prefer.
- Save the change.
The exact options can vary depending on your version and Outlook interface.
Create a Consistent Color System
The most effective approach is to give colors a consistent meaning. For example, you could make red represent urgent matters across your mailbox. If you constantly change what colors mean, the visual system becomes less useful.
How to Rename a Category in New Outlook
You may eventually discover that a category name no longer fits your organization system.
For example, you might start with a category called Customers and later decide that Clients makes more sense.
To rename a category:
- Open the category management area.
- Locate the category.
- Choose the rename option.
- Enter the new name.
- Save the change.
Renaming a category is useful when you’re cleaning up an old Outlook organization system.
How to Remove a Category From an Email
If an email no longer belongs to a category, you can remove that category without deleting the email.
To remove a category:
- Select the email.
- Open the category menu.
- Find the category currently assigned to the message.
- Clear or remove the category.
The email will remain in Outlook; only the category assignment changes.
This is useful when a task has been completed or a project has ended.
How to Delete a Category
If you have created too many categories, you can clean up your category list.
Before deleting a category, make sure you no longer need it.
A good cleanup process is:
- Review your existing categories.
- Identify categories you no longer use.
- Combine similar categories where appropriate.
- Remove unnecessary categories.
- Keep the remaining list simple.
For example, you might have separate categories for Client Work, Customer Work, and Client Projects that essentially mean the same thing.
Combining them into one clear category can make your system much easier to manage.
How to Use Categories for Email Management
Categories become much more powerful when you create a consistent workflow.
Instead of randomly assigning colors, decide what each category means.
A simple system might look like this:
- Work: Use this category for general work-related messages.
- Follow Up: Use it for emails that require action later.
- Important: Use it for messages that contain information you need to access regularly.
- Personal: Use it for non-work correspondence.
- Projects: Create project-specific categories when you’re managing larger assignments.
This system gives you a quick visual overview of your inbox.
Use Categories With Search
One of the best ways to get more value from Outlook categories is to combine them with search.
Instead of manually scrolling through hundreds of emails, you can search for messages and narrow down what you’re looking for using available Outlook filters.
For example, if you regularly categorize emails as Follow Up, you can use Outlook’s search and filtering tools to locate those messages more quickly.
Categories work best when combined with Outlook’s search and filtering features.
Categories for Outlook Calendar
Categories aren’t limited to email. They can also help organize calendar items.
For example, you might use different categories for:
- Meetings
- Personal appointments
- Client calls
- Team events
- Project deadlines
- Travel
A color-coded calendar can make it easier to understand how you’re spending your time.
For example, if most of your calendar is filled with meeting-related categories, you can immediately see how much of your day is being consumed by meetings.
Categories for Tasks and Other Outlook Items
Depending on the Outlook features available in your account and version, categories can also be useful for other supported items.
You can use a category system to separate:
- Work tasks
- Personal tasks
- Projects
- Follow-ups
- Deadlines
The goal isn’t to create a complicated system.
The goal is to make important information easier to recognize and retrieve.
Categories vs. Rules in New Outlook
Categories and rules can work together, but they have different purposes.
- Categories help you label and visually organize messages.
- Rules can automate actions when messages meet specific conditions.
For example, you might create a rule that identifies emails from a particular sender and automatically applies a category.
This can save time if you receive many messages that follow predictable patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use categories in New Outlook?
Select an email, open the Categories option, and choose an existing category. You can also create and manage categories through Outlook’s category settings.
Can I create my own categories in New Outlook?
Yes. New Outlook allows you to create custom categories so you can organize emails and supported Outlook items according to your own workflow.
Can one email have multiple categories?
Yes. An email can have multiple categories, allowing you to organize the same message by project, priority, client, or action.
Can I change category colors in New Outlook?
Yes. Categories can use different colors, depending on the Outlook features available in your account and version. A consistent color system can make your inbox easier to scan.
Are Outlook categories the same as folders?
No. Folders organise where messages are stored, while categories act as labels that can provide an additional layer of organisation.
Start with a small number of categories, give each one a clear purpose, and use colors consistently. As your workflow develops, you can add categories, combine them with folders and rules, and use Outlook’s search tools to find information faster.
