Programs · 54 shortcuts

Outlook keyboard shortcuts

These shortcuts are for the classic Outlook program on Windows, the one that comes with Microsoft 365 and Office. The new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web share many of them, and under their settings you can choose which program's shortcut style to follow.

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The ten to learn first

Ctrl + N starts a new message when you are in Mail.
Ctrl + R replies, and Ctrl + Shift + R replies to all.
Ctrl + F forwards a message. In Outlook it does not mean find.
Ctrl + Enter sends the message you are writing.
Ctrl + E or F3 jumps to the search box.
Ctrl + 1 shows Mail and Ctrl + 2 shows the Calendar.
Delete removes the selected message.
Ctrl + Shift + V moves a message to a folder.
Insert flags a message for follow-up.
Ctrl + Q marks as read and Ctrl + U as unread.

Keys	What it does
`Ctrl` + `1`	Go to Mail
`Ctrl` + `2`	Go to Calendar
`Ctrl` + `3`	Go to People (contacts)
`Ctrl` + `4`	Go to Tasks
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `I`	Go to the Inbox
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `O`	Go to the Outbox
`Ctrl` + `Y`	Go to another folder
`Ctrl` + `E` or `F3`	Go to the search box
`F6`	Move between the folder list, the message list and the reading pane

Keys	What it does
`Ctrl` + `N`	New item of the kind you are looking at: a message in Mail, an appointment in Calendar
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `M`	New message, from anywhere in Outlook
`Ctrl` + `Enter` or `Alt` + `S`	Send
`Ctrl` + `S`	Save as a draft
`Ctrl` + `K`	Check the names in the To line against the address book
`F7`	Check spelling
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `G`	Flag the message for follow-up, with options
`Esc`	Close the message window

Keys	What it does
`Enter`	Open the selected message
`Ctrl` + `R`	Reply
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `R`	Reply to all
`Ctrl` + `F`	Forward
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `F`	Forward as an attachment
`Space`	Scroll down through the message in the reading pane
`Shift` + `Space`	Scroll up
`Ctrl` + `.`	Go to the next message, with a message open
`Ctrl` + `,`	Go to the previous message, with a message open
`Ctrl` + `Q`	Mark as read
`Ctrl` + `U`	Mark as unread
`Insert`	Flag for follow-up, or clear the flag
`F9`	Send and receive now, for all accounts

Keys	What it does
`Delete`	Delete the selected message
`Shift` + `Delete`	Delete permanently
`Backspace`	Archive the selected message
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	Move the message to a folder
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Y`	Copy the message to a folder
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `E`	Create a new folder
`Ctrl` + `E`	Search
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `F`	Open Advanced Find
`Ctrl` + `A`	Select all messages in the list
`Shift` + `click`	Select a run of messages
`Ctrl` + `click`	Select several separate messages

Keys	What it does
`Ctrl` + `N`	New appointment, in Calendar
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `A`	New appointment, from anywhere
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Q`	New meeting request
`Ctrl` + `G`	Go to a date
`Alt` + `1 to 9`	Show that number of days
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `1`	Day view
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `2`	Work week view
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `3`	Week view
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `4`	Month view
`Ctrl` + `Right arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Left arrow`	Go to the next or previous day
`Alt` + `Down arrow` or `Alt` + `Up arrow`	Go to the next or previous week
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `C`	New contact, from anywhere
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `K`	New task, from anywhere

Ctrl + F forwards

In nearly every other program, Ctrl + F means find. In classic Outlook it forwards the selected message. People send a half-finished forward by accident for exactly this reason. To search, use Ctrl + E or F3. To find text inside an open message, press F4.

Work through an inbox from the keyboard

With the message list selected, the arrow keys move from message to message and the reading pane shows each one. A simple routine:

Space to read down the message;
Ctrl + R to reply, or Delete to remove, or Backspace to archive;
Ctrl + Shift + V and the first letters of a folder name to file it;
the down arrow for the next.

With a little practice, an inbox clears much faster this way than with the mouse.

"New from anywhere"

The shortcuts with Ctrl + Shift and a letter create an item of a given kind whatever part of Outlook you are in: M for a message, A for an appointment, Q for a meeting, C for a contact, K for a task. You do not have to switch to the Calendar to note an appointment that someone mentions in an email.

Sending by accident

Ctrl + Enter sends at once. The first time you press it, Outlook asks whether you want to use that shortcut for sending. If you find that you send messages too early, it can be switched off under File, Options, Mail, in the Send messages section.

The new Outlook and Outlook on the web

The newer Outlook for Windows and the web version let you pick a shortcut style under Settings, General, Accessibility. One of the choices follows classic Outlook, and another follows Gmail. Pressing the question mark key in those versions shows the list for the style in use.

This is an independent reference site. It is not connected with Microsoft, Apple, Google or any other maker of the programs named here. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to say where a shortcut works. Programs change; if a shortcut does not work for you, check the program's own help.