Microsoft Outlook: manage email, calendar and time

Last reviewed: November 2026

Set up your account

1. Open Outlook and choose Add account.
2. Enter your email address and follow the sign-in prompts.
3. For work or school accounts, your organisation may require extra approval or security steps.
4. Check that your mail, calendar and contacts are syncing.

Organise your inbox

• Focused Inbox: separates important messages from the rest. Turn it on or off from the View tab.
• Categories: colour-code messages by project or priority.
• Rules: automatically move, flag or categorise incoming messages. Open Rules from the Home tab.
• Flags: mark messages for follow-up with a due date.

Use the calendar

Create an event by clicking a time slot in Calendar view or pressing Ctrl+N. Add attendees to send invitations, and use the Scheduling Assistant to find a time that suits everyone.

Signatures and templates

Go to File, then Options, then Mail, then Signatures to create a signature with your name, role and contact details. Save messages you send often as templates so you do not retype them.

Common problems

Messages are not sending or receiving

Check your internet connection, the connection status at the bottom of the window, and whether Outlook is in Offline mode on the Send/Receive tab. Restart Outlook after changing settings.

Messages land in the wrong folder

Check your Rules and Junk Email settings. Move the message to the correct folder and mark it as Not Junk so future messages are handled correctly.

The calendar is not updating

Press F9 to send and receive. If the problem continues, check your account status or ask your IT administrator.

Frequently asked questions