Course description

Is your inbox running your day? This course shows you how to set up Microsoft Outlook so it works for you: a clear inbox, emails people actually answer, rules that sort the routine mail for you, a calendar that protects time for real work, and a simple task list so nothing slips through. It's written for the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, with notes wherever classic Outlook works differently.

It's a full course, not a quick tour. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons with numbered steps you follow in your own Outlook. You follow a fictional housing services coordinator in Barnsley as she goes from 1,846 emails in her inbox to a handful, with the mistakes she made along the way and how she fixed them. Every section has a worksheet, model answers, a cheat sheet and practical tools.

What you'll learn

• Getting set up: which Outlook you have, finding your way round and setting up a view that helps you focus.
• Better emails: Reply or Reply all, clear subject lines, attachments and links, signatures, Schedule send and Undo send.
• Processing your inbox: a simple routine for every email, Flag, Pin, Snooze, Archive and folders, and clearing a big backlog safely.
• Automation: categories, rules with exceptions and Quick steps that save clicks every day.
• Finding anything: search filters and keywords that find the email or attachment you need in seconds.
• Your calendar: recurring meetings, invitations, the Scheduling Assistant, working hours and focus time.
• Working as a team: sharing calendars, delegate access, shared mailboxes and automatic replies.
• Tasks and safety: flagged emails as tasks, My Day, a weekly review, spotting phishing and fixing common problems.

The final project

You'll audit your own Outlook, design a system of folders, categories, rules and calendar habits that fits your job, run it for a week and measure the change. An audit checklist, planning templates and a one-page team guide you can adapt are included.

Who this course is for

• Office workers, administrators and coordinators who spend much of the day in email.
• Team leaders and managers who want fewer, better meetings and a calendar they control.
• Anyone whose organisation has just moved to the new Outlook and wants to use it properly.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then do the steps in your own Outlook. You'll need a work or personal Microsoft account with Outlook. Microsoft changes Outlook's screens often, so each lesson explains what a feature does as well as where to find it. You keep lifetime access, so you can come back whenever you need a reminder.

What will I learn?

• Set up Outlook's view, reading pane and Focused Inbox so you can see what matters
• Write clear emails and use Reply all, Schedule send and Undo send with confidence
• Process your inbox with a simple routine using Flag, Pin, Snooze, Archive and folders
• Automate routine mail with categories, rules, exceptions and Quick steps
• Find any email or attachment fast with search filters and keywords
• Run your calendar well: recurring meetings, the Scheduling Assistant, working hours and focus time
• Share calendars, act as a delegate, work in shared mailboxes and set automatic replies
• Turn emails into tasks, spot phishing and fix common Outlook problems

Frequently asked questions