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Sticky notes are handy for paper, so why not emails? This is by far the best little-known tip in Outlook.

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2016, 2019/365.

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Inbox Sticky-Notes.docx
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Quick reference

Inbox Sticky Notes

Allows you to write short notes beside the email within the Inbox view.

When to use

You will use this to keep track of email topics even when multiple Subject lines match.

Instructions

  1. Click the  ribbon and locate the Add Columns button

 

  1. Click “New Column”
     
  2. Type a name for your column and click OK:

     
  3. The new column will now be visible on your Inbox headings:

     
  4. Now change settings to allow you to type into the Inbox grid:
    1. View ribbon 
    2. View Settings 
    3. Other Settings 
    4. Put a checkmark in the box “Allow In Cell Editing”
      Click OK to finish the set up.
       
  5. Go to your Inbox and begin typing short topics into the “My Notes” section

After the New Column is created, you may want to add it to other folders.

  1. Select the Folder to apply this column to
  2. Click the  ribbon and locate the Add Columns button
     
  3. Instead of creating a New Column, instead find “Select Available Columns from:” and choose User-defined fields

     
  4. The pre-made column should appear; click ADD

     
  5. You must still apply “Allow In Cell Editing”, step #5 above.
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  • 00:00 There's a feature inside Outlook that allows you to add new columns and
  • 00:06 then allows you to type within the cells of the inbox to type your own
  • 00:12 little notes, so you could basically put sticky notes on your inbox.
  • 00:18 Here's how to do that.
  • 00:20 I'm on the view ribbon and right over here there's an option that says Add Columns.
  • 00:24 When you click add columns, and we're talking about the from column,
  • 00:27 subject column, received column.
  • 00:29 So I click add columns and here are all the existing available columns on
  • 00:33 the left, and the ones that are actually being used on the inbox are on the right.
  • 00:37 Well I wanna add one that says my notes.
  • 00:39 Well it's not in this list so I'm gonna go ahead and create it.
  • 00:43 And you can call your column whenever you'd like,
  • 00:44 but I'm gonna call mine my notes so I'll hit okay to that and it lands over here.
  • 00:50 I'll move it up to realign it and hit okay.
  • 00:52 Now it showed up here, but I want you to know that these
  • 00:55 soft gray lines between these headers are are moveable and resizable.
  • 01:00 In fact all of these headings are moveable.
  • 01:02 Notice if you accidentally pull it down here that black X will delete that header.
  • 01:07 If you accidentally delete a header, just go back to the add columns,
  • 01:11 find it on the left and add it to the right again and you'll be just fine.
  • 01:15 Well even though I added the my notes to my inbox, I can't type in it yet.
  • 01:18 I've gotta do one more step.
  • 01:20 And still I"m on my view ribbon, right over here we have view settings.
  • 01:26 When you click that, there's an option in here called other settings, and
  • 01:30 in here is one tiny, little box called allow in cell editing.
  • 01:34 Just put a check mark right on here,
  • 01:36 and now you will be able to type within the cells of your inbox.
  • 01:40 I'll go ahead and click OK.
  • 01:41 And OK again.
  • 01:43 And now the grid shape kind of outlined inside my inbox and
  • 01:47 I can actually click in here and I can type, let's see airline reservation.
  • 01:53 And maybe this one is about my car rental.
  • 01:58 And so instead of going through all your emails and trying to find the one about
  • 02:01 your airline reservation You simply make a note right on here.
  • 02:05 Now I've made this change on my inbox.
  • 02:08 But maybe I like this and I want to apply to my class folder.
  • 02:12 Well when I click on my class file folder notice
  • 02:14 it did not bring in the format with it.
  • 02:17 I've got to add this column to my class folder file.
  • 02:21 Well, the my notes isn't here but it might be on my user-defined list.
  • 02:27 Now when I click this, here it is.
  • 02:28 The one I just made is on my user-defined.
  • 02:31 I simply have to add it move it hit okay and now I have my notes.
  • 02:37 Just rearrange it to where you want it to be.
  • 02:39 Resize it, but remember that one last step you've got to go to view settings,
  • 02:45 other settings, check the allow editing, hit okay, and
  • 02:50 now you'll be able to type within this folder, inbox as well.
  • 02:55 I hope that helps you.
  • 02:56 It's possibly one of the best organization tips I can give you.

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