How to Organize Mail Folders in Outlook 2007
By James Highland
Email is an important form of communication used in homes and offices around the world. It allows friends and family a convenient way to stay in touch, while making it easier for colleagues to collaborate on work projects. In addition to messages, photos and other files may be sent over email as well. For many users, this generates a large collection of email on a daily basis. Staying organized is key to successfully managing your email. Using mail folders is the first step to productivity. Outlook 2007 is a popular email program that offers folder organization for users to better manage their email.
Step 1
Open Outlook 2007.
Step 2
Locate the "Navigation" pane on the left side of the Outlook program window.
Step 3
Click the "Mail" option to expand the folder list, if it is not already visible.
Step 4
Right-click any folder in the list. If no folders currently exist, right-click the "Inbox" folder. A context menu will pop up.
Step 5
Choose the "New Folder" option from the context menu.
Step 6
Type the name of the new folder you wish to create. Also select the location for the folder. Outlook allows an extensive folder hierarchy. A folder may exist as a top-level folder, such as the "Inbox", or as a sub-folder under a parent folder.
Step 7
Drag email messages that should be categorized by that folder name on top of the folder icon and release the mouse button. They will be moved into that folder.
Step 8
Organize the mail folders by dragging the mail folder icon into another folder to make it a sub-folder. Continue to create and move folders in this manner until you arrive at a folder setup that suits the type of emails you receive and the level of organization you require.
Tips
- Emails that require quick and frequent access should be placed in special folders or sub-folders for that purpose. Folders can become quite large, and scrolling through a large collection of email may not be suitable for some email tasks. Organize your mail folders enough to offer an efficient method for finding desired emails, but do not over-organize. Having too many folders can be as disorganized as having too few.
Writer Bio
James Highland started writing professionally in 1998. He has written for the New York Institute of Finance and Chron.com. He has an extensive background in financial investing and has taught computer programming courses for two New York companies. He has a Bachelor of Arts in film production from Indiana University.