Color Coding Outlook Messages for Greater Organization

When sorting through a crowded Outlook Inbox, it is sometimes hard to tease out important emails that need action or response.  Color coding emails based on the sender's name or certain words can make this a little bit easier for users.  This technique can be used for Outlook versions 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2013.

Conditional Formatting
Color coding your incoming messages can be done using the Conditional Formatting dialog menu.  That menu is accessed through the Inbox by:

• View -->  View Settings  -->  Conditional Formatting

Once in the dialog frame, press the "Add" button and give the rule a name.  Now you're in the filter dialog frame and you can start building your conditional formatting rule.

For this blog, we'll use the example that you want to color code any messages that come to you from your immediate supervisor.  So click on the "From" button and search for the appropriate email address for that scenario.  Click "OK" and you will be taken back to the Conditional Formatting dialog box where you can choose the color you want applied.

Highlight your new rule, and click on the "Font" button, then choose your color (or even font) that will be applied to all emails that come from that address.  Now this rule will be applied immediately to all messages which correspond to your settings.  This technique can be used to separate out messages with specific phrases, of a particular size, or with a special category applied.

Things to Remember
While this is an extremely easy and helpful hack for Outlook organization, there are a few things to remember when setting up your conditional formatting rules.

- Conditional Formatting rules can be sorted by using the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons.  The higher listed rules take precedence over the lower ones.

- When using a name to apply the rules, it must exactly match the name as displayed in the "From" field of the message.  Double check who's messages you are trying to highlight.

- If the rule doesn't do exactly what you're looking for, delete it and try again.  Make note of what your current rule is doing so that you don't duplicate what's not working.  These things are not permanent and don't be scared to try things out.

- Be careful with the application of colors to your Inbox.  If you use it too liberally, you will lose the organizing effect.  You will have a nice rainbow effect though.

- Only "touch" your emails once.  Either delete it, take action on it, or file it.  That way you are not reading the same emails multiple times and clogging up your Inbox.