How to Add Categories in Outlook to Organize and Filter Emails

Email overload is real. Between newsletters, project updates, and daily communication, it's easy for important messages to get buried in the chaos of your inbox. That’s where Outlook Labels come in—a powerful, easy-to-use tool that helps you stay organized and in control of your email. If you’ve ever wished for a simpler way to categorize, find, and prioritize messages in Outlook, labels might be the solution you’ve been looking for.

What Are Outlook Labels?

Outlook Labels are part of the broader Categories feature in Outlook on the web. They let you assign color-coded tags to your emails, calendar events, and contacts—so you can visually group and organize items by topic, project, priority, or anything else that fits your workflow.

Think of them like digital sticky notes: you can apply them to highlight what matters and quickly locate what you need later.

Why Use Labels?

Labels are a simple but powerful tool, especially if your inbox is constantly flooded. Here are a few ways labels can help streamline your workflow:

• Stay focused by tagging emails by urgency (e.g., "Follow-Up," "Waiting," "High Priority").
• Group-related messages—like all emails from a particular client or for a specific project.
• Visual organization—easily spot what’s important based on color.
• Make searching easier—filter your inbox by label for faster access.

Best of all, labels are customizable. You can create as many as you want and assign colors that make sense to you.

How to Create and Apply Labels in Outlook on the Web

Using labels is easy. Here’s a quick walkthrough to get started:

Create a Label (Category)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Select the email you would like to label.
3. Click the label icon in the toolbar.
   
4. Click + New category, name your label (e.g., "Marketing Projects"), and choose a color.
   
5. Click Save.

Apply a Label to an Email

1. Open your inbox and select the email(s) you want to label.
2. Click the Categories icon (tag symbol) in the toolbar at the top.
3. Choose your label from the list.

You can also right-click on an email and go to Categorize to apply or remove labels directly.

How to Filter Outlook Emails by Label

Want to see all emails with a specific label?

1. Go to your inbox and click the Filter dropdown.
2. Select Categories, then choose the label you want to view.

Voilà! You now have a filtered view of only those emails.

Pro Tips 

• Multiple labels, no problem: You can assign more than one label to an email, making it easier to cross-reference topics.
• Use labels with folders: Labels don’t replace folders—they work alongside them. For example, you can store emails in a “Clients” folder but use labels to track which project they’re related to.
• Change label colors anytime: Need a new color-coding system? You can edit or delete categories in your Settings at any time. 

A Better Way to Stay Organized

At Synergy Technical, we’re always looking for practical ways to help users get more out of Microsoft 365—and Outlook Labels are one of those underrated gems that can make a big difference in your day-to-day productivity.

If your inbox is starting to feel like a black hole, give labels a try. They're easy to set up, flexible, and make managing your emails a lot less stressful.

Don’t forget to check out our other blog on how to snooze an email in Outlook!

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