Clever Clogs tip # 759
1 October 2025


Quickly access your most-used folders with Favourites (Microsoft Outlook) *

Since 2003, I've been sharing monthly tips to help you get more out of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. (They used to be weekly, but let's be honest, life's too short. ;) So here it is... the October 2025 tip.

During a recent Outlook training session with the wonderful Fran and Kristy, I was reminded of Outlook Favourites. I first wrote about it back in 2007, yet I still meet plenty of people who don't know it exists. So, it's time to dust it off for anyone who's forgotten, or never knew it was there in the first place. (Big thanks to Fran and Kristy for the inspiration!)

If you frequently jump between folders in Outlook, Favourites can be a real time-saver. Add the inboxes you manage or any folder you use often for quick, one-click access. It's especially handy if you juggle multiple email accounts or have a complex folder structure.

Right-click the folder you want to add (Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts or any subfolder) and select Add to Favourites.

The folder will now appear at the top of your Folder Pane for easy access. No more scrolling through long lists. You can simply drag and drop folders to reorder them, keeping your most-used ones right where you need them.

Cannot see Favourites? It might simply be collapsed... look at the top of the Folder Pane. If you see Favourites with a small arrow next to it, click the arrow to expand it.

If it's not there go to View > Layout > Folder Pane and make sure it's checked.

A quick note: you cannot rename folders in Favourites. They're just shortcuts, so to rename a folder, you'll need to do it in the main mailbox.

Finally, if you no longer need quick access to your folder, simply right-click it and select Remove from Favourites. That way, your Favourites stay neat and tidy and don't end up as cluttered as your regular folders.

Related tips
How to sort your folder list the way you want it: tip_276.php

Last month's posts on LinkedIn (newest first)

  1. Age is just a number. Curiosity is timeless.
  2. "Oohs, Aahs & How Did You Do That?" webinar for assistant staff
  3. Celebrating the original emojis :)
  4. Still going strong

Check out CleverClogsTipTime on LinkedIn for my legacy of little-known gems. You don't know what you don't know!

K.

Sharing for free since 2003
Copyright © 2025 Roem Ltd


* Unless stated otherwise this tip is written for Microsoft 365 desktop apps and Windows 11 users, but might also be useful in Office 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.