Everybody, I mean everybody is fully occupied, and still, there are numerous tasks to complete.
Microsoft Outlook provides a convenient location to store all tasks and ideas, so you can combine various lists into one and then work efficiently.
In this article, you will learn step by step method ‘How to create a task in Outlook?’
Steps to Create Task in Outlook?
Most Outlook users are familiar with Microsoft Outlook as an Email platform, not only that, but Outlook functionality is also beyond something else.
You can create your task in Outlook, there are multiple purposes to create a task:
Step 1: Open Microsoft Outlook Application from your Desktop/Laptop.
Step 2: Select Task from the left-hand navigation section or use Keyboard Shortcut (Ctrl + 4) to jump directly to the task section.
Note: I am using Ctrl + 4 because my task icon is available at the 4th position, you can change the number according to your Outlook task position.
Step 3: Click New Task or use Keyboard Shortcut (Alt + H + N1) or use (Ctrl + Shift + K).
Step 4: The New Task editing window will pop up, there are multiple options available in the window which work according to your requirements.
- Type the Subject
- Enter the Start Date & Due Date
- You can set your status (Not Started, In Progress, Completed, waiting on someone else, Deferred).
- Next is to adjust your priority (Low, Normal, High)
- Also, adjust your percentage.
- Check the Reminder box in order to get a notice from the system.
A task is an item that you create and want to track until it’s completed. It is also designed to remind you of upcoming events/responsibilities.
Finally, Click Save and your task will be listed in your To-Do list.
You can also create a recurring task in Outlook in case you want a reminder for every fixed interval.
How to update a Task in the Outlook Application?
Once you’ve created a task, you will get it back from your to-do list, you can edit or update it to show your progress.
Open the Todo list from the left navigation section and use Keyboard Shortcut (Alt + 4).
That will open the task window, you will get the list of all tasks created. Double-click the task that you want to update.
That will walk you to the Task editing window, you can easily modify the task and make suitable changes.
How to Turn Emails into Tasks in Outlook?
Suppose you receive an email message regarding payment of your car insurance, Usually, they send reminder emails a few weeks before the due date, and you don’t want to miss the date.
Microsoft Outlook easily fits your Emails into Tasks which turns out to be more productive. After converting the email into a task, you can then set a reminder with the message details.
There are a few strategies for converting an email to a task. I will walk you through three different methods to convert an email to an Outlook task.
Flag to Follow-Up Email from the Inbox Folder
Outlook Todo list not only consists of tasks but also an email, which is marked as a follow-up, flagging your email message is a smart approach to convert an email to a task. You can flag an email message without opening the message.
There are two methods to flag email messages from the inbox folder, select the message, go to the home tab, and under the tag section click the Follow-up icon, which consists of multiple criteria, you can also add reminders to it.
The second method is to click the mouse right button, click on follow up, and again you have the freedom to select any of the flags which indicate a different time frame you are about to follow up.
This handy trick lets you turn an email into a task in Outlook, so you can be reminded to follow up on it later – no need to open the email message!
Flag to Follow Up from the Message Tab
You can also flag emails to turn them into tasks. Just select the email you want to convert to a task, click on it, and then open the message in its own window.
Once you’re reading it, go to the ‘Home’ tab of the Ribbon, click on the ‘Tags’ button group, and select ‘Follow Up.’
If you flag an email to follow up, the task will disappear from the to-do list on the Tasks peek if you delete the email.
That’s because flagging an email in Outlook doesn’t create a separate task; it just adds a notification to the to-do list based on the email.
Steps to Turn Emails into Tasks in Outlook using Drag and Drop
Apart from both above methods, Outlook allows users to convert emails directly to tasks using the drag and drop method, you can keep the email as a task to-do list even if you delete the original message. So, let’s dive deeper.
Click the Mouse Left button and drag
To create a task from an email, use your mouse, click the left button, and drag the email to the location of the Outlook navigation bar, some users using Outlook 2019 will get the task icon on the bottom left corner of the screen, and users using Outlook 365 are on the top left corner of the screen.
That way you can automatically create a task containing all the information in the email. Creating a task from a template is just like creating a task from scratch using any other method, except you don’t have to re-enter all the information.
All the original email content is automatically added to the new task. You only need to set a start date, due date, and reminder, or even assign the task to someone else.
Click Mouse Right button and drag
Similarly, you can drag and drop the email message to the task option, instead of automatically creating a task when you release the mouse button, you can create a task manually.
The outcome is slightly different, you will get three options:
- Copy Here as Tank with Text
- Copy Here as Task with Attachment
- Move Here as Task with Attachment
The first option is similar to the steps, when you drag and drop the email message with the left mouse button, all you have to do is insert the start, due date, and reminder.
Options two and three allow you to add the entire email message as an attachment to the task.
This approach is useful when you’re dealing with an email with a lot of detail. You can open the attachment to review the details when the due date arrives.
How to Create a Task in the Outlook for Someone Else?
Not only can you build tasks for yourself, as you have learned in the above methods, but also create tasks for someone else.
Assigning a Task to someone else initially started creating the task, after creating the task, you have to click the Assign Task button in the Manage Task group under the Task tab in the Ribbon.
This step opens a few options on your screen, which include From, To, and Subject, it’s like creating an email message.
You need to enter the email address of your recipient, and keep both options checked to keep yourself updated:
- Keep an updated copy of this task on my task list.
- Send me a status report when this task is completed.
once everything is ready click send button and your recipient gets the task you created as an email and the same is also added to his (your recipient’s) to-do list.
Secondly, you can also directly assign a task to someone else from the to-do list by clicking the mouse right button, which opens multiple options in the dropdown list.
Select an assigned task, you will be forwarded to the same inputs mentioned above.
How to Reassign Tasks that other people assigned to you?
If you receive an email addressed to you and have a task assigned to you, you can similarly assign the same email to another person by clicking on the assigned button from the manage task option above.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, creating a task in Outlook will help users to stay organized. Users can create a task by right-clicking the task list and selecting the “Create Task” option.
If you want to access the task list, right-click on the task list and select the “Show Task List” option. When creating a task, users should fill out at least one task field.
Users can enter detailed information in the task field, as well as provide a reminder in the “Reminder” field.
Users can provide an optional due date for the task in the “Start Date” field. Users can choose an icon for the task in the “Task Icon” field.
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