Microsoft Outlook is an incredible platform and has the ability to send an email message to multiple people whether in contact or not.
For those of us who use Outlook frequently, one particularly helpful feature is the ability to add attachments quickly and easily to emails.
Adding an attachment in Outlook is simple, but did you know that there’s also a keyboard shortcut that makes the process even more efficient?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how to add attachments in Outlook using a keyboard shortcut.
Keyboard Shortcut to add an attachment in Outlook Application
Use the below Keyboard Shortcut to add an attachment to the Outlook email message.
Alt + N, A, F

This Keyboard Shortcut will work while you create a new email message, reply, or forward.
Steps to Use Keyboard Shortcut to add an attachment in Outlook message.
Let’s dive in and understand step by step method of how to add attachments in Outlook messages using the above keyboard shortcut:
- Open Outlook Application
- Press Control + N for composing a New Email, Press Control + R if you are Reply to the person, or Press Control + F, in case you like to forward the email message.
- Press Alt + N
- Hit A and then F
- The “Insert File” Dialog Box appears

- Use Tab Key to move downwards and Shift + Tab to move upwards. [Alternatively, Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move the selection.
- Press the Space bar to attach the file from the recent items.
Recent Items are those files that are operated in Outlook recently.
Attach the File using Browse Web Location.
If your attachment is not in the recent files, you can use Browse Web Location to upload the file from there.
Press Tab until you reach Browse Web Location or Press W to open Browse Web Location.

You can select the file or document from the OneDrive folder.
Attach the File using Browse This PC…
The second is Browse this PC, this is a very important segment, you can dig deeper into and select your required file from any part of your computer.
Press Tab until you reach Browse This PC or Press B to open the Insert File dialog box.
Alternate Shortcut Key to add an Attachment in Outlook Message
You can use another keyboard shortcut to add an Attachment in Outlook Message:
Alt + H, A, F

“Insert File” Dialog Box appears, which consists of all the options; like recent items, attach an item, Browse Web Locations, and Browse this PC.

Insert attachment for all the above methods are similar to those explained above.
Attach Item is an additional option available here which was not in the previous method.
Attach the File using Attach Item Option
Press I, Attach Item consists of two options:
- Business Card
- Outlook Item
Business Card allows you to insert the business as attachments directly from this option.
Outlook Items consist of all the folder items, (for instance Email Messages, Calendars, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes).
For instance: Select the email message using the tab and Up-Down arrow keys and hit Enter. That email message will convert as an attachment and add as an attachment in Outlook message.

Adding an Attachment Alternative Method
An alternative and perhaps simpler way to add an attachment are to copy and paste the file into the body of the email.
- Find the file using Windows Explorer.
- Press Control + C to copy the file.
- Go to the main part of your email message (the message body) and press Control + V to paste.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, adding attachments to Outlook emails can be tedious and time-consuming, but using the keyboard shortcut can help you save time.
The keyboard shortcut is a simple and easy way to add attachments to your emails quickly and efficiently.
By mastering this shortcut, you can make your Outlook workflows more efficient and save yourself time in the future.
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