Although a few clicks of the mouse can be a quick way to create a new Outlook appointment, Outlook keyboard shortcuts always are faster and easier options.
In this blog post, we will be exploring the keyboard shortcut for scheduling an appointment in Outlook.
So, let’s get started!
Keyboard Shortcut to Open Appointment Window in Outlook
Here are a couple of Keyboard Shortcut to create a new appointment in Outlook
Control + Shift + A – For Creating a new appointment from anywhere in Outlook. Control + N – For Creating new appointments from the Calendar segment itself.

The standard Keyboard consists of a pair of Control (Ctrl) and Shift keys. Use any pair of Control (Ctrl) and Shift Key along with “A” to Schedule an Appointment in Outlook.
Steps to Use the Keyboard Shortcut to Open an Appointment in Outlook
There are a couple of Keyboard shortcuts to create an appointment in Outlook. Follow the below steps for both Shortcuts.
For Creating a new appointment from anywhere in Outlook
- Open Microsoft Outlook Application.
- Press and hold the Control (Ctrl) as well as the Shift key.
- Without releasing the control (CTRL) and Shift Keys, press the A key.
- That will open the window to create a new appointment from anywhere in Outlook.
For Creating new appointments from the Calendar segment, itself.
- Open Microsoft Outlook Application.
- In this scenario, you need to present on the calendar window.
- Hold Control + 2 Key, you will be forwarded to the Calendar window.
- Press Control (CTRL) Key from your keyboard.
- Click N
- That Will open the window to create a new appointment from the calendar itself.
Another Quick Shortcut to Open an Appointment Window in Outlook
Here is another method you can refer to Schedule an Appointment in Outlook:
- Hold Control (CTRL) then Press H & N – If you are present in Calendar Window.
- In case you are available on other locations like Email, Contact, or Task in the Outlook application then Press Control + 4, which will take you to the Calendar window, Hold Control (CTRL) then Press H & N.
Additional Information about Opening an Appointment Window in Outlook
- You can also use the bonus keyboard shortcut Alt + H + I + A if You are on Calendar Window.
- While creating the appointment, if you select the check box “All Day” the appointment is converted to Event.

Steps to Schedule an Appointment in Outlook using [Keyboard Shortcut]
In all the above methods you have learned to open the appointment window in the Outlook application.
You are in the commencement stage of Schedule an Appointment in Outlook: and your cursor is blinking on Title.

Before moving forward, we have to understand some basics.
Currently, we only have the keyboard to operate and execute the appointment.
- Currently, your Outlook screen consists of Robbin, where you will get numerous options to add and modify your schedule in appointments.
- The second is the input form, where you need to insert the information using the keyboard only.

Enter your Title first (as your cursor is already on the title menu).
Hit Tab and Enter the date manually on the start time section, you can also use magic words like (12 days from yesterday, or 10 Days after Christmas) that will understand your inputs and turn them into a date. There are numerous examples, Explore the Entire Article.
In case you like to select the date from the calendar, Press Tab and then Enter, which will open the calendar, select the date using the Keyboard Up down, Right, and Left Key.

Hit Tab You are moved to Start time, where you need to select the time, you can enter the time in 24-hour format manually to select change using the up and down arrow.
Once you are OK with the date and time, press the Tab or Enter key, which will take you to the End Time date selection section.
Follow the above instruction for the start time and time section.
Now your START DATE / TIME & END DATE / TIME are frozen.
Note: In case you need to modify some inputs, Press SHIFT + Tab to move the cursor backward.
After inserting End Time and Date, Press Tab, your cursor will move to the All-Day check box, hit the space bar to select the check box: which converts your Appointment to Event and the time inserted time is also removed by Outlook.
Microsoft Outlook treats Event as a whole day
Next Press Tab your cursor will move to the Time Zones section, press the space bar to select the checkbox, which will open new options (a drop-down list of global time zones) under both start time and end time.

Use the left arrow key and up down key to select the time zone. Press the Tab for the final time, which will take you to Make recurring.
Press Enter to Open the “Appointment Recurring” dialog Box.

The appointment Recurring dialog box consists of three sections.
- Appointment time
- Recurring pattern
- Range of recurrence
- Use the Up and Down arrows to select the time and duration along with the tab key to move forward and Shift-Tab to move backward.
- Recurring pattern: use Up down, Right Left, Tab to Move next, Shift-Tab to move backward, and finally use Spacebar to select an option.
- The final Stage is the Range of recurrence, Select the start date and End date from the calendar using the tab and enter the key, and select the date using the up and down arrow keys.
Move the cursor using the tab to the OK button and hit Enter.
You can type and message in the body section. In case you need to add a few additional inputs from the ribbon, Press the Alt key and all direction arrow keys to move the cursor within the options.

Finally, Press Alt, and your cursor will jump to Save and Close button, which is the final gateway to activate and close the window.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, scheduling an appointment in Outlook is a quick and easy process.
With the use of keyboard shortcuts, you can easily create and edit appointments without having to use the mouse.
By becoming familiar with the available shortcuts, you can save time and increase your productivity when scheduling Outlook appointments.
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