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Automate Common Tasks in Microsoft Outlook 2010 – Learn to Use Quick Steps and Save Time

quick steps in outlook 2010

There are many repetitive and common tasks in Microsoft Outlook which can be easily automated and save a lot of our time. For example, if you always send emails to your manager or a particular deptartment, instead of typing their email addresses each time you send them email, you can use Quick Steps to automate it. Or if you would like to move certain emails to a specific folder, you can automate this process and perform this action in a single click.

What is Quick Steps in Outlook 2010

Quick Steps is a new feature in Microsoft Outlook 2010 that allows you to configure and apply multiple actions to one or more emails in a single click. In addition to the default Quick Steps in Outlook 2010, you can create and modify new Quick Steps according to your needs. Quick Steps can be configured to perform actions such as move emails, forward emails, reply emails, copy, delete, flagging, categories, to create appointments and more…

How to Create a New Quick Step

You can create new Quick Steps in Outlook by following the method described below:

Step 1:

Open MS Outlook 2010 | Click on Home tab | Quick Steps Group

quick steps in outlook 2010

Step 2:

Click on Create New | In the Edit Quick Step dialogue box, name your new Quick Step

Step 3:

Add Actions. For this demonstration sake, you will see how to create a Quick Step to move emails from PA to “Administrator Mails” folder, mark the email as Read and then reply to the email to a specified addressee.

Step 3.1:

Click on Choose Action drop down menu| select “Move to folder” | select folder “Administrator Mails” from the listed folders.

Step 3.2:

Click on Add Action | select “Mark as read” action from the drop down menu.

Step 3.3:

Click on Add Action | select “Reply” action from the drop down menu | click on Show options | enter the email address(es) in the To field. You can also enter subject and / or content of the email.

quick steps in outlook 2010

Step 4:

You have an option to configure a shortcut key. You also have an option to enter a Tooltip message. This message will be shown whenever you mouse over this Quick Step after it’s created | Click Finish.

quick steps in outlook 2010

How to Use Quick Steps

Once you are done with creating a Quick Step, you can use it by following the method described below everytime you need it:

Step 1:

Open MS Outlook 2010 | Click on Home tab | Quick Steps Group

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Step 2:

Select the email(s) from PA | Click on the Quick Step you just created is “Move emails from PA”. This action will move the selected email(s) to “Administrator Mails” folder, mark it as Read, and reply to it to the addressee – all in just one click!

quick steps in outlook 2010

You can modify a Quick Step you already created by right clicking on the Quick Step you want to modify | Edit

You can also arrange Quick Steps according to your needs by using Manage Quick Steps dialogue box.

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