Microsoft Outlook keyboard shortcuts

Microsoft Outlook is the standard for corporate email and calendaring, and heavy users live in it all day. Its keyboard shortcuts cover creating any item type from anywhere, triaging mail, and jumping between Mail, Calendar, and People, which adds up to serious time savings across hundreds of daily emails. Shortcuts below reflect classic desktop Outlook; the new Outlook and web version can also emulate Gmail-style keys from its settings. This cheat sheet covers 58 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

Create New Items

New email (from Mail view)	`Ctrl`+`NCmd`+`N`
New email (from any view)	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`M`no default
New appointment	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`A`no default
New meeting request	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Q`no default
New contact	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`C`no default
New task	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`K`no default
New note	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`no default
New folder	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`ECmd`+`Shift`+`N`

Reading & Triaging Mail

Reply	`Ctrl`+`RCmd`+`R`
Reply all	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`RCmd`+`Shift`+`R`
Forward	`Ctrl`+`FCmd`+`J`
Reply with meeting invite	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`R`no default
Mark as read	`Ctrl`+`QCmd`+`T`
Mark as unread	`Ctrl`+`UCmd`+`Shift`+`T`
Delete item	`Ctrl`+`DDelete`
Archive message	`Backspace`no default
Ignore conversation	`Ctrl`+`Delete`no default
Move to folder	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`VCmd`+`Shift`+`M`
Flag message for follow-up	`Insert`no default
Open selected message	`EnterEnter`
Close open message	`EscEsc`
Next open message	`Ctrl`+`.`no default
Previous open message	`Ctrl`+`,`no default
Mark as junk	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`J`no default

Composing & Sending

Send message	`Ctrl`+`EnterCmd`+`Enter`
Send message (alternative)	`Alt`+`S`no default
Save draft	`Ctrl`+`SCmd`+`S`
Check names against address book (in address field)	`Ctrl`+`K`no default
Spell check	`F7`no default
Insert hyperlink (in message body)	`Ctrl`+`KCmd`+`K`

Formatting (in compose)

Bold	`Ctrl`+`BCmd`+`B`
Italic	`Ctrl`+`ICmd`+`I`
Underline	`Ctrl`+`UCmd`+`U`
Undo	`Ctrl`+`ZCmd`+`Z`
Redo	`Ctrl`+`YCmd`+`Y`
Select all	`Ctrl`+`ACmd`+`A`

Navigation Between Views

Switch to Mail	`Ctrl`+`1Cmd`+`1`
Switch to Calendar	`Ctrl`+`2Cmd`+`2`
Switch to People	`Ctrl`+`3Cmd`+`3`
Switch to Tasks	`Ctrl`+`4Cmd`+`4`
Go to Inbox	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`I`no default
Go to Outbox	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`O`no default
Go to a folder	`Ctrl`+`Y`no default

Search

Search current mailbox	`Ctrl`+`E`no default
Search (alternative)	`F3`no default
Expand search to all mail folders	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`A`no default
Advanced Find	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`F`no default
Find text within an open message	`F4Cmd`+`F`

Calendar

Day view	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`1`no default
Work week view	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`2`no default
Full week view	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`3`no default
Month view	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`4`no default
Accept meeting request	`Alt`+`C`no default
Decline meeting request	`Alt`+`D`no default

Send/Receive & Misc

Send and receive all folders	`F9Cmd`+`K`
Open address book	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`B`no default
Print	`Ctrl`+`PCmd`+`P`
Create a search folder	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`P`no default

Put your top Microsoft Outlook shortcuts on real keys

The five Microsoft Outlook actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:

Ctrl+Shift+RCmd+Shift+R Reply all The bread-and-butter action of corporate email threads, used dozens of times a day.

Backspaceno default Archive message One tap files the current email and keeps the inbox moving during triage.

Ctrl+Shift+Mno default New email (from any view) Start a message instantly even when you are looking at the calendar.

Ctrl+2Cmd+2 Switch to Calendar Meeting-heavy days mean constant flipping between Mail and Calendar.

F9Cmd+K Send and receive all folders Force a sync on demand when you are waiting for an important message.

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Microsoft Outlook shortcut FAQs

What is the keyboard shortcut to send an email in Outlook?

Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Cmd+Enter on Mac sends the open message. Alt+S also works on Windows. The first time you use Ctrl+Enter, Outlook asks you to confirm you want it enabled.

How do I archive an email in Outlook with the keyboard?

Select the message and press Backspace on Windows. This moves it to the Archive folder without deleting it. Ctrl+D or Delete sends it to Deleted Items instead.

How do I create a new email from anywhere in Outlook?

Ctrl+Shift+M creates a new email even when you are in Calendar, People, or Tasks. Ctrl+N only creates an email while you are already in Mail; in Calendar it creates an appointment.

Are Outlook shortcuts the same on Windows and Mac?

Many differ. For example forward is Ctrl+F on Windows but Cmd+J on Mac, and mark as read is Ctrl+Q versus Cmd+T. The new Outlook for Mac and Outlook on the web can also switch to Gmail-style shortcuts in settings.

What does Ctrl+E do in Outlook?

It jumps to the search box so you can search the current mailbox immediately. F3 does the same thing.