- The ten shortcuts to learn first
- Writing and formatting emails
- Managing your inbox
- Calendar shortcuts
- Contacts shortcuts
- Classic Outlook differences
- Using a Mac?
- Outlook on the web
- My five-minute shortcut workflow for email
- Why shortcuts are worth the effort
- Make shortcuts stick
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
The Outlook keyboard shortcuts worth learning first are Ctrl+N for a new email, Ctrl+R to reply, Ctrl+Shift+R to reply all, Ctrl+F to forward and Ctrl+Enter to send. Ctrl+1 jumps to Mail and Ctrl+2 to Calendar. A few shortcuts differ between new and classic Outlook, so check which version you use before memorising the whole list.
If you spend an hour or more a day in Outlook, keyboard shortcuts are the easiest productivity win going. Replying, sending, flagging and switching to your calendar without touching the mouse saves seconds that add up to hours over a year. Microsoft publishes a huge list, so I've pulled out the ones that matter most for a busy business owner, grouped by job.
The ten shortcuts to learn first
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New email (or new event in Calendar) |
| Ctrl+R | Reply |
| Ctrl+Shift+R | Reply all |
| Ctrl+F | Forward |
| Ctrl+Enter | Send |
| Ctrl+1 | Go to Mail |
| Ctrl+2 | Go to Calendar |
| Ctrl+Q | Mark as read |
| Ctrl+K | Insert a hyperlink |
| Insert | Flag a message, or mark it complete |
These come from Microsoft's shortcut list for new Outlook, and you'll find most of them work in classic Outlook too. Learn three this week, three next week, and you'll be flying within a month.
Writing and formatting emails
- Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I and Ctrl+U for bold, italic and underline.
- Ctrl+K to add a link to the text you've selected.
- Ctrl+Z to undo, and Ctrl+Y to repeat your last action.
- Ctrl+Backspace to delete the whole word to the left of the cursor.
Managing your inbox
- Ctrl+Q marks the selected email as read, and Ctrl+U marks it unread again in new Outlook.
- Insert flags an email for follow-up, or marks a flagged email as done.
- Delete sends the selected email to Deleted Items.
- Ctrl+E jumps to search, so you can find a message without scrolling.
Calendar shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it does in new Outlook |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+2 | Open the calendar |
| Ctrl+N | New calendar event |
| Ctrl+Alt+1 | Day view |
| Ctrl+Alt+2 | Work week view |
| Ctrl+Alt+4 | Month view |
| Alt+Shift+Y | Go to today |
| Ctrl+Alt+Right arrow | Next week or month |
Contacts shortcuts
Press Ctrl+4 to open People in new Outlook, then Ctrl+N to create a contact, Ctrl+L to create a contact list, Ctrl+E to search your contacts and Ctrl+S to save. If you add contacts from emails a lot, these save real time.
Classic Outlook differences
This is where people get tripped up. Classic Outlook has some shortcuts of its own, and Microsoft lists them separately.
| Job | Classic Outlook shortcut |
|---|---|
| New email from anywhere | Ctrl+Shift+M |
| Send | Alt+S |
| Search | Ctrl+E or F3 |
| New task | Ctrl+Shift+K |
| New appointment | Ctrl+Shift+A |
| Check for new messages | Ctrl+M or F9 |
Reply, reply all and forward use the same Ctrl shortcuts in both versions, which is the good news. If a shortcut from this page does nothing, you're probably in the other version of Outlook.
A tip from experience: if you mix the two versions across devices, such as classic Outlook at your desk and new Outlook on a laptop, stick to the shortcuts they share, like Ctrl+R and Ctrl+F, so your fingers don't have to remember two systems.
Using a Mac?
On a Mac, the Command key generally takes the place of Ctrl, so Command+N starts a new email. Microsoft publishes a separate list for Outlook for Mac, and it's worth a look if you switch between computers.
Outlook on the web
Outlook on the web runs in your browser, so some shortcuts can clash with your browser's own. Many of the core ones, such as replying and forwarding, work the same, but if something behaves oddly, that's usually why.
My five-minute shortcut workflow for email
Here's how I clear my inbox without touching the mouse, using shortcuts from Microsoft's list. Press Ctrl+1 to land in Mail. Use the arrow keys to move down the list. For each email, I either reply with Ctrl+R and send with Ctrl+Enter, flag it with Insert if it needs more thought later, or mark it read with Ctrl+Q and move on. When I've got through the lot, Ctrl+2 takes me to the calendar to check what's next. It sounds mechanical, but it turns a forty-minute slog into a fifteen-minute sprint.
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Why shortcuts are worth the effort
It isn't only about speed. Every trip to the mouse breaks your concentration a little, and when you're writing a tricky reply, staying on the keyboard keeps you in the flow. Shortcuts also help if you get aches from mousing all day. You don't need dozens of them, and you won't remember them anyway; a handful you use every day will do more for you than a printed list you never look at.
Make shortcuts stick
- Pick the three jobs you do most, usually reply, send and flag.
- Use only the shortcut for those three for a week, even when the mouse is closer.
- Add three more the following week.
- Print the table above and keep it by your screen until it's muscle memory.
Shortcuts are one part of getting on top of email. If you also send a lot of emails, my email sequence prompt pack cuts drafting time, and if you're thinking of upgrading your computer, this explainer on Copilot+ PCs covers the new AI laptops that run Outlook and the rest of Microsoft's apps.
My verdict
Start with Ctrl+N, Ctrl+R, Ctrl+Shift+R, Ctrl+F and Ctrl+Enter, then add Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2 to hop between Mail and Calendar. Remember classic Outlook uses Ctrl+Shift+M and Alt+S for some jobs, and Mac users swap Ctrl for Command. Three new shortcuts a week is all it takes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut to send an email in Outlook?
Ctrl+Enter sends an email in new Outlook. In classic Outlook, Alt+S also sends.
What is the Outlook shortcut for reply all?
Ctrl+Shift+R replies to everyone on the email.
How do I switch to the calendar with the keyboard in Outlook?
Press Ctrl+2 to go to Calendar and Ctrl+1 to go back to Mail.
How do I mark an email as read with a shortcut?
Press Ctrl+Q to mark the selected email as read.
Do Outlook shortcuts work on a Mac?
Mac Outlook has its own list, and the Command key usually replaces Ctrl.
