How to Create a Folder in Outlook (and Subfolders)

A single overflowing inbox is a small business owner's version of a messy desk. Folders give you somewhere to put the things you need to keep, such as client threads, receipts, and agreements, without leaving them to bury themselves under tomorrow's mail.

Making a folder in Outlook takes seconds, but the right-click spot changes with each version. I've followed Microsoft's help page so you can find the right menu quickly, and I'll finish with a way to name folders that you'll still understand months from now.

Making a new Outlook folder in new Outlook for Windows

1. In the folder pane on the left, right-click your email address. You can also hover over it and select More options.
2. Choose Create new folder.
3. Type a name and press Enter.

For a subfolder, select the parent folder, then right-click it, or hover and choose More options, then Create new subfolder. Name it and press Enter. If these steps don't match what you see, Microsoft says you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet, so use the classic steps below.

Making a new folder in classic Outlook

1. In the left pane of Mail, Contacts, Tasks or Calendar, right-click where you want to add the folder.
2. Click New Folder.
3. Type a name into the Name box and press Enter.

One quirk from Microsoft's page: in Calendar, the New Folder command is replaced by New Calendar. The page doesn't give separate subfolder steps for classic Outlook, so if you need a folder inside a folder there, right-click the folder you want it under and look for the same option.

Adding a folder in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com

The right-click spot depends on the type of account. Microsoft splits them:

Account type	Create a folder	Create a subfolder
Work or school, Outlook on the web	Right-click Folders, or hover and choose More options, then Create new folder	Select the parent folder, then Create new subfolder
Personal, Outlook.com	Right-click Folders and choose Create new folder	Right-click the parent folder and choose Create new subfolder

Type the name and press Enter in both cases.

Folder ideas for a small business Outlook inbox

The temptation is to build twenty folders in the first sitting. Don't. Start with a handful, and add more only when the same type of email keeps piling up.

• Clients: one subfolder per active client, closed down when the work ends.
• Waiting: messages where you're expecting someone else to act.
• Accounts: receipts and confirmations you may need for your accountant.
• Reference: things like onboarding details and login instructions you need again.
• Newsletters: messages you want to read later but not now.

Keep the names short and start them with a word you'd search for. That helps when you try to remember where something went a long time afterwards. If you're building a full routine around your inbox, my inbox system story shows how folders fit with the rest of it.

Naming Outlook folders so you can find them later

Names are what make a folder system last. Outlook sorts folders alphabetically, so the first letters decide where each one sits in your list. If you want your most-used folders at the top, you can start their names with a symbol or a short code, and the rest will fall in below.

• Use plain words you'd naturally search for, such as a client's name.
• Keep names short enough to read in the narrow left pane.
• Use the same pattern for similar folders, such as the client name followed by the project.
• Retire old folders by moving them into a single archive folder, rather than deleting them.

The idea is to need as few clicks as possible to file something, because the easier filing feels, the more likely you'll keep doing it.

Keeping your new Outlook folders tidy

Once or twice a month, go through the folders you made and ask which ones you haven't opened. Folders that sit empty add clutter to your left pane. Merge or remove the ones you don't use, but check what's inside before you do anything, because deleting a folder can remove the messages in it.

Moving emails into your new Outlook folder

A folder is only useful once messages are in it. Microsoft's folder page doesn't cover moving messages and points to a separate article, so I won't guess at the menu. The simplest method in every version is to drag a message from the list onto the folder name in the left pane.

Moving them one by one gets tedious, which is where rules come in. A rule can send mail from a particular person straight into a folder as it arrives, and my guide to collecting client documents without email chains is worth a look if attachments are what fill your folders.

When you can't create a folder in Outlook

1. Check you're right-clicking the right place: your email address in new Outlook, or Folders on the web.
2. Check which version you're in. Hover and More options may not exist in classic Outlook.
3. Check the account. Some accounts, such as those managed by an employer, may limit what you can change, so ask whoever looks after your IT.
4. Try Outlook on the web to see whether the same folder can be created there.

If you can create the folder in one place but don't see it in another, give it a minute and refresh, since Outlook sometimes takes a moment to catch up.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a folder in Outlook?

In new Outlook, right-click your email address in the folder pane and choose Create new folder. In classic Outlook, right-click in the left pane and click New Folder. Type a name and press Enter.

How do I make a subfolder in Outlook?

In new Outlook, select the parent folder, right-click it, or hover and choose More options, then Create new subfolder. On the web the steps are the same, using the parent folder.

Where do I right-click on Outlook on the web?

Microsoft says to right-click Folders in the folder pane, or hover over it and choose More options, then Create new folder.

Why does Outlook say New Folder is New Calendar?

Microsoft says that in Calendar in classic Outlook, the New Folder command is replaced with New Calendar.

How do I move emails into my new folder?

Drag a message onto the folder name in the left pane. Microsoft's folder article points to a separate help page for moving and copying items.