Assign color categories to Outlook items (2024)

Outlook

Calendar

Assign color categories to Outlook items

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Color categories in Outlook help you more easily recognize and organize related items. You can apply them to meetings, appointments, emails, notes, contacts, and more.

Once assigned, the color category indication appears within the individual item and also in collective table views (e.g., Inbox). If needed, you can assign multiple color categories to a single item. You can also customize the names and colors of your available color category set.

Important:If you apply a color category to a meeting or request that you've received from another person, the color category selection will not affect their Outlook view. Your category selections will apply only to items within your calendar.

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Within an open Outlook item, the category selection list is available in the Categorize section of the ribbon. Select Categorize on the ribbon to open the color category menu.

Assign color categories to Outlook items (1)

You can select one of the listed categories to apply it to the item. From that menu, you can also proceed to create a New category or to Manage categories that already exist.

New category

This panel enables you to create category color tags beyond the initially provided set. On this panel, choose a color from the available options and enter a name for your new color category tag. Select Save to commit. It will now appear in the Categorize menu.

Manage categories

Use this panel to make changes as needed.

For any displayed category name, select the appropriate icon for any of these actions:

Open the edit panel to change name or color
Delete the color category
Toggle the star/favorite status

Assign color categories to Outlook items (4)

Example of a color-category selection from your list of options.

The same listed categories are available for use on all Outlook item types (e.g., tasks, contacts, messages). If you don't find the category color that you want in the initially displayed list, selectAll Categories. There you will see others and be able to create and assign new categories. Learn morehere.

Assigning color categories

To assign a color category to an appointment, meeting, or event, use one of the following options:

From your main calendar view, right-click the appointment, meeting, or event. Then point to Categorize and select from the displayed list.
Within an open appointment, meeting, or event, locate the Categorize button on the ribbon (in the Tags group).

The Color Categories dialog box

To see more categories or to create a new category, selectAll Categories in the drop-down list. This will open the Color Categories dialog box.To assign a color category select the associate check box. You can alsoassign multiple categories to a single item.

The first time that you assign a default color category to an item, you will be prompted to rename the category. At this time, you can also change the color of the category and assign a keyboard shortcut.

Notes:

At any time, you can change the color associated with a category name.
You can clickCategorize on the toolbar to open the Categorize menu and Color Categories dialog box.
Only the fifteen most recently used color categories appear on the Categorize menu. To see the others, go tothe Categorize menu andselectAll Categories.

Within an open Outlook item, the category selection list is available in the Categorize section of the ribbon. Select Categorize on the ribbon to open the color category menu.

You can select one of the listed categories to apply it to the item. From that menu, you can also proceed to create aNew category or to Manage categories that already exist.