Assign a frequently
used color category (color category: A keyword or phrase with an associated color that helps you keep track of items, such as messages, contacts, and appointments. You can use color categories to easily find, sort, filter, or group items.)
by selecting it as your default color category, called the Quick Click category. Then with a single click in your Inbox or other message list (message list: The middle part of the main Outlook window that displays the contents of the selected folder.), you can assign
the
default color category to any message. This can be especially helpful if you focus on one main project or if you frequently categorize items as Important, Review Immediately, and so on.
First you set a color category as your Quick Click category, and then you assign it to items as necessary.

After you set a frequently
used color category as your Quick Click category, you can click next to an item in the Categories column to assign that
color category to the item.
What do you want to do?
Set a Quick Click category
- On the toolbar, click Categorize
, and then click Set Quick Click.
- In the Set Quick Click dialog box, in the drop-down list, select a color category.
Notes
- If you change the Quick Click category, the color category that was previously assigned to items is not changed. However, if you change the name or color of a color category, all the items with the previous name or color will be updated to reflect the new name or color.
- You can also set your Quick Click category on the Categorize menu
in an open item.
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Assign a Quick Click category to an item
You can assign a Quick Click category to most Outlook items when you view them in a table (table: A view type that displays a list of items (rows) and their attributes (columns). Use this view to display details about items. Table is the default view type for Inbox and Tasks.) view or in the To-Do Bar.
- In your Inbox or other table view, click the Categories column next to an
item, such as a message. Doing this adds the color that is associated
with your Quick Click category to the column. If you open the item, the color and the name of the color category appear in the header.
Notes
- To remove the Quick Click category from an item, click next to the item again, in the Categories column.
- To assign a Quick Click category to multiple items at the same time, select all the items, and then click the Categories column next to one of the items.
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