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Microsoft Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts (Microsoft 365) — Complete Cheat Sheet
Microsoft Outlook keyboard shortcuts for email, calendar, contacts, and navigation. Reach inbox zero without touching the mouse.
38 shortcuts across 4 categories · Windows
Microsoft Outlook keyboard shortcuts cover the full range of email, calendar, task, and contact management without a mouse. For professionals who spend hours in Outlook each day, learning its shortcuts for composing, replying, filing, and switching between views can save hours of clicking every week.
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Email | Ctrl + N | Compose a new email message |
| Reply | Ctrl + R | Reply to the sender of the selected message |
| Reply All | Ctrl + Shift + R | Reply to all recipients of the selected message |
| Forward | Ctrl + F | Forward the selected message |
| Send | Ctrl + Enter | Send the composed message |
| Delete Message | Delete | Move selected message to Deleted Items |
| Archive | Backspace | Archive the selected message (remove from inbox) |
| Flag Message | Insert | Add a follow-up flag to the selected message |
| Mark as Read | Ctrl + Q | Mark selected message as read |
| Mark as Unread | Ctrl + U | Mark selected message as unread |
| Move to Folder | Ctrl + Shift + V | Open the Move to Folder dialog |
| Open Message in New Window | Enter | Open the selected message in its own window |
Navigation
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Go to Inbox | Ctrl + Shift + I | Switch to your main inbox folder |
| Go to Mail | Ctrl + 1 | Switch to the Mail view |
| Go to Calendar | Ctrl + 2 | Switch to the Calendar view |
| Go to Contacts | Ctrl + 3 | Switch to the Contacts/People view |
| Go to Tasks | Ctrl + 4 | Switch to the Tasks view |
| Go to Notes | Ctrl + 5 | Switch to the Notes view |
| Search Mail | Ctrl + E | Focus the search box to search your mailbox |
| Open Address Book | Ctrl + Shift + B | Open the global address book |
| Next Message | Ctrl + . | Move to the next message in the list |
| Previous Message | Ctrl + , | Move to the previous message in the list |
Calendar
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Appointment | Ctrl + N | Create a new calendar appointment |
| New Meeting Request | Ctrl + Shift + Q | Create a new meeting invitation to send to others |
| Day View | Ctrl + Alt + 1 | Switch calendar to single-day view |
| Work Week View | Ctrl + Alt + 2 | Switch calendar to work week (Mon–Fri) view |
| Week View | Ctrl + Alt + 3 | Switch calendar to full 7-day week view |
| Month View | Ctrl + Alt + 4 | Switch calendar to month view |
| Go to Today | Ctrl + T | Jump calendar to today's date |
| Go to Specific Date | Ctrl + G | Open Go to Date dialog to jump to any date |
Composing
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Check Names | Ctrl + K | Resolve email addresses in the To/CC fields |
| Attach File | N + A | Open the file picker to attach a file |
| Add CC | Ctrl + Shift + C | Add CC recipients to the message |
| Add BCC | Ctrl + Shift + B | Add BCC recipients to the message |
| Spell Check | F7 | Run the spell checker on the message body |
| Insert Signature | Alt + N + A + S | Insert a saved email signature |
| Save Draft | Ctrl + S | Save the message as a draft without sending |
| Discard Draft | Escape | Close the compose window and discard changes |
Microsoft Outlook Tips & Tricks
- Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+5 jumps between all views: Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes — each accessible with a single keystroke. Switching between your inbox and calendar a dozen times a day becomes nearly instant.
- Ctrl+Enter sends — be careful!: Ctrl+Enter sends an email immediately. Many users accidentally send unfinished emails. Consider disabling this shortcut in Options if you prefer to always click Send.
- Ctrl+Shift+V files emails into folders instantly: Select one or more emails, press Ctrl+Shift+V, type the first letters of the destination folder name, and press Enter. Zero mouse movement needed for inbox zero workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions — Microsoft Outlook
- How do I send an email in Outlook with the keyboard?
- Press Ctrl+Enter to send the composed email immediately. Be careful — unlike clicking Send, this sends the message instantly without confirmation. You can disable this shortcut in File → Options → Mail → Send messages if needed.
- How do I switch from email to calendar in Outlook?
- Press Ctrl+2 to switch to Calendar view and Ctrl+1 to return to Mail. Use Ctrl+3 for Contacts and Ctrl+4 for Tasks. These shortcuts work from anywhere in Outlook.
- What is the fastest way to search email in Outlook?
- Press Ctrl+E (or F3) to focus the Search box immediately. Start typing your query — Outlook will search your entire mailbox. Press Escape to exit search and return to your inbox.
How to Learn Microsoft Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts
Microsoft Outlook combines email, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, and folders in one application. The core email shortcuts — Ctrl+N for new email, Ctrl+R for reply, Ctrl+Shift+R for reply all, and Ctrl+F for forward — cover common composition tasks. Its navigation shortcuts, including Ctrl+1 through 6 in supported desktop versions, can move between major areas without requiring sidebar clicks.
The Outlook shortcuts that save the most time for heavy users are the ones that eliminate the most repetitive operations. Ctrl+Q marks an email as read without opening it. Ctrl+U marks it as unread. The Delete key archives to the Deleted Items folder, while Shift+Delete permanently deletes. For calendar power users, Ctrl+Shift+A opens a new appointment, and pressing 1 through 7 in calendar view switches between day, week, work week, month, and other views. Outlook's Quick Steps feature (not a keyboard shortcut per se, but assignable to keyboard shortcuts via Manage Quick Steps) lets you automate multi-step email actions — moving, categorizing, and flagging in one keystroke — which is worth setting up for anyone who follows a structured email management system.