42. Working with Advanced Email Features

Outlook offers many extra features you can use to enhance your email messages, automate replies, and take your email tasks to the next level. For example, you can assign email priority and sensitivity levels, use Quick Parts to automate repetitive tasks, insert a digital signature automatically at the bottom of all your messages, request delivery receipts, and even subscribe to and read your favorite RSS feeds right in Outlook.

To assign a priority level to your message, click the Message tab and choose a priority level in the Tags group of tools (see Figure 42.1). Click the High Importance button to assign High priority level, or click Low Importance to mark the message as low-level priority. You might set low priority in your office environment to help your coworkers or boss recognize the message as lower in the chain of importance.

FIGURE 42.1 You can find two of the three priority levels available as buttons on the Message tab.

In the lower corner of the Tags group, click the Message Options button to open the Properties dialog box shown in Figure 42.2. From here, you can click the Importance drop-down arrow and choose a priority level.

FIGURE 42.2 The Properties dialog box offers all three priority levels in a drop-down list of options.

While you’re looking at the Properties box, you can also use the controls found within to set a sensitivity level for a message. Click the Sensitivity drop-down arrow (refer to Figure 42.2) and choose a setting. Like the priority level setting, Normal is the default sensitivity setting. You can also set Personal, Private, or Confidential. Be warned, however, that these settings don’t necessarily protect your email message from prying eyes; rather, they just alert the recipient regarding the nature of the message. If you use Outlook in an office or corporate setting, check with your administrator concerning any policies for confidential emails.

To turn text into a building block, follow these steps:

1. Select the message text you want to turn into a Quick Part.

2. On the Insert tab, click the Quick Parts button.

3. Select Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. This opens the Create New Building Block dialog box, as shown in Figure 42.3.

FIGURE 42.3 Create your own Quick Parts using this dialog box.

4. Type a name for your building block.

5. Optionally, fill out any additional details you want to save along with the text element.

6. Click OK to save the building block.

Any time you want to add your building block to a message, click the Quick Parts button on the Insert tab and choose your item from the gallery.

To remove a Quick Part you no longer need, click the Quick Parts button, right-click the Quick Part and choose Organize and Delete. This opens the Building Blocks Organizer. Select your Quick Part and click the Delete button to remove it. You can also use this dialog box to view a list of all your Quick Parts and manage them.

To create a signature, follow these steps:

1. Click the File tab.

2. Select Options to open the Outlook Options dialog box (see Figure 42.4).

FIGURE 42.4 Use the Outlook Options dialog box to start access signatures.

3. In the Compose Messages group on the Mail tab, click the Signatures button to open the Signatures and Stationary dialog box.

4. Click New to open the New Signature dialog box.

5. Type a name for the new signature.

6. Click OK.

7. Type your signature text and format it any way you want using the formatting tools (see Figure 42.5). You can change text color, make text bold or italic, or set a different font or size.

FIGURE 42.5 You can add and edit signatures with this dialog box.

8. Click OK.

9. Click OK again to close the Outlook Options dialog box.

The next time you compose a new email message for that particular account, Outlook automatically inserts the signature into the email’s message body.

To edit signatures or assign new ones to your accounts, reopen the Signatures and Stationary dialog box and make your changes. You can delete signatures, edit existing signatures, or change which accounts they’re associated with.

To open the Outlook Options dialog box, click the File tab and select Options. On the Mail tab, scroll down to the Replies and Forwards group of tools, as shown in Figure 42.6. Click the When Replying to a Message drop-down list and make your selection. You can make similar changes to how the message text is handled when forwarded. Click OK to exit the dialog box and apply the changes.

FIGURE 42.6 Control how replies and forwards appear using these options.

You can also request delivery receipts or read receipts with your messages. When you activate these features, the recipient’s email server generates a response when the person receives or views the email message. This can help you keep track of whether someone has read your message. You can also assign a delivery reply to another email address, or a day or time for delivery, or even a delivery expiration. These particular tracking controls appear in the Properties dialog box for the Message window. Check out Figure 42.7 to view them.

FIGURE 42.7 The Properties dialog box has delivery options.

You can conduct a web search to find popular RSS feeds to try if you don’t already have a few favorites. You need the RSS feed location, or URL, to connect to the feed.

To subscribe, follow these steps:

1. Click the File tab.

2. On the Account Information screen, click the Account Settings button.

3. Select Account Settings.

4. The Account Settings dialog box opens; click the RSS Feeds tab (see Figure 42.8).

FIGURE 42.8 The Account Settings dialog box is your gateway to signing up for RSS feeds.

5. Click New.

6. Type the RSS Feed address (see Figure 42.9).

FIGURE 42.9 You need to know the RSS feed web address to subscribe.

7. Click Add.

8. The RSS Feed Options dialog box displays with a general name for the feed already assigned (see Figure 42.10). Click OK to continue.

FIGURE 42.10 View your RSS feeds in the RSS Feeds folder.

9. The RSS Feed is added to the list box; click Close.

10. Click the Send/Receive tab.

11. Click Send/Receive All Folders to update the latest posts.

12. Click the RSS Feeds folder in the Folder pane to view the RSS feed subfolders to which you are subscribed (see Figure 42.10).

13. Click the folder you want to open.

14. Click the message you want to view.

15. The Preview pane displays the message.