Quick Steps are a new feature in Outlook 2010 that you can use
to process messages automatically in a way similar to the way rules
work. In fact, Quick
Steps should make a lot of sense to you. If you have worked with rules
much, you'll also quickly come to appreciate how easy it is to create
and use Quick Steps. Let's start with an explanation of what they
are.
In a nutshell, Quick Steps are rules that you can apply to one
or more messages whenever you need. Outlook 2010 includes several
predefined Quick Steps, and you can also create your own. Unlike
rules, however, Quick Steps don't have conditions. Instead, they
contain one or more actions that are executed when you apply the
Quick Step to one or more items.
For example, you might create a Quick Step to mark the
selected message as read, send a predefined reply, set a category on
the message, and then move it to a folder. Those actions are then
performed on whatever message(s) you apply it to. Note
Quick Steps are available only for email and other message
types, like Really Simple Syndication (RSS) messages.
Using the Default Quick Steps
To see the list of available Quick Steps, open a message
folder and, on the Home tab of the ribbon, click the More button in
the Quick Steps group. The default Quick Steps are shown in the
resulting menu. You can also
choose Manage Quick Steps to open the Manage Quick Steps dialog box
(explored in the next section), which displays all the Quick Steps,
including the following: -
Move To Folder Moves the
selected message(s) to a folder that you choose, then marks the
messages as read. -
To Manager Forwards the
selected message to your manager. With Exchange Server accounts,
Outlook automatically identifies your manager from the
Manager field in Active Directory Domain Services
(AD DS). If this field is incorrect, you can modify the Quick
Step to specify the correct recipient address. -
Team E-mail Creates a new
email addressed to everyone who reports to you. As with the To
Manager Quick Step, this one uses the Manager field in AD DS to determine who reports to
you. You can modify the recipient list if needed. -
Done Flags the message as
complete, moves it to a folder that you choose, and marks the
message as read. -
Reply and Delete This Quick
Step replies to the message and then deletes the
original.
These default Quick Steps are not fully defined the first
time you use them. The Move Quick Step, for example, prompts you to
select a folder, specify the Inbox, or choose an option to always be
prompted to select a folder. From that point on, the Quick Step
retains those settings and you don't have to set them again (unless
you want to modify the Quick Step). The name of the Move Quick Step
changes to the name of the folder that you select (if you choose one
rather than select the Inbox or have Outlook prompt you for a
folder). Here's an example: -
Open the Inbox, click a message, and, on the Home tab of
the ribbon, click Move To: ?. Outlook displays the First Time
Setup dialog box (see Figure 1). -
In the Name text box, enter a new name for the Quick
Step. -
From the Move To Folder drop-down list, choose the desired
destination for the message, or choose Always Ask For Folder if
you want the Quick Step to prompt you to select the folder each
time you use the Quick Step. -
Click Save.
Your Quick Step is now customized, and the selected
message(s) are moved and marked as read. If you want to reset the
Quick Step to its default, on the Home tab, click the Manage Quick Steps button in the lower-right corner of
the group. Then, click Reset To Defaults. This will reset all
changes you have made to the Quick Steps, including deleting new Quick Steps that you have created. Caution
Click the Reset To Defaults button with care. You don't want
to delete your custom Quick Steps accidentally.
Creating Your Own Quick Steps
As indicated in the previous section, you can modify the
default Quick Steps, as well as create your own. Modifying the
existing ones uses much the same process as creating a new one, so
let's take a look at that process.
Creating Simple Quick Steps from Predefined Options
Outlook includes some partially defined Quick Steps to save
a little time in creating your own. These include Quick Steps that
perform the following actions on messages: move, categorize and move, flag and move,
create new message, forward a message, and create a meeting
request. To create one of these Quick Steps, click the Manage
Quick Steps button in the Quick Steps group on the
ribbon to open the Manage Quick Steps dialog box shown in Figure 2.
Click New, and then choose one of the predefined Quick Step
types. Outlook displays the First Time Setup dialog box. Specify a
name, make your selections, and click Finish.
Creating Custom Quick Steps
You can also create custom Quick Steps that perform multiple actions that you
specify. To create a new custom Quick Step, follow these
steps: -
On the Home tab, click the More button (if needed) in
the Quick Steps group and choose Create New. Outlook displays
the Edit Quick Step dialog box shown in Figure 3. -
In the Name field, type a name for the Quick Step. You
can use a long name, but a short name will fit in the ribbon
better. -
From the drop-down list in the Actions group, choose the first action that you
want the Quick Step to take. -
If you want to add another action, click Add Action.
Outlook adds another Choose An Action drop-down list to the
Actions group. Choose the desired action, and then repeat the
process to add any other actions as needed. -
If you want to assign a shortcut key to the Quick Step
so that you can start it from the keyboard, choose one from
the Shortcut Key drop-down list. -
If you want to add a tooltip that will appear when you
pause the mouse over the Quick Step (to help you remember what
it is for), type the text in the Tooltip Text field. -
Click Finish.
Your new Quick Step should appear in the Quick Steps group on the ribbon. To use it, select
one or more messages and then click the Quick Step on the
ribbon.
Editing Quick Steps uses almost the same process as creating one. Click Manage Quick Steps in the Quick
Steps group on the ribbon to open the Manage Quick Steps dialog box.
Select the Quick Step you want to modify, and then click Edit.
Outlook displays the Edit Quick Step dialog box, shown in Figure 2, which you can
use to modify its settings as needed. Click Save when you are
satisfied with your changes.
You can save some time creating a Quick Step by duplicating an
existing one. Outlook copies all the settings to a new Quick Step,
which you can customize as needed and save with a new name. To copy
a Quick Step, click Manage Quick Steps on the ribbon, select the
Quick Step that you want to copy, and click Duplicate. Outlook opens
the Edit Quick Step dialog box with a copy of the Quick Step named
Copy of <original Quick Step name>.
Modify as needed and click Finish.
Using Quick Steps Effectively
Quick Steps make common actions available at the click of a
button. There is no wrong or right way to use them, and people will
have a different set of Quick Steps that they use most often,
depending on how they use Outlook, whether they use it at work or
home, and other factors. To get the most out of this handy new
Outlook 2010 feature, take some time to think about the actions that
you perform frequently in Outlook, and then create Quick Steps for
those actions.
Here's a list of some common uses for Quick Steps to help
stimulate your imagination: -
Move messages to a frequently used folder to organize
your Inbox. -
Start a new message to your manager or to the people who
work for you. -
Create a new meeting request to your team or
manager. -
Categorize a message and move it to a folder. -
Set messages as read or unread. -
Flag a message for follow-up for a specific period of
time. -
Create a task for yourself or assign a task based on the
selected message. -
Create an appointment or meeting based on the selected
message.
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