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Classic Outlook keyboard shortcuts

Classic Outlook is the Windows desktop program with no Settings button on its ribbon, and it has a Ctrl+Shift key for making nearly every kind of item. Many keys change meaning with where you are: Ctrl+E searches your mail but centres text in a message you are writing, and Ctrl+R replies or right-aligns. New Outlook for Windows and Outlook for Mac have a page of their own.

116 shortcutsWindowsChecked 27 September 2026

Checked against Microsoft Support — Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook (Classic Outlook tab). Version: Classic Outlook for Windows (Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016), default keys.

116 shortcuts

The top 18 are the Classic Outlook shortcuts this page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear here. The drill asks the marked ones first too, shuffled. Or tick your own and print those.

The 18 to learn first: the shortcuts the Classic Outlook page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.

Your own sheet: the Classic Outlook shortcuts you ticked.

Start here

Practise these
Write a new message from anywhere # In Mail, Ctrl+N does the same. In Calendar, People and Tasks, Ctrl+N makes an appointment, a contact or a task instead.Control plusShift plusM
Reply to the sender # Through the ribbon it is Alt+H then R then P. In a message you are writing, Ctrl+R right-aligns the paragraph instead.Control plusR
Reply to all # Through the ribbon it is Alt+H then R then A.Control plusShift plusR
Forward the message # Ctrl+F forwards rather than finds: search with Ctrl+E or F3, and find text in an open message with F4.Control plusF
Forward the message as an attachment #Control plusAlt plusF
Reply with a meeting request #Control plusAlt plusR
Send the message #Alt plusSorControl plusEnter
Check for new messages # Shift+F9 does it for the current folder only, fetching whole items with their attachments.Control plusMorF9
Delete the selected item # Works on a message, a task or a meeting.Delete
Close a window or a menu #Escape
Open the Address Book # From the calendar, Alt+H then A then B does the same through the ribbon.Control plusShift plusB
Show the access keys on the ribbon # Then press a letter: Alt then H goes to the Home tab.Alt plusorF6

Getting around

Microsoft notes that the number keys can change with how your Outlook is set up.

Practise these
Go to Mail #Control plus1
Go to Calendar #Control plus2
Go to Copilot #Control plus3
Go to People #Control plus4
Go to To Do #Control plus5
Go to Org Explorer #Control plus6
Go to Loop #Control plus7
Go to Tasks #Control plus8
Go to a different folder # Opens the Go to Folder dialog box.Control plusY
Go to the Inbox # Inside a message, Microsoft lists the same keys for showing blocked external content.Control plusShift plusI
Go to the Outbox #Control plusShift plusO
Go back to the previous view #Alt plusBorAlt plusLeft arrow
Go forward to the next view #Alt plusRight arrow
Move between the main window, the folder pane, the Reading pane and the To-Do bar # Microsoft also lists Shift+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab for moving between these areas.TaborF6
Switch to the next open message #Control plusFull stop
Switch to the previous open message #Control plusComma
Type a name into Search Address Books #F11
Open the File menu #Alt plusF

The message list and Reading pane

Practise these
Mark as read #Control plusQ
Mark as unread #Control plusU
Add a quick flag to the message # To a message you have not opened. In Tasks, Insert flags an item or marks it complete.Insert
Open the Flag for Follow Up dialog box #Control plusShift plusG
Move the message to a folder #Control plusShift plusV
Copy the message to a folder #Control plusShift plusY
Delete and ignore the conversation #Control plusShift plusD
Mark the message as not junk #Control plusAlt plusJ
Open the selected message #EnterorControl plusO
Show the message's properties #Alt plusEnter
Open the Save As dialog box #F12
Extend or reduce the selection by one message #Shift plusUp arroworShift plusDown arrow
Select or clear the message you are on # Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down move without changing the selection, so together they pick messages that are not next to each other.Control plusSpace bar
Expand a group of messages, such as Last Week # Left collapses it again.Right arrow
Page down through the message # In the Reading pane.Space bar
Page up through the message # In the Reading pane.Shift plusSpace bar
Go to the previous message from the Reading pane # In the message list, Up and Down move between messages.Alt plusUp arroworControl plusCommaorAlt plusPage Up
Jump to the Reply button # In the Reading pane.Alt plusR
Select the InfoBar and show its menu # The InfoBar appears below the subject and sender when a message has more to tell you, such as a clashing meeting.Control plusShift plusW
Download the blocked pictures in a message #Control plusShift plusWthenP
Check the names on the message # While writing a message. Microsoft lists Ctrl+K for inserting a hyperlink too.Control plusK

Making new items

Practise these
Create an appointment #Control plusShift plusA
Create a meeting request # From the calendar, Alt+H then M then R does the same through the ribbon.Control plusShift plusQ
Create a contact #Control plusShift plusC
Create a contact group # In a message you are writing, the same keys start a bulleted list.Control plusShift plusL
Create a task # In a message you are writing, the same keys switch selected text between small caps and all caps.Control plusShift plusK
Create a task request #Control plusAlt plusShift plusU
Create a note # In a message you are writing, the same keys apply the Normal style.Control plusShift plusN
Create a folder #Control plusShift plusE

Calendar

Microsoft notes that the calendar keys in Outlook and Teams are the same.

Practise these
Switch to Day view #Control plusAlt plus1
Switch to Work Week view #Control plusAlt plus2
Switch to Week view #Control plusAlt plus3orAlt plusMinus
Switch to Month view #Control plusAlt plus4orAlt plusEquals
Show the selected schedule in a horizontal layout # For comparing calendars when you are arranging a meeting.Control plusAlt plus5
Show ten days # Alt+1 to Alt+9 show one to nine days.Alt plus0
Show today #Alt plusHthenOthenD
Go to a date # In an open appointment or meeting, Ctrl+G sets up recurrence instead.Control plusG
Go to the next day #Control plusRight arrow
Go to the previous day #Control plusLeft arrow
Go to the next week # Lands on the same day of the week.Alt plusDown arrow
Go to the previous week #Alt plusUp arrow
Go to the next month #Alt plusPage Down
Go to the previous month #Alt plusPage Up
Go to the start of the week #Alt plusHome
Go to the end of the week #Alt plusEnd
Go to the next appointment # In the calendar. Elsewhere, Ctrl+. switches to the next open message.Control plusFull stoporControl plusShift plusFull stop
Go to the previous appointment #Control plusCommaorControl plusShift plusComma
Open the Scheduling Assistant # From the meeting window.Alt plusX
Snooze the reminder # When a reminder is showing. Alt+O opens its appointment.Alt plusS
Dismiss the reminder #Alt plusD
Open the reminder window #Alt plusVthenM

Writing and formatting

In a message, appointment or meeting invitation you are writing.

Practise these
Make the selected text bold #Control plusB
Make the selected text italic #Control plusI
Underline the selected text #Control plusU
Add a bulleted list #Control plusShift plusL
Increase the indent #Control plusT
Decrease the indent #Control plusShift plusT
Centre the text #Control plusE
Align the paragraph left #Control plusL
Align the paragraph right #Control plusR
Justify the paragraph #Control plusShift plusJ
Make the font bigger #Control plusRight bracketorControl plusShift plus>
Make the font smaller #Control plusLeft bracketorControl plusShift plus<
Open the Font dialog box #Control plusShift plusP
Switch the case of the first letter of the selected word or line #Shift plusF3
Clear the formatting #Control plusShift plusZorControl plusSpace bar
Remove the paragraph formatting #Control plusQ
Apply a style #Control plusShift plusS
Delete the next word #Control plusShift plusH
Cut the selection #Control plusXorShift plusDelete
Copy the selection # Ctrl+Insert does not work in the Reading pane.Control plusCorControl plusInsert
Paste #Control plusVorShift plusInsert

Macros and Send/Receive

Practise these
Set up Send/Receive groups # Microsoft also lists it for setting how often Outlook checks for new messages.Control plusAlt plusS
Open the Visual Basic Editor #Alt plusF11
Play a macro #Alt plusF8

Next

Outlook

New Outlook for Windows and Outlook for Mac do the same jobs with different keys: Ctrl+F forwards a message on Windows, where a Mac forwards with Cmd+J.

95 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Teams

Teams numbers its places: Ctrl+1 opens the first app on the app bar and Alt+1 the first tab in a chat, so several keys follow your own layout.

130 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Word

Most of Word's shortcuts are decades old, but Microsoft has moved a few, and this page follows its current list, except where a row's note says otherwise.

86 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Excel

Excel rewards the keyboard more than any other program on this site: the difference between a competent user and a fast one is almost entirely in this list.

116 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Classic Outlook keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 27 September 2026 against Microsoft Support — Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook (Classic Outlook tab).