How to Use Outlook Folders to Keep Your Inbox Organized

When you don’t know how to create folders in Outlook, your inbox controls you.

Each time a new message arrives, you’re more disorganized than ever.

Folders help you streamline your inbox and boost email productivity.

It’s time to take control and change your inbox from a cluttered mess to a picture of success.

Below are the simple tricks to organizing your old messages plus a bonus way to create folders for future emails.

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How to Create Folders in Outlook in 30 Seconds

Stop shuffling around trying to find that old email you’re looking for. Instead, you can create a folder so that it’s exactly where you need it when you need it.

Here’s how you can set up new folders:

1. In the left pane of Mail, Contacts, Tasks, or Calendars, right-click where you want to add the folder then click New Folder.
2. In the Name box, enter a name for the folder, and press Enter.

From here, you can get seriously organized. Try out these other hacks.

How to Add an Inbox Folder to Outlook in a Snap

1. Click + (Create New Folder) in Outlook Mail.
2. Type a name for your custom folder.
3. Hit Enter.

To create a new folder as a sub-folder to an already existing folder:

1. Click on the folder under which you want to create the new folder.
2. Click Create New Subfolder from the context menu.
3. Type the new folder’s name.
4. Hit Enter.

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How to Organize Emails From Specific People

This one’s a little long, but it’s totally worth doing.

When you want to know how to create folders in Outlook, you shouldn’t have to repeat the process over and over again.

Instead of having to manually organize your emails as they come in, you can have messages from specific senders automatically go to folders.

Here’s how you can create folders in Outlook that are organized based on the sender: 

Bonus: Set Future-You Up To Send Emails Faster With This Secret Tool

What if I told you that you could set up folders for future emails that would save you time writing and searching for old emails?

That’s why we created a tool that does it for you. It’s called Templates, and it appears as a button in your inbox.

The end picture: Your future emails are already written for you — they wait for you to add custom info and press “send.” 

Here are some benefits of having a template library:

• Quick, easy organization: Categorize your messaging (cold emails, follow-up, break up etc.) for fast reference.
• Pre-filled messaging: The information you keep typing is already there for you, with placeholders for the info that changes. What it means for you? Less mistakes, more time saved. It’s a win-win.

Here’s how you can get started with templates:

1. Get Yesware in your inbox (completely free, 60-second setup).
2. Click on the Templates module.
3. Create and save templates for reuse.

5 Effective Email Templates Free For The Taking

To get the ball rolling, here are 5 templates to plug into your library right now (here’s a doc with all of the templates for quick reference).

1. An Email Update Template That Is Clear and Quick

Subject Line: {!Topic} | {!Who/What It Affects}

Hi {!all/team/person}:

It is my pleasure to announce that {!change and people/focus it affects}.

{!Person or topic 1}.

{!Who/Why/What/Where/When. Tell a story here about how this change came to be}.

{!Person or topic 2}.

{!Who/Why/What/Where/When. Tell a story here about how this change came to be}.

{!Final sentence reiterating change and how it affects readers} Please join me in {!action}.

2. A Formal Email Request That Gets The Point Across

Subject Line: Please Read: Needs Your Attention

Good morning, {!all/team/person}:

{!Give pertinent context here}.

{!Link to further reference}.

My request for you: {!formal request in one sentence}.

• {!Action Item 1}
• {!Action Item 2}

More info on {!topic}…

What it involves:

{!1 sentence summing up the context}.

This matters because:

• {!WIIFY—point 1}
• {!WIIFY—point 2}
• {!WIIFY—point 3}

Thank you for your help!

3. The “Nice to Meet You” Email

Subject Line: Great to meet you at {!Event}

Hi {!First Name},

It was nice to meet you at {!Occasion where you met}.  I loved learning more about {!Something discussed}. I’m really interested to hear more about your role as {!Job title} at {!Company}, as {!Reason why you’re interested}. If you have time in the coming weeks, let’s {!Follow up action}. I’m generally free on {!Days of the week}, if that works for you?

Looking forward to keeping in touch!

4. A Meeting Agenda Template To Keep You On Track

Subject Line: Agenda for {!Meeting Name}

Hi {!First Name},

Looking forward to our meeting at {!time}. Details below:

Topic: {!What will be discussed}.

Why: {!Because ____}.

Goal: {!To ____}.

Dial-in: {!Delete if unnecessary}.

Questions/Concerns to Address

{!Item 1}.

{!Item 2}.

{Item 3}.

Thanks, and talk to you soon!

5. A Cold Email Template That Breaks The Norm

Subject Line: How to {!Action} {!Outcome}

Hi {!First Name},

{!Your Name} reaching out from {!Your Company} — {!Shared detail}.

Yep, this is another #coldemail that says who I am and asks for a meeting; but I’ve {!Specific research you’ve done on person}.

{!Connection/uncommon commonality}.

{!Details of your service} — does this sound like something of value to {!Company} or maybe something you’re actively looking for?

Here is {!Piece of content}.

Are you open to chatting next week? {!Incentive to call}.

Thoughts?

Here’s a doc with the templates — for quick reference.

Tired of re-writing emails?Save your top-performing emails as templates in OutlookTry Yesware Free

5 Inbox Folder Ideas To Keep Your Messages Up-To-Date

Your email habits say a lot about you.

Whether you’re a “zero inbox” type or totally unbothered by emails piling in, you still need a way to stay organized.

Here are 5 folders you can use to make your inbox a simple to-do list:

1. Inbox: Unless you respond immediately and are waiting for an immediate response, there should be no emails here.
2. Today: Time-sensitive. Requires a quick response.
3. This week: Needs to stay top of mind by the end of the week.
4. This month: Needs a longer-term response.
5. FYI: An email that you may need to reference later. Purely informational.

However, the way you organize your emails depends on what is most helpful for you.

After all, it’s your inbox.

Get started by listing out a few categories that your messages might fall into and start there. Remember, you can always delete or change labels if the methods aren’t working.

Using Gmail? How to create folders in Gmail.

FAQs

1. How do I create a folder in Outlook?

Right-click in the left pane of Mail, Contacts, Tasks, or Calendars, select “New Folder,” type a name, and press Enter. This creates a custom folder for organizing your messages.

2. Can I create subfolders in Outlook?

Yes. Right-click the folder you want as the parent, select “Create New Subfolder,” enter the subfolder name, and press Enter. This helps you create a more detailed folder structure.

3. How do I add a new inbox folder quickly?

Click the “+” (Create New Folder) in Outlook Mail, name the folder, and hit Enter. It’s a fast way to set up categories for sorting incoming messages.

4. Can I organize emails automatically into folders?

Yes. Set up Outlook rules to send messages from specific people or with certain keywords directly into designated folders—saving you time and keeping your inbox tidy.

5. What are the benefits of creating folders in Outlook?

Folders help reduce clutter, speed up email searches, and make your inbox easier to navigate. They also improve productivity by grouping related messages together.

6. How can Yesware improve Outlook folder organization?

Yesware integrates with Outlook to track emails, store templates, and manage outreach—all within your inbox—so you spend less time searching for messages and more time acting on them.

7. What’s the best folder structure for Outlook?

A simple, action-based setup works well: Inbox (urgent), Today, This Week, This Month, and FYI for reference-only emails. Adjust based on your workflow.

8. Can I create folders for future emails?

Yes. Set up folders and rules in advance so future emails land in the right spot automatically. This is especially useful for ongoing projects or recurring senders.

9. How do I create folders in Outlook for specific senders?

Use Outlook’s “Rules” feature. Select a message from the sender, choose “Rules” → “Create Rule,” then set the action to move their emails into a specific folder.

10. Are folders or categories better for organization?

Folders work best for archiving and structuring emails, while categories are great for tagging and cross-referencing messages without moving them from the inbox.

11. Can I use templates with Outlook folders?

Yes. With Yesware’s template feature in Outlook, you can store pre-written messages in folders, making it faster to send frequent communications without starting from scratch.

12. How do I rename a folder in Outlook?

Right-click the folder, choose “Rename Folder,” type the new name, and press Enter. This helps you keep your folder structure relevant as needs change.

13. Will creating folders in Outlook affect email search?

No. Outlook search scans all folders by default unless you filter results. Folders simply make manual browsing and retrieval faster.

14. Can I create Outlook folders on mobile?

Yes, though features may vary by app version. In Outlook mobile, tap and hold a folder, then choose “Create New Folder” and name it.

15. How can Yesware templates speed up email organization?

Store common replies or updates in Yesware templates, categorize them in your Outlook folder system, and reuse them quickly to save time and maintain consistency.

16. How do I delete a folder in Outlook?

Right-click the folder, select “Delete Folder,” and confirm. Deleted folders move to “Deleted Items” until emptied.

17. Can I share Outlook folders with my team?

Yes, if your account is on a shared mailbox or Exchange server. Right-click the folder, select “Properties,” then adjust permissions.

18. What’s a quick start folder setup for beginners?

Start with five: Inbox, Today, This Week, This Month, and FYI. This simple system helps you prioritize and act on emails based on urgency.

19. How do I back up Outlook folders?

Export your folders to a .pst file via File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a File. This ensures you have a copy of your organized messages.

20. Can Yesware help manage sales emails in Outlook folders?

Yes. Yesware’s tracking, templates, and reporting work inside Outlook, letting you organize high-priority sales emails into folders while keeping performance data at your fingertips.