Outlook has a keyboard shortcut for a lot of what you click every day. Here are 37 that work on Windows, grouped by what you’re trying to do.
We checked every one against Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook on October 21, 2026.
Navigation and Search
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + 1 | Go to Mail |
| Ctrl + 2 | Go to Calendar |
| Ctrl + Y | Go to a different folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + I | Switch to the Inbox |
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Switch to the Outbox |
| Ctrl + E | Search the current folder (F3 also works) |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Open Advanced Find |
Create New Items
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Create a new email |
| Ctrl + Shift + A | Create a new appointment |
| Ctrl + Shift + Q | Create a new meeting request |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Create a new contact |
| Ctrl + Shift + K | Create a new task |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new note |
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + R | Reply to the message |
| Ctrl + Shift + R | Reply to all |
| Ctrl + F | Forward the message |
| Alt + S | Send the message |
| Ctrl + Enter | Send the message |
| Ctrl + S | Save the item (saves a draft) |
| Ctrl + K | Insert a hyperlink |
| Esc | Close the open window or menu |
| Ctrl + P | Print the item |
| F12 | Open the Save As dialog |
| F9 | Check for new messages |
Organize
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delete | Delete the selected item |
| Ctrl + Q | Mark as read |
| Ctrl + U | Mark as unread |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Flag the message for follow up |
| Insert | Add a quick flag to the selected message |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Move the item to a folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + Y | Copy the item to a folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Open the Address Book |
Calendar
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + G | Go to a date |
| Ctrl + Alt + 1 | Switch to Day view |
| Ctrl + Alt + 2 | Switch to Work Week view |
| Ctrl + Alt + 3 | Switch to Full Week view |
| Alt + = | Switch to Month view |
Good to know: These are for classic Outlook for Windows. New Outlook uses some different keys, for example Ctrl + N for a new message.
Good to know: Ctrl + 3 and higher open different panes depending on your Outlook setup.
Get the Excel and PDF Version
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If you’d rather have it on your desk, the download below is a sortable Excel file plus a printable one-page PDF of all 37 shortcuts, for $0.99.
Want One Key to Do More?
Built-in shortcuts only work while Outlook is the active window, and you can’t add new ones. These tools let you pick your own hotkeys:
- Prompt Assistant: paste a standard reply like “Thanks, got it. I will get back to you by Friday” with a hotkey or short abbreviation
- Virtual Assistant Tools: more of our picks for handling email and calendars faster
