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Categorize Messages

Categories can be used to group messages.  For example, use a category to group messages received from members of an initiative team.

Create a Category View

Before assigning categories, it is important to create a custom view for the Inbox so the messages display by categories. This view is based on the default messages view option. This is a one-time operation that takes approximately five minutes to complete.

  1. Click View > Current View > Messages.
  2. Click View > Current View > Customize Current View.  The View Summary dialog box displays.
  3. Click the Group By button.  The Group By dialog box displays.
  4. Click the down arrow for Group items by.
  5. Highlight Categories.
  6. Decide if the category field should be included in the view.
  7. Check the Show field in view box checked to include the category field.
  8. Uncheck the Show field in view box and the category field is not included in the view.
  9. Click OK to close the Group By dialog box.
  10. Click OK to close the View Summary dialog box.
  11. Click View > Current View > Define Views.  The Define Views dialog box displays.
  12. Highlight Current view settings under Views for folder.
  13. Click the Copy button.
  14. Type Categories in the Name of new view field.
  15. Click OK twice.
  16. Click the Apply View button.

Change the Messages View

The messages view now shows with categories, and it needs to be changed back to the default.

  1. Click View > Current View > Messages.
  2. Click View > Current View > Customize Current View.  The View Summary dialog box displays.
  3. Click the Group By button.  The Group By dialog box displays.
  4. Click the down arrow for Group items by.
  5. Highlight (none).
  6. Click OK twice.

Displaying Different Views

  1. Click View > Current View > Messages to display the messages view.
  2. Click View > Current View > Categories to display the categories view.

Assigning a Category

There are two ways to add a category to a message. A category is assigned when the message is open or from the Inbox.

Categorize an Open Message

  1. Open the message.
  2. Click View > Options.  The Message Options dialog box displays.
  3. Click the Categories button.
  4. Click the category check boxes.  Remember that more than one category can be added to a message.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click Close.
  7. Close the message.
  8. Click Yes to save the changes.

Categorize from the Inbox

  1. Click View > Current View > Categories to display the categories view.
  2. Display the Inbox.
  3. Right-click the message.

Note:  More than one message can be categorized at the same time. Select more than one message by holding down the CTRL key while selecting the messages.

  1. Click Options on the shortcut menu. The Message Options dialog box displays.
  2. Click the Categories button.
  3. Click the category check boxes. Remember that more than one category can be added to a message.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Click Close.
  6. Click Yes to save the changes.  See Figure 1 .
Figure 1. Message Categories
Figure 1.  Message Categories
  1. Click the plus sign to expand the category.
  2. Click the minus sign to collapse the category.

Ed.  03/2004

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Updated 09/15/2006