Speed up your email, contacts, and calendar tasks with the help of keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Outlook for Windows or macOS. Credit: Microsoft Outlook’s Ribbon interface is great for finding everything you might ever want to do in the email, contacts, and calendaring program — particularly things you don’t do frequently, like using the mail merge feature. But if you’re looking to do common tasks fast, you’ll find keyboard shortcuts far more useful. Why bother to lift your hands from the keyboard if you want to create an email message or a meeting, or switch to the calendar? There are keyboard shortcuts to accomplish a vast array of tasks in the Outlook desktop client, in both the Windows and Mac versions. (Fewer shortcuts are available for the Mac, but you can create your own custom keyboard shortcuts if you like.) We’ve listed the shortcuts we’ve found the most useful below. Most work whether you’re using a subscription (Microsoft 365/Office 365) or non-subscription version of Outlook. For even more shortcuts, see Microsoft’s Office site. Note: On Macs, the ⌘ key is the same as the Command or Cmd key. Useful Outlook keyboard shortcuts General shortcuts ActionWindows key combinationMac key combinationOpen selected itemCtrl-O⌘-OClose an open item (message, appointment, contact, task, etc.)Esc⌘-WDelete selected itemCtrl-DDeleteSelect all itemsCtrl-A⌘-ACopy selected itemCtrl-C⌘-CCut selected itemCtrl-X⌘-XPaste item from the clipboardCtrl-V⌘-VUndo last actionCtrl-Z⌘-ZSaveCtrl-S⌘-SPrintCtrl-P⌘-PFlag an item for follow-upCtrl-Shift-GControl-5Go to the Search boxF3 or Ctrl-E⌘-Option-FUse Advanced FindCtrl-Shift-F⌘-Shift-FSearch for text within an open itemF4⌘-FCheck spelling and grammarF7⌘-:Make text boldCtrl-B⌘-BMake text italicCtrl-I⌘-IAdd bulletsCtrl-Shift-L⌘-Shift-LSwitch to MailCtrl-1⌘-1Switch to CalendarCtrl-2⌘-2Switch to ContactsCtrl-3⌘-3Switch to TasksCtrl-4⌘-4Switch to NotesCtrl-5⌘-5Go to the Home tab on the RibbonAlt-H Email shortcuts ActionWindows key combinationMac key combinationCreate a new message (when in Mail)Ctrl-N⌘-NCreate a new message (from any Outlook view)Ctrl-Shift-M Go to the previous / next message (in the email list)↑ (up arrow) / ↓ (down arrow)↑ (up arrow) / ↓ (down arrow)Go to the previous / next message (when you have a message open)Ctrl-. (period) / Ctrl-, (comma) In the Reading Pane, move one page down through textSpacebarPage downIn the Reading Pane, move one page up through textShift-SpacebarPage upMark message as readCtrl-Q⌘-TMark message as unreadCtrl-U⌘-Shift-TMove message to a folderAlt-H, MV⌘-Shift-MSend a messageAlt-S⌘-ReturnSend/Receive mailF9 or Ctrl-M⌘-Control-KReplyCtrl-R⌘-RReply AllCtrl-Shift-R⌘-Shift-RForwardCtrl-F⌘-JAttach a file to a messageAlt-H, AF⌘-ECreate a folderCtrl-Shift-E⌘-Shift-NIn the Folder pane, go to a different folderCtrl-Y Collapse / expand a conversation group in the email message list← (left arrow) / → (right arrow)← (left arrow) / → (right arrow) Calendar shortcuts ActionWindows key combinationMac key combinationCreate a new appointment (when in Calendar)Ctrl-N⌘-NCreate a new appointment (from any Outlook view)Ctrl-Shift-A Create a meeting requestCtrl-Shift-Q Snooze a reminderAlt-S Forward an appointment or meetingCtrl-F Reply to a meeting request with a messageCtrl-R Reply All to a meeting request with a messageCtrl-Shift-R Go to a dateCtrl-G Show 1, 2, etc. days in the calendarAlt-1, Alt-2, etc. Switch to Work Week viewCtrl-Alt-2 or Alt– (minus sign) Switch to Full Week viewCtrl-Alt-3 Switch to Month viewCtrl-Alt-4 or Alt-= (equals sign) Go to the previous / next day← (left arrow) / → (right arrow)⌘-Option-← (left arrow) / ⌘-Option-→ (right arrow) (in Day view)Go to the previous / next weekAlt-↑ (up arrow) / Alt-↓ (down arrow)⌘-Option-← / ⌘-Option-→ (in Week or Work Week view)Go to the previous / next monthAlt-Page Up / Alt-Page Down⌘-Option-← / ⌘-Option-→ (in Month view)Go to the previous appointmentCtrl-. (period) Go to the next appointmentCtrl-, (comma) Contacts shortcuts ActionWindows key combinationMac key combinationCreate a new contact (when in Contacts)Ctrl-N⌘-NCreate a new contact (from any Outlook view)Ctrl-Shift-C Create a new contact groupCtrl-Shift-L Find a contactF11 Open the Address BookCtrl-Shift-B Tasks shortcuts ActionWindows key combinationMac key combinationCreate a new task (when in Tasks)Ctrl-N⌘-NCreate a new task (from any Outlook view)Ctrl-Shift-K Create a new task requestCtrl-Shift-Alt-U Accept a task requestCtrl-C Decline a task requestCtrl-D Notes shortcuts ActionWindows key combinationMac key combinationCreate a new note (when in Notes)Ctrl-N⌘-NCreate a new note (from any Outlook view)Ctrl-Shift-N Source: Microsoft Looking for more help with Outlook for Windows? If you have Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription, see “Outlook for Microsoft 365 cheat sheet.” If you have a non-subscription version of Office, see “Outlook 2016 and 2019 cheat sheet.” We’ve also got tips and cheat sheets for an array of Microsoft products, including older versions of Office. Related: Handy Word keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac Handy Excel keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac Handy PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe