Step-By-Step Guide on How to Flag an Email in Outlook
Flagging works the same way in Outlook on the web and the new Outlook app for Windows. Classic Outlook for Windows uses a different button and offers more date options.
💡 Note: Flagged emails are highlighted with a small flag icon across all versions of Outlook. Flagging also adds the message to the Flagged email list in Microsoft To Do (if that list is turned on) and, in classic Outlook, to the To-Do Bar and Tasks.
Flag Emails in Outlook on the Web
Follow these steps:
- Log in to your mail account on the web.
- Select the message you want to be flagged.
- Click the Flag / Unflag button in the top toolbar.
Next to the Flag button, there is a small down arrow. Click it to give the flag a due date (Today, Tomorrow, This week, Next week, or No date) or to mark a flagged message as complete. There is no option to pick a custom date here. With a Microsoft 365 account, you can also right-click a flagged message and choose Add reminder.
💡 Tip: Alternatively, you can hover the mouse cursor over any message in your inbox to reveal and click the small flag icon located on the right.
Flag Email in Outlook Desktop
Flagging in the desktop version of Outlook is a matter of a few simple steps:
New Outlook for Windows
- Launch the application on your computer.
- Select the message you want to be flagged.
- Click Flag / Unflag in the top toolbar. To add a due date, click the down arrow next to it and choose one of the same options as on the web.
Classic Outlook
- Launch Outlook on your computer.
- Select the message you want to be flagged.
- On the Home tab, select Follow Up in the Tags group, then choose Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week, or No Date. Choose Custom to set your own start date, due date, and reminder.
💡 Note: Just like in the web version of the service, you can also quickly flag messages by hovering the cursor over their inbox previews and clicking the corresponding flag icons.
Whichever version of Outlook you use, flagging applies only to the messages you select. But what if you want to mark all future messages from the same sender or senders as well? Then you should use Clean Email, a third-party inbox organizer with many easy-to-use features that can instantly take your inbox management to the next level.
How to Automatically Flag Emails in Outlook Using Clean Email
We believe that Clean Email is superior to Outlook rules when it comes to automatically flagging all emails from specific senders because it makes it possible to achieve the desired results with a single flip of a toggle. Here's how:
- Go to https://app.clean.email/
- Sign in with your Outlook account.
- Select the Senders tool.
- Choose the sender whose emails you want to flag (star) automatically.
- Click the toggle next to the Add Star to New Messages option to enable it.
- A dialog box will appear asking if you’d like to apply this action to existing messages from this sender. Click Confirm if you’d like to and you are done!
All new messages from this sender will be starred (flagged) automatically when they arrive, making it easy to locate them in the Starred folder on the left panel.
💡 Note: Clean Email is not an email client and it can not create tasks for follow-ups and set reminders by flagging messages. However, it is an advanced inbox management tool with highly customizable automated rules and unique features to boost email productivity. For example, it allows setting up rules to flag (star) incoming emails from a number of senders or matching specific criteria automatically when they arrive, while this option isn’t available in Outlook rules on the web.
This is just one example of how Clean Email makes advanced inbox management effortless. You can also use the inbox organizer to easily apply automatic rules to messages in different Smart Folders (predefined filters that group similar emails together), unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and other marketing emails, delete all but the single newest message from a sender, and much more.
The app is smart enough to make Cleaning Suggestions based on previously cleaned messages, and it will keep you up-to-date about all the actions taken to keep your mailbox clean so that you always know for sure that your automation rules are being applied as they should.
Wondering to learn more tips about cleaning your inbox? Check out our other guides on how to mark an email as important in Outlook, how to automatically mark as spam Outlook messages, and how to mark all emails as read in Outlook.
How To Flag An Email In Outlook - FAQs
What does it mean to flag an email in Outlook?
Flagging an email in Outlook marks it with a flag icon as a reminder to follow up. If you use an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 account, the message also appears in the Flagged email list in Microsoft To Do.
Why don't my flagged emails show up in Microsoft To Do?
The Flagged email list has to be turned on in To Do's settings, and you must sign in to To Do with the same Microsoft account you use for email. It works only with Microsoft-hosted accounts, such as Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Microsoft 365, and it doesn't include messages flagged in shared mailboxes.
How to find flagged emails in Outlook.com?
You can find all flagged emails by clicking the Filter button above the list of your messages and choosing the Flagged option.
Is it free to flag messages in Outlook using Clean Email?
Yes, you can flag messages in Outlook using Clean Email for up to 14 days without paying, and you don't even need to provide your credit card information.
Can I create an email rule to flag emails in Outlook?
Yes, you can create a rule to automatically flag emails in classic Outlook for Windows, but not in the new Outlook app. Unfortunately, the same can't be done in the web version, so those who rely on it should use Clean Email instead.
