How To Organize Outlook Folders: Reorder, Rearrange & Sort A-Z

Key Takeaways

• Reorder folders in New Outlook and Outlook on the web: Go to View → Folder pane → Sort folders → Custom folder order and then arrange your folders.
• Reorder folders in Classic Outlook: Disable Folder → Show All Folders A to Z and then arrange your folders.
• Alphabetize folders in New Outlook and Outlook on the web: Go to View → Folder pane → Sort folders → Order folders A to Z.
• Alphabetize folders in Classic Outlook: Enable Folder → Show All Folders A to Z.

How to Rearrange Folders in New Outlook

With the New Outlook desktop app, you can easily reorder folders in Outlook in just a few steps.

To see your folders, open the Navigation Pane on the left using the Show navigation pane button (three lines) on the top left or by selecting View → Folder pane → Folder list → Show.

With your folders in view, you can use the arrows next to parent folders to see your subfolders.

To customize the order of your folders, select View → Folder pane → Sort folders → Custom folder order. Then, do one of the following:

• Drag a folder up or down and release when you see the bold line. To turn it into a subfolder, release when the folder is on top of another folder.
• Right-click the folder and select Move up or Move down.

How to Manage Folders in Classic Outlook

If you prefer the classic version of Outlook on your desktop, you can rearrange your folders just as easily as in the New Outlook.

To see your folders, open the Folder Pane on the left using the arrow. You can also click the pin that appears to keep the Folder Pane open.

With your folders in view, you can use the arrows next to parent folders to see your subfolders.

To customize the order of your folders, make sure that Folder → Show All Folders A to Z is deselected in the ribbon and then do one of the following:

• Drag a folder up or down and release when you see the bold line. To turn it into a subfolder, release when the folder is on top of another folder.
• Right-click the folder and select Move Up or Move Down.

How to Rearrange Folders in Outlook on the Web and Mobile

When you create folders in Outlook on your desktop, you can use them in both the web and mobile apps when signed in with the same account.

Here’s how to sort folders in Outlook on these platforms.

Outlook on the Web

To see your folders, open the Navigation Pane on the left using the Show navigation pane button on the top left or by selecting View → Folder pane → Folder list → Show.

With your folders in view, you can use the arrows next to parent folders to see your subfolders.

To customize the order of your folders, select View → Folder pane → Sort folders → Custom folder order. Then, do one of the following:

• Drag a folder up or down and release when you see the bold line. To turn it into a subfolder, release when the folder is on top of another folder.
• Right-click the folder and select Move up or Move down.

Outlook on Mobile

1. On iPhone, select your profile icon on the top left to open the menu.
2. Tap Edit (pencil icon) to rearrange your folders.
3. Long-press a folder and drag it up or down to its new spot and release.
   • To turn it into a subfolder, release when you see the folder on top of another folder between the dotted lines.
1. Tap the checkmark on the top right to save your changes.

How to Alphabetize Folders in Outlook

Arranging your folders in alphabetical order is not only logical, but provides you a simple way to quickly find any folder you need.

Here’s how to organize folders in Outlook for all versions:

📌 New Outlook: Select View → Folder pane → Sort folders → Order folders A to Z.

For subfolders, use the Order folders A to Z setting. Just note that this rearranges all of your folders, not just subfolders. There isn’t currently a feature to only alphabetize subfolders like in Classic Outlook.

📌 Classic Outlook: Go to the Folder tab and select Show All Folders A to Z. Note that this is only a view, it does not technically move your folders into alphabetical order. If you deselect Show All Folders A to Z, your folders return to their previous order.

For subfolders, right-click the parent folder and select Sort Subfolders A to Z.

📌 Outlook on the web: Select View → Folder pane → Sort folders → Order folders A to Z.

For subfolders, use the Order folders A to Z setting and keep in mind this alphabetizes all folders, not just subfolders.

📌 Outlook on mobile: There isn’t currently a feature to alphabetize folders or subfolders in Outlook on Android or iPhone.

Outlook Folders Out of Order?

If you have trouble after you move folders in Outlook to your chosen structure, there are a few common issues and fixes.

Synced Folder Order Changes

When you change your folder structure, Outlook syncs these changes across platforms. If you notice your folders sorting differently, you can adjust the layout between custom and alphabetical.

Additionally, when using Exchange in Classic Outlook, you may experience random changes due to cache sync loops.

To fix this, go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings and click Change for your account. Uncheck the box for Use Cached Exchange Mode and follow the prompts to restart Outlook. Rearrange your folders, return to the setting above, and check the box.

IMAP/Resync Issues

If you experience folder structure changes using IMAP, start by confirming your server settings on desktop. You can also resubscribe to the folders, reset the offline cache file, remove and re-add the account in New Outlook, or switch the Classic Outlook.

Unreliable Drag-and-Drop

Unstable drag-and-drop behavior can be caused by conflicting updates, corrupted files, or application freezes. To correct this, press the Esc key a few times, restart Windows Explorer, use Outlook in Safe Mode, or disable the Run This Program as an Administrator setting.

For a quick solution, use the right-click menu and the Move Up and Move Down options instead of drag-and-drop.

Odd Numeric Folder Sorting

If you use numbers in your folder names, keep in mind that Outlook sorts them lexicographically. This means if you label your folders in numeric order such as Folder 1, Folder 2, and so on, you’ll notice that when you get to Folder 10 and Folder 11, these will come before Folder 2.

To solve this, add padding in front of the numbers such as Folder 01 and Folder 02. Then when you get to Folder 10 and Folder 11, they’ll retain the correct numeric order.

Outlook Folder Structure Best Practices

If you struggle to create a solid folder structure, there are a few best practices that can help.

• Create a limited number of useful folders to keep the structure manageable and delete Outlook folders you no longer need.
• Consider action-based naming such as Urgent, Action, Pending, and Complete.
• Use numbering prefixes where useful to avoid odd number folder sorting as described above.
• Assign categories when folders are unnecessary rather than creating numerous folders.

With a sensible folder structure, you can also consider automatically sorting emails in Outlook as they arrive.