Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

jdraggi — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:15:33 GMT

Is there any way to share a search folder with other exchange members? This would be a big help.

Your post has made meetings with staff and groups a breeze over the last year however the reason for my question is that, by being able to share a search folder, those that I have meetings with would always have an 'instant' way of finding out what I'm expecting answers on or the topics that we'll be covering prior to the meeting.

If you can't share a search folder, any ideas on how I could achieve the same results using another method?

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

tpetite — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:16:02 GMT

re: chanson42 post - I have created a custom toolbar with three buttons that I access through keyboard shortcuts.

The three buttons are "Copy", "Move" and "Category" I used the following article that explains how to do this under the heading :Configure Move and Copy toolbar shortcuts"

lifehacker.com/.../tweak-microsoft-outlook-to-empty-your-inbox-faster

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

chanson42 — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:33:35 GMT

@author: Very nice, thanks! re: Carsten Pihl's post - That gets to a really good question: Is there a way to have rules triggered on some event other than on receipt of mail (or the manual "apply rule")? I would love to be able to apply a category and have that action trigger a rule (like for all in TODO category, move to TODO folder), which would solve the server-based vs. client-based issue with search folders. Actually, truth be told, I would love a hotkey setup where I could be reading an email and hit ctrl-shift F2 to file it in "follow up" or whatever. Anyone know of a process hack for this?

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

Mark Watson — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:20:32 GMT

tpetite - When I look at Tools/Rules and Alerts I have a rule called 'Clear categories on mail (recommended)' I didn't create this rule so I have always assumed it was there in Exchange 2007 by default. It does the following: - Apply this rule after the message arrives - Assigned to any category - Clear message's categories If you don't have this rule, perhaps you could create it?

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

tpetite — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:43:57 GMT

Hi. This is an excellent blog. I would like more on this topic.

I have found a problem. If someone sends an email to me that already has a category assigned to it, it will never show up in my "New Mail" folder because the criteria for new mail is "Category is empty". The category is not empty and unless I check my Inbox I will not see it.

The resolution I have made is to continue to use the Inbox. Use the categories and search folders you have outlined except for the New mail search folder. When I am done with the message, I categorize it so that the search folders work appropriately but move it to a processed mail folder which is a sub folder of my inbox. Do you have any other suggestions?

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

outblog — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:26:49 GMT

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Rob Schneider - Sorry, categories won't work against an IMAP account. Carsten Pihl - Unfortunately, there isn't a way to set up a Search Folder based on whether or not a mail has been replied to. Tom O'Neill

Outlook Program Manager

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

Carsten Pihl — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:54:31 GMT

Nice tip, but it doesnt work on iphones, then half the point is gone. Then I have to go back to the old inbox, and moving emails to other folders. Then the question arises: Is it possible to make a rule that moves an email from the mailbox (eg inbox) after you have answered it. Now you have dealt with the email, and it should be possible to automaticly move it to a (archive) folder. Same for making rules for other actions, for example 2 days after read or something. All the rules starts with the moving when you receive the email, which is useful sometimes, but not all the times.

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

Rob Schneider — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:18:16 GMT

I was excited to read this idea ... then when I went to implement, I found that there is no "Categories" menu on the Edit Menu for my inbox ... My main inbox is on an IMAP server. Re these ideas only workable when using an Exchange server?

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

Jon B. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:07:03 GMT

One aspect that seems off to me is the specific situation of if I flag an email as "Response Needed" and respond to it without clearing that category, the email is responded back to me and it will not show up in the "New Email" Category since the category condition for that email isn't empty. So you'll have to clear the category condition on any email correspondence sent within the organization AND hope nobody else is using categories at all. I am using Outlook 2003.

re: Triaging Mail with Categories and Search Folders

Josh P. — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:30:55 GMT

What I really need is a way to categorize messages in a shared (i.e. server) mailbox that multiple people can view and manipulate. As far as I can tell, when I categorize messages, since these categories are stored locally, my work mate cannot see them. Thus, we're using flags right now to indicate items that are FYI, etc. But the flags cannot be customized (change color, label, and so on) so they are not that helpful. Is there a way to do this? Even a way to attach a "sticky" to a message that multiple users can view on their workstations would be great. Can anyone help? We use Outlook 2007 and Exchange.