Pin Email: Workaround for Classic Outlook without Disabling Conversation Groups
Microsoft Outlook has a feature called "Conversation Groups" that organizes emails by conversation threads. While this can be helpful, it also means that pinned emails can get lost in the shuffle. In the new Outlook, Microsoft introduced the ability to pin emails directly, but in the classic version, this feature is not directly available. This article will discuss a workaround to enable the pinning of emails in classic Outlook without disabling Conversation Groups.
Why Disabling Conversation Groups is not Ideal
Disabling Conversation Groups is not an ideal solution because it can make it difficult to follow the sequence of emails. Additionally, it can create a cluttered inbox with multiple copies of the same conversation thread. Thus, finding a workaround is necessary.
Creating a Custom View for Pinned Emails
The workaround for pinning emails in classic Outlook is to create a custom view specifically for pinned emails.
Step 1: Create a New Search Folder
To start, go to the "Search Folders" tab and select "New Search Folder" to open a new dialog box. In the dialog box, select "Create a custom Search Folder" at the bottom and click "Choose".
Step 2: Name Your Search Folder
Give your Search Folder a name, such as "Pinned Emails." This name will allow you to easily locate the folder later on.
Step 3: Define the Search Criteria
The next step is to define the search criteria. In the "Custom Search Folder" dialog box, select "Criteria" and set the following:
- "Messages" should be "In the 'Sent Items' folder" if you want to pin sent emails or "In the 'Inbox' folder" if you want to pin received emails.
- "More Choices" should be "With specific words in the subject or body" and enter "([Pin|pinned])" in the text box.
Pinned Emails
CurrentFolder
store:user\\Inbox
IPM.Note
0
([Pin|pinned])
Pinned Emails
The code block above shows the XML code for the custom view. The XML code can be imported into Outlook via the "Import and Export" feature in the "File" tab. Note that the "Username" in the "StoreURL" element should be replaced with your actual Outlook username.
Pinning Emails
To pin an email, you can add "[Pin]" or "[pinned]" to the subject line. The email will then appear in the "Pinned Emails" folder. You can also sort the folder by date by clicking on the "Received" column in the folder.
- Disabling Conversation Groups is not an ideal solution for pinning emails in classic Outlook.
- Creating a custom Search Folder is a workaround for pinning emails in classic Outlook.
- The code block above shows the XML code for the custom view, which can be imported into Outlook.