Creating a folder in Outlook is pretty easy. First, you need to select where you want the folder to be placed. Do we want a folder under a main folder (called a subfolder)? Or do you want it on the main level all on its own?

In the figure above, you can see examples of both types of folders. The folder that’s circled in blue is a folder someone created. It’s on the same level as the default folders (like deleted items and inbox), but it has a different name to help you organize your data. 

The folder that’s circled in red is a subfolder. You can see that there’s a minus sign next to the Inbox; that means that there are subfolders underneath it. If you click the minus sign next to Inbox, it will turn to a plus sign and you won’t see the folders underneath it

 

So, once you’ve decided where you want your folder to go, we need to click in the right spot. If you want it to go under a folder, click that folder. If you want it to be its own folder, click Personal Folders, which is at the very top of the list.

 

Once you’ve clicked the right folder, you can do one of the following actions:

-       Press Ctrl + Shift + E

-       Right-click on the folder and click New Folder

-       Click on the File menu, choose New, and click Folder

 

After you’ve done one of those actions, the box pictured below will appear.

 

You’ll see that it has three fields. In the first field, you can type the name of the folder. In the next field, we need to specify what kind of item the folder contains (we’ll get to those options in a moment). Finally, Outlook will show you where it’s going to put the folder. In the sample picture on the right, Personal Folders is highlighted because that’s what was selected when the New Folder command was chosen. If you want to change where you’re going to put the folder, now’s the time to do it!

 

Once you’ve got all the fields filled out, click OK to create the folder. If you’ve changed your mind, click Cancel so the folder won’t be created.

 

If you change your mind about any of the options after you’ve created the folder, you can right-click on it to modify it. You can see an example of the right-click menu in the figure on the right. There are lots of options in this menu, but for now we’re just going to look at the set of options that will help you customize your folder.

 

 

You’ll see that one option is to move the folder. This is a great tool if you create your folder in the wrong place (for example, as its own folder instead of as a subfolder). You can also move the folder by dragging and dropping it in the navigation pane.

 

This menu is also where you can delete or rename your folder. You can also copy it to another location. Last but not least, you can create a subfolder underneath it by clicking the New Folder option.

 

The same options will appear if you click on the File menu and click Folder, although it’s much easier to right-click!