Microsoft Outlook 2007
Sorting Your Email Messages
Email messages accumulate rapidly. Since folders can contain hundreds of messages, searching for a particular email can seem overwhelming. Instead of scrolling through a list of emails, Outlook makes finding a specific email easy with its sort feature.
Mailbox Headings
Email can be sorted with just a few clicks. Below is an explanation of the most common sorting options when viewing your Inbox or other email folder.
| Header | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Header Status | Messages will be sorted by date received from most recent to oldest without grouping messages by date. |
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Importance | High importance messages are placed first, normal importance messages are placed second, and low priority messages are placed last. |
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Icon | Messages will be sorted by type (e.g., mail message, meeting request, receipts, etc.). |
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Flag Status | All flagged messages will be sorted to the top of the Mailbox. |
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Attachment | All messages that contain an attachment will be sorted to the top of the Mailbox. |
 |
From | Messages will be sorted and grouped by sender alphabetically from A-Z. NOTE: Messages will be sorted by the first character, which is not necessarily the last name of the sender. |
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Subject | Messages will be sorted alphabetically by subject from A-Z using the first character of the subject. |
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Received | Messages will be sorted by date received from oldest to most recent. NOTE: Messages are grouped according to date received by default. |
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Size | Messages will be sorted by size from smallest to largest. |
Sorting Messages within Mailboxes
Sorting messages can make it easier to locate a desired message.
Sorting Messages: Menu Option
Depending on the size of your computer screen and how you have customized the look of Outlook, all of the mailbox headings may not display. You can still sort on any heading by using the Arrange By command.
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Select the mailbox folder containing the messages you want to sort
EXAMPLE: Select Inbox. -
From the View menu, select Arrange By » the desired heading
NOTES:
The mailbox heading indicates what field is being used to sort and the sort order.
By clicking the the sort order, the order is reversed. The arrow indicates whether the field is sorted in ascending or descending order.
Sorting Messages: Column Heading Option
If you have several messages in your mailbox, you can sort them by any field in the Content area. Clicking a column heading toggles between ascending and descending order. You can add, delete, or rearrange columns, referred to as fields, in the Content area. For more information, refer to Using the Field Chooser.
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Select the mailbox folder containing the messages you want to sort
EXAMPLE: Select Inbox. -
Click the column heading you want to sort on
The messages will now be sorted by that column.
EXAMPLE: Click RECEIVED.
NOTE: By clicking the column heading a second time, the sorting order is reversed. The arrow in the heading indicates whether the field is sorted in ascending or descending order.
