---
title: "Color-code E-mails in Outlook"
url: https://lookeen.com/blog/color-code-e-mails-in-outlook
lang: en
description: "E-mails can be color-coded in Outlook. This way, you can instantly tell whether an E-mail is personal or work-related."
author: "Ben Golling"
published: 2016-02-08T18:43:33+00:00
modified: 2026-11-11T06:16:02+00:00
---

# Color-code E-mails in Outlook

If you have used previous versions of Outlook, you may have already taken advantage of the option to color-code your emails. Automatically tagging your emails has the benefit of allowing you to identify the type of email at a glance. In Outlook 2016, you can color-code your emails under “Conditional Formatting.” This enables you to customize your inbox according to your personal needs through “Conditional Formatting.”

In the default settings of “Conditional Formatting”, all unread emails are already formatted in bold. Through Outlook’s configuration options, you can also color-code those emails that are personally important to you.

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## “Conditional Formatting” in Outlook 2016

If you want to color-code your emails to better structure your Outlook 2016 inbox, you only need to familiarize yourself a bit with Outlook’s configuration options.

1.  To do this, open Outlook and click on the **“View”** ribbon.

2.  Click on **“View Settings”** so that a window opens.

![Outlook Display](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/E-Mails-farblich-kennzeichnen-Anzeige.jpg)

3.  In the **“Advanced View Settings”** window, you must now click on **“Conditional Formatting…”**.

![Outlook View Settings](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/E-Mails-farblich-kennzeichnen-Ansichtseinstellungen.jpg)

4.  In the **“Conditional Formatting”** window, you will see an overview of already active formatting rules. Click on **“Add”** to create a new rule, or select one of the existing rules to modify it.

![Conditional Formatting in Outlook](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/E-Mails-farblich-kennzeichnen-Bedingte-Formatierung.jpg)

When creating a new rule for your inbox, there are a few small details you should keep in mind: It is best to name your rule according to its function, which will make it easier for you later to identify and revise individual rules.

First, you should click on **“Condition…”** to precisely define when this rule should apply. For example, this allows you to format all emails that you receive only in “CC” immediately upon arrival. To do this, in the **“Filter”** window, under the **“Messages”** tab, check the box next to **“Where I am:”** and select the corresponding entry from the dropdown menu.

In the **“Filter”** window, you can choose from many additional configuration options. Familiarize yourself with the different options under **“Messages”**, **“More Choices”**, or **“Advanced”** and test their functions. The settings under **“Advanced”** are intended more for advanced users. You cannot yet color-code your emails here. To do so, first save your settings by confirming with **“OK”**.

![Filter](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/E-Mails-farblich-kennzeichnen-Filtern.jpg)

Back in the **“Conditional Formatting”** window, you must give your rule a unique appearance. Formatting such as font, style or size, as well as color and other minor effects can be configured under **“Font”**. In this case, the font was changed to Times New Roman, the text color was set to red, and the entire text is also displayed in bold. However, as a general rule, when color-coding your emails, you should use fewer rather than more formatting options at the same time.

![Font Formatting](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/E-Mails-farblich-kennzeichnen-Titelbild.jpg)

Depending on whether an email comes from your boss, your colleagues, friends, or your family: Thanks to “Conditional Formatting” in Outlook 2016, you can accordingly color-code your emails. The visual support when processing new messages can significantly increase your efficiency. Not least, the many possibilities for individual customization to your preferences and needs make Outlook’s “Conditional Formatting” a great tool.