How to Customize the MS Outlook Toolbar and Ribbon

MS Outlook is not just an email client; rather, it is a potent tool that can boost your productivity. It can be customized and tailored based on your specific demands. One of the best ways to make efficient and productive use of Microsoft Outlook is to customize the toolbar and ribbon. It will allow you to use the most frequent and commonly used commands and features more quickly. Thus, you will be able to streamline your workflow and save your valuable time. Everyone’s preferences are not the same. Therefore, you should customize the MS Outlook toolbar and ribbon to adjust your work experience.

In today’s content, we will walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to customize the MS Outlook toolbar and ribbon with detailed explanations.

How to Create and Use Email Templates in MS Outlook?

How to Access the Customized Menu?

• Launch Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
• Click on the File tab located in the upper left corner of the window.

• From the menu on the left, click on Options to open the Outlook Options window.

How to Customize the Ribbon?

After that, you will see multiple options in the Outlook options list. Now if you want to customize the ribbon, you can select Customize Ribbon from the menu list on the left side of your window.

• Now on the right side, you will see a list of main tabs and the names of the available groups under the particular tabs. You can put a checkmark on these boxes to show or uncheck the boxes if you want to hide any command from your ribbon.

• If you want to add a new command to your ribbon, first you need to create a new tab or new group. You can create new tabs and groups by clicking on the button named New Tab or New Group from the bottom. Besides, you can also rename any existing tabs or groups by clicking on Rename.

• Once you create a new group or new tab, you can add any command from the left pane.
• To add any command to your ribbon, first select the specific tab where you want to show that particular command.
• Then select the desired command and click the Add button to move the command to the selected tab or group on the right side.
• If you want, you can rearrange the order of the tabs as well. You can even reorganize the commands within the tabs by selecting them and using the up and down buttons from your keyboard.
• Moreover, if you feel you want to have the ribbon as it was before,. You can just reset the whole ribbon with one mouse click. Besides, you can reset a particular tab as well. To do this, just click on reset and then select the options, either you want to reset the whole ribbon or just a particular tab.

• If you want, you can also import any existing format of the ribbon by selecting the import button below the reset button. You can also export your newly customized ribbon to save and use later on by clicking on the export button. It is just beside the import button.
• Once all your settings are fixed, you can click on OK. Then you will be directed to the home tab and will be able to see the newly customized ribbon above your Outlook window.

This is how you can easily customize the ribbon as you wish. This is a great way to use the commands of MS Outlook more effectively. You should add the frequently used commands to your home tab, and thus you can use those commands anytime with just one mouse click. You can also directly start customizing the ribbon by right-clicking on the ribbon with your mouse and setting your desired commands of MS Outlook on the right part of the screen.

How do I customize the Quick Access Toolbar?

The quick access toolbar is usually located at the top left part of your Outlook window. When you hover your mouse on them, you will see the names of the specific commands. Now to customize that toolbar, you have to click on the down arrow just next to the quick access toolbar.

• Now from the dropdown menu, you can select commands to add directly to the toolbar, or you can click on more commands to add more options in the quick access toolbar. You can also deselect any command based on your demand.

• When you select more commands from the list, you will be directed to a new window named Customize the Quick Access toolbar. You can also get this from the options menu list by clicking on Files from the top left corner of your MS Outlook window.
• By the way, now you can easily add or remove any commands by selecting them.
• After that, you just have to click on Add or Remove to perform your desired functions.

• The work process is the same as how you customized the ribbon. This time you can also reset or import and export any existing quick-access toolbar menu.
• Unfortunately, if you do not find your desired command in the separator pane on the left side, you can click on the arrow sign beside Popular Commands.
• It will open a drop-down list where you can select All options or find your specific commands from the huge list.

I hope now you have found your desired command to add to the quick access toolbar. Once you are all set, you can click on OK. Besides, there is another option for the position of the toolbar. You can select show below the ribbon or above the ribbon. Thus, you can effortlessly customize the quick-access toolbar based on your work experience and specific demands.

How do I know the keyboard shortcuts for any command?

To know the keyboard shortcut for a specific command or option, you do not even need to click. Just hover your mouse on the desired options or commands, and the keyboard shortcut for those options will appear on the screen. That’s simple, it is. The keyboard shortcut is a powerful feature of MS Outlook to have a better work experience and save valuable time for users.

Customizing the MS Outlook Quick Access toolbar and the ribbon not only makes your email experience more effective but also allows the users to adjust the interface to fit one’s unique workflow. I hope this tutorial helped you on how to customize the MS Outlook toolbar and ribbon. If you have followed the steps carefully, you can easily create a personalized workspace that enhances your productivity. Nevertheless, for any queries, please drop your valuable words in the comment section below. Thank you.