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Journal automatically records actions that you choose which relate to specific contacts and puts the actions in a Timeline view. You can use Journal to track Microsoft Outlook items, such as e-mail messages or meetings. It can also track other Microsoft Office files, such as Word documents or Excel workbooks.

Journal keeps a record of any interaction that you want to remember — even something that is not located on your computer, such as a phone conversation or a paper letter that you mailed or received.

Here's how to find Journal.

  1. On the Navigation Bar, click Navigation Bar ellipses > Folders > Journal

    to view the folder in the navigation bar

  2. You can work with your existing Journal entries or create new ones from the Folder pane.

    folder pane view of the journal

  1. In the Folder Pane, click the Journal folder.

  2. Click Home.

  3. In the New group, click Journal Entry.

  4. In the Subject box, type a description.

  5. In the Entry type box, click the type of journal entry that you are recording.

  6. Select other options that you want.

Note: Previous versions of Outlook included an automatic journal feature which tracked documents opened in other Microsoft Office applications and Windows. This feature isn’t available in Outlook 2013 or newer.

  1. In Journal, in Timeline view, click View.

  2. In the Current View group, click View Settings, and then click Columns.

  3. In the Select available fields from box, click the field set that you want. This normally would be Frequently used fields or All Journal fields.

  4. In the Available date/time fields box, click the field that contains the time that you want to use as the start time for the item, and then click Start.

  5. In the Available date/time fields box, click the field that contains the time that you want to use as the end time for the item, and then click End.

Tip: The Timeline view shows when each item and document was created, saved, sent, received, opened, and modified. When you change the time fields used to display items on the timeline, the location and duration of the items may change on the timeline.

  1. Open the journal entry.

  2. Enter a new start date and time. To change the end time, change the number in the Duration box.

Note: Changing the times associated with a journal entry doesn’t change the start time of the item, document, or contact that it refers to.

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