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Messages you send can be flagged to alert you, or the recipient, that action is required.

Flag for yourself

You’re sending a message that requires a response. You want to make sure you don’t forget about the request and you get the information you need. A flag to yourself lets you know that you asked others for a response. By adding a flag, you’ll see a to-do item in Tasks and the Tasks peek.

  1. Click Message > Follow Up.

    Follow Up command on the ribbon

  2. Click Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week, No Date, or Custom.

Since the message will be out of sight in your Sent Items folder, we recommend you add a reminder for yourself. Reminders are alert dialog boxes that appear when follow up is due, just like the ones you see for upcoming meetings or appointments.

To add a reminder for yourself, click Follow Up > Add Reminder. Enter the date and time for when you want the reminder dialog box to appear.

Flag for recipients

A flag on a message to recipients adds extra emphasis. A flag appears in the message list and text appears above the From line in the message. If the recipient is also using Outlook, an item will be added to his or her to-do list.

  1. Click Message > Follow Up.

    Follow Up command on the ribbon

  2. Click Custom.

  3. Check the Flag for Recipients box.

    Flag for Recipients command in the Custom dialog box

  4. In the Custom dialog box, we recommend changing the default Flag to text to a description or action. For example, you could type Send Anne an answer to the permit question. This is the text the recipient will see above the From line.

For added visibility, you can include a reminder. Reminders are alert dialog boxes that appear when follow up is due, just like you see for a meeting or appointment that’s about to start.

To add a reminder for recipients, check the Flag for Recipients box, and then enter the date and time you want the reminder dialog box to appear for the recipients.

Tip: Use discretion when adding a reminder to a flag for recipients. Ask yourself if you really need to interrupt the recipient with a reminder dialog box or if a flag is sufficient.

How do the flag dates on the Follow Up menu work?

Use flags to mark items for follow-up and to include reminders. The following default start dates, due dates, and reminder times are available for flags. You can customize each of the settings.

Flag

Start date

Due date

Reminder

Today

Current date

Current date

One hour before the end time of today's work day

Tomorrow

Current date plus one day

Current date plus one day

Start time of current day plus one work day

This Week

Current date plus two days, but no later than the last work day of this week

Last work day of this week

Start time of current day plus two work days

Next Week

First work day of next week

Last work day of next week

Start time of the first work day of next week

No Date

No date

No date

Current date

Custom

Current date is displayed; choose a custom date if desired

Current date is displayed; choose a custom date if desired

Current date is displayed; choose a custom date if desired

See also

Set or remove reminders

Flag incoming messages for follow-up

Add tracking to email messages

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