Below are some common questions about Outlook's conversation view.
Two separate conversation threads happen to have the exact same subject because they were originally produced by an automated system that gives all e-mails the exact same subject line. How can I tell Outlook they are unrelated?
Short answer: You can't.
Long answer: This should only happen with an Exchange Server 2003 or Exchange Server 2007 mailbox. Messages retrieved using POP3, IMAP, or using Outlook Connector/EAS, or received by Exchange 2010 or 2013 servers should be organized as separate conversations even though the subject is identical.
Somebody doesn't reply to an e-mail in a conversation, but rather creates a new e-mail with a new subject. How can I tell Outlook this new thread is part of the same conversation?
Sorry, you can't add messages to a conversation.
Somebody uses an e-mail in a particular conversation to start a new topic or refer to an existing topic that is unrelated to the current conversation. How can I tell Outlook this needs to be in it's own conversation thread?
Unfortunately, you can't remove messages from conversations either. Outlook's POP, IMAP, Outlook Connector/EAS message transport and Exchange Server 2010/2013 add a conversation property to the message when messages arrive and uses this value to group messages by conversation. When the conversation property isn't available (in Exchange 2003/2007), Outlook uses the Subject field.
Show as Conversations options
To enable or disable Show Conversations, switch to the View tab and check or uncheck the Show Conversations option. Expand Conversation Settings to fine-tune the conversation display.
Show as conversations is only available when you group by date. If it's grayed out, you need to switch to the Date grouping. When Show as conversations is enabled, the Date group is labeled Date (Conversations).
In the Arrangement group select Date. A dialog box will open, asking if you want to arrange by conversation in all folders or this folder only, as well as an option to cancel. This dialog box comes up each time you enable or disable Show as Conversations.
When you upgrade from an old version of Outlook, Upgrade to Conversations is set automatically during the first run process after upgrading, but administrators can use group policy to block the use of conversations.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\14.0\Outlook\Setup\
DWORD: UpgradeToConversations
Data Value: 1 (use conversations) or 0 (don't use)
If your computer doesn't use group policy, check the UpgradeToConversations value under the Outlook key at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Setup
DWORD: UpgradeToConversations
Data Value: 1 (use conversations) or 0 (don't use)
My Conversations are not threading through...but only when the initial outreach originates by mail merge. Is there a setting that could cause this? It is working for colleagues where the recognition of a continued thread follows through...but for me, the connection breaks between initial outreach and the person's response.
I want to view conversations, but I also need to quickly see my flagged emails. What's the best way to do that?
Assuming outlook desktop, a search folder for flagged messages. If you use conversation view, you'll see all messages in the conversation if one is flagged. A custom view that shows only flagged items also works (if show as conversation is enabled).
Have come across something that has stumped us here in my IT department. A user forwarded me an email he received from an outside source that contained multiple conversations. When opening the email using either outlook 365 web version or the full client, it only shows parts of the conversation. However, when I open the email through the ios outlook app, it shows all of the conversations in the email. Is there a setting in Windows that we are missing that prevents us from seeing the all the conversations associated with that email?
No, there is no setting that would hide part of it in outlook desktop - the web version can hide, but has a link to show all. I've only ever seen this with actual conversations that, not in a forwarded thread.
If you hit forward, do you see all content?
THANKS!!!!
I came into same issue, but I recognized that when I sort by anything rather than "Received" the message will be grayed out i.e. sorting by Sender or subject.
By the way, I am using 2016 pro version.
Hello Diane,
Thanks for the good article which solves some of my queries regarding the mailbox.
But I have an issue:
Recently I migrated all of my emails from Gmail to Outlook. the process successfully completed. However, at some steps, it stopped, but on retrying it completed.
Mails are migrated to Outlook but some of the conversations are not showing properly in a thread on Outlook (but they belongs to the same thread and showing properly on Gmail).
Please check this image, by which I migrated emails (Exchange Admin Center)
Please help me, If I am did something wrong,
Thanks
What if the show conversations command button is missing from the ribbon? But it should be there as it’s outlook 2013
Hi, I have the conversation working perfectly fine till now but in our company they have implemented a data classification tool due to which the messages are marked Internal, Confidential etc., in Subject line which is not allowing it to group under same conversation. Is there anyway, we can configure to exclude such tags?
No, you can't exclude the tags. Sorry. :(