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Sending Categories on Email Messages

Slipstick Systems

› Outlook › Email › Sending Categories on Email Messages

Last reviewed on June 24, 2020     35 Comments

Applies to: Outlook 2019 (Win), Outlook 2016 (Win), Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007

To avoid releasing potentially private information on outgoing email messages, categories are not sent with email in Outlook when you use Exchange server mailboxes. When you use categories with internal codes or potentially embarrassing keywords, the recipient will not see them.

This does not apply to POP3 or IMAP accounts. The Category is removed by Exchange Server's transport rules, not Outlook, when the message is sent. A rule in Outlook 2007 and 2010 removes categories as messages are downloaded; Outlook 2013 and up does not have this rule, users will need to create the rule to remove categories.

If you need to send categories on outgoing email you can use the SendPersonalCategories registry entry.

Warning: when making this change, the categories will be included on the sent message and the recipient will be able to see the category (unless the recipient uses a rule to remove categories from messages they receive).

Create the key or path if it does not exist. This key should take effect without restarting Outlook.
 

User keys

Outlook 2016

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2013

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

If you setting the SendPersonalCategories value, users can still delete the categories as messages arrive by using a rule.

Do it for me

If you don't want to edit the registry yourself, you can download and run a registry file to make the changes. This reg file also sets AcceptCategories value.

Outlook 2016Outlook 2013Outlook 2010
Outlook 2007

 

Policy keys

Policy keys are generally used by administrators, usually in a GPO. In the past, home users could use policy keys too, however many policy keys won't work in the consumer versions of Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016.
Outlook 2016

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2013

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2007
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

If you setting the SendPersonalCategories value, users can still delete the categories as messages arrive by using a rule.

Do it for me

If you don't want to edit the registry yourself, you can download and run a registry file to make the changes. This reg file also sets AcceptCategories value.

Outlook 2016Outlook 2013Outlook 2010
Outlook 2007

Default Rule to Remove Categories

Outlook 2007 and up have a default rule that removes categories from messages as they arrive. Delete the rule or disable it if you want to keep the categories.

Outlook's default rule to remove categories

Remove Categories using a Macro

If categories are being sent, you can use a macro to remove the categories as the message is sent. Place the macro into ThisOutlookSession.

Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
Item.Categories = ""
Item.Save
End Sub

Exchange rule to remove categories

In Exchange 2007 and up, categories are removed from messages. To disable it, the administrator can use this cmdlet to change the transport setting.

Set-transportconfig -clearcategories $false

Other methods

If you need to include the category on a one time basis, drag the item to the hard drive, zip it and email the zip file. The recipient will drag the item to a folder in their Outlook and if using Outlook 2007, can add the categories to their master list by using the Upgrade to color categories option in the root folder properties.

Add Categories to Master list

In Outlook 2007 or 2010, to add a category that is not in your master list, to your master list, select it (so its highlighted) and click the New button.

Not in master list

Outlook will assign the next unused color - change the color and set a shortcut key, if desired, then click Save.

Adding Categories when Composing Email

The Categories button is not available when you are composing new messages. When you need to assign categories, you need to add the category to the message either in the Sent folder or in the Outbox.

To add the category before hitting Send, you can use VBA to open the Categories dialog. Add the following code to the VB Editor and then add a button to the QAT, Ribbon, or Toolbar of a message form. Click the button to open the Category dialog.

'by Michael Bauer
'//www.vboffice.net/en/developers/assign-email-categories-before-sending
Public Sub ShowCategoriesDialog()
  Dim Mail As Object
  Set Mail = Application.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem
  Mail.ShowCategoriesDialog
End Sub

More Information

Outlook Categories (Slipstick)
More Category VBA Code Samples by Michael Bauer:
E-Mail: Categorizer for outgoing e-mails
E-Mail: Categorize and move

Sending Categories on Email Messages was last modified: June 24th, 2020 by Diane Poremsky
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About Diane Poremsky

A Microsoft Outlook Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 1999, Diane is the author of several books, including Outlook 2013 Absolute Beginners Book. She also created video training CDs and online training classes for Microsoft Outlook. You can find her helping people online in Outlook Forums as well as in the Microsoft Answers and TechNet forums.

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Karla K (@guest_202069)
October 4, 2016 10:50 am
#202069

We have Office 365 with Outlook 2016. The registry settings fixed it for us, but the key for Outlook 2016 is: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\preferences]
Values are (same as 2013):
"AcceptCategories"=dword:00000001
"SendPersonalCategories"=dword:00000001

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Reply
Brad Smith (@bradsmithsc) (@guest_194058)
October 15, 2015 9:47 am
#194058

Hey Diane,

Added this into group policy and noticed something. For Outlook 2013, the reg file has two fields but the page instructions are missing the AcceptCategories dword.

Page instructions
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Preferences
DWORD: SendPersonalCategories
Value Data: 1 to keep categories on sent mail, 0 to not include categories

Outlook 2013 reg file
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\preferences]
"AcceptCategories"=dword:00000001
"SendPersonalCategories"=dword:00000001

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Reply
G (@guest_192191)
July 30, 2015 12:19 am
#192191

Copied and pasted and there are no rules in 2013 outlook that strip categories. At least not when setup as exchange.

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G (@guest_192034)
July 22, 2015 2:48 pm
#192034

Somehow I got one computer to work perfectly fine but the rest I cannot get to work and here are the steps I've taken:

Added these regedits:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\preferences]
"AcceptCategories"=dword:00000001
"SendPersonalCategories"=dword:00000001

Also went into the powershell msonline and changed the transportconfig clearcategories to false.

What else could be making outlook strip categories from meeting invites before sending them?

In OWA, I can send categories in my invites perfectly between all users so this is definitely 100% an outlook issue.

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Diane Poremsky(@diane-poremsky)
Author
Reply to  G
July 29, 2015 9:39 pm
#192162

Are their any rules that are removing categories? They are usually set on the recipients end though.

Did you export the reg keys from the working computer and run it on the others? This will eliminate spelling errors.

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Cam Robinson (@guest_184061)
June 16, 2014 5:35 pm
#184061

I am using the 64 bit version of office - I am not sure if that makes a difference.

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Diane Poremsky (@guest_184074)
Reply to  Cam Robinson
June 16, 2014 11:25 pm
#184074

No, the bitness wouldn't affect this.

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Cam Robinson (@guest_184060)
June 16, 2014 5:33 pm
#184060

Yes, I restarted Outlook. I am using Office 365 which I believe is the latest version of Outlook. I did it twice. First manually and then with the reg files.

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Diane Poremsky (@guest_184075)
Reply to  Cam Robinson
June 16, 2014 11:25 pm
#184075

Offhand, I don't know why its not working for you. It should (and does here). Sorry.

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Cameron Robinson (@guest_183977)
June 13, 2014 2:27 pm
#183977

I cannot seem to get this to work for Outlook in Office 365 using the Office 365 Email server. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Preferences does not exist. Only HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Security

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Diane Poremsky (@guest_183978)
Reply to  Cameron Robinson
June 13, 2014 3:25 pm
#183978

if a key doesn't exist, you need to create it. right click on the Outlook key and choose New>

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Cameron Robinson (@guest_183980)
Reply to  Diane Poremsky
June 13, 2014 3:35 pm
#183980

I created the key but it had not affect.

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Reply
Diane Poremsky (@guest_184009)
Reply to  Cameron Robinson
June 15, 2014 12:17 am
#184009

Did you restart Outlook? What version of Outlook do you use? Did you type the key in or use the reg files I included?

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Alex K (@guest_182380)
March 7, 2014 2:37 pm
#182380

Having a rule to strip categories on incoming messages does not protect from information leak :(

And judging from what the page you linked says, the leak is actually "by design". "Be very careful about categorizing your outgoing messages — your recipients might be able to see your categories". This is unfortunate.

Diane, thank you so much for getting to the bottom of it! At least now it is clear that Outlook is not stripping categories which as assigned before a message is sent, unless sender is using Exchange.

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Diane Poremsky (@guest_182383)
Reply to  Alex K
March 7, 2014 4:54 pm
#182383

No, it doesn't prevent PII leakage. The mvps discussed it this morning and had some of the same confusion we had last night. I don't know if some of the information was lost when the site was moved into the wordpress but I'll make it more clean since more people will notice this problem since the rule is no longer added by default - that hid the problem from many users.

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Reply

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