A user wanted to know how to mark messages they had responded to. One method is flagging the items complete.
Another is to add a custom field to add check boxes to the row so that you can mark the messages. Then you can use automatic formatting and filters to show or hide the marked messages.
You can even create a custom text field and write notes about the message.
To create a custom field:
- Open the View Settings dialog from the View ribbon. In Outlook 2007 and older, its Customize view and you can right click on the header row above the message list and choose Custom or Customize View (Outlook 2007 and older) from the bottom of the menu.
- Click Columns to open the Show Columns dialog.
- Click New Column button.
- Create a custom field of the Yes/No type and add it to the view.
- Click Other Settings.
- Enable in-cell editing so you can check (or uncheck) it to mark an item.
- Return to Outlook.
- Click in the column you just added to mark a message
Note: The actual checkbox may not be visible in the column until you click it.
In Outlook 2010 and newer, you need to turn off Show as Conversation on View tab. When Show as conversation is checked, the field won't work when there is only 1 message in a conversation.
Create a notes field for messages
To create a field so you can add notes to the messages, you need to create a Text field and enable in-cell editing. Use the same steps as above, choosing the Text field type instead.
The following video tutorial shows how to create a custom field in Outlook 2010 and newer.
Use a Macro to add a Notes Field
This macro brings up an Inputbox for you type the note in then adds it to the selected message. If the field already exists, the contents are shown in the inputbox, so you can edit it or type over it to replace.
Public Sub EditField() Dim obj As Object Dim objProp As Outlook.UserProperty Dim strNote As String, strCurrent As String Set obj = Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1) On Error Resume Next Set UserProp = obj.UserProperties.Find("MyNotes") If Not UserProp Is Nothing Then strCurrent = obj.UserProperties("MyNotes").Value End If Debug.Print strCurrent strNote = InputBox("Current Value: " & strCurrent, "Edit the Notes field", strCurrent) Set objProp = obj.UserProperties.Add("MyNotes", olText, True) objProp.Value = strNote obj.Save Err.Clear Set obj = Nothing End Sub
Macro to View the custom field value
To view a field in a message box, use this macro, changing the field name to your custom field name.
Public Sub EditField() Dim obj As Object Dim strCurrent As String Set obj = Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1) On Error Resume Next Set UserProp = obj.UserProperties.Find("MyNotes") If Not UserProp Is Nothing Then strCurrent = obj.UserProperties("MyNotes").Value MsgBox strCurrent Else MsgBox "Field not found" End If Set obj = Nothing End Sub
How to use the Macro
First: You will need macro security set to low during testing.
To check your macro security in Outlook 2010 or 2013, go to File, Options, Trust Center and open Trust Center Settings, and change the Macro Settings. In Outlook 2007 and older, it’s at Tools, Macro Security. If Outlook tells you it needs to be restarted, close and reopen Outlook. Note: after you test the macro and see that it works, you can either leave macro security set to low or sign the macro.
Now open the VBA Editor by pressing Alt+F11 on your keyboard.
To put the code in a module:
- Right click on Project1 and choose Insert > Module
- Copy and paste the macro into the new module.
More information as well as screenshots are at How to use the VBA Editor.
More Information
Because of the way Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013 handle Conversation group headers, you need to turn off Show as Conversation on View tab to use in-cell editing. When Show as conversation is checked, the custom field won’t work when there is only one message in a conversation.
Hi Diane,
Can it be that after moving the email with clearcontext the data in the comment column is gone?
Kind regards,
Paul
Hi Diane, the custom columns works very well. Is the there any way that after creating it, one can add a drop-down menu with options for frequently used fields? Or alternatively, have an option similar to the Categorize option, that you can access and assign?
No, the custom field in the view does not support dropdowns/selectors. Sorry.
Thank you for the reply.
great and easy advice to create user defined fields - Thank you!
Unfortunately when i move the email to a folder, the UDF content disappears. If i type it in again it shows but as soon as i press enter it disappears again. Please help.
thank you
Margaret
The field and contents should stay on the item, but you need to add the field to the folder to see it. Use the macro to add a notes field (changing the field name in it) to display the field value after you move the item - does it contain the expected value?
You can remove the inputbox line and the lines that follow - replace it with
msgbox strCurrent
Very helpful article Diane!
Do you have a version of the macro for Outlook 2016?
Thank you!
This macro works in Outlook 2016/2019 as written. Follow the steps for 2013 - the interface is identical.
I followed the directions, however the emails are deleted when I click on the box. Can this be changed?
Are you using the code as it appears above? There is nothing in the code above that would delete the message.
Hi, can any help to edit the above "Use a Macro to add a Notes Field" to apply to all Selected Message add the same value. not only apply to the first message. many thanks
The macros are https://www.slipstick.com/developer/code-samples/working-items-folder-selected-items/ show how to work with all items in a folder or only selected items.
Basically, copy the Dim statements and replace the with obj /end with with the code in the macro above.
That macro is unreadable. :) Attached is a text file with the macro in it.
Many many thanks. Million thanks.
This is awesome. I love the notes field, and have wanted something like this for a long time. I should have found this sooner! You say you need to turn off Show as Conversations to add notes to a 1 message conversation. I live by Conversation View. A better alternative is to keep Show as Conversations turned on, and simply sort by a column other than Received. So if you are on a 1 message conversation, click the top of your notes field, to sort by that, which takes it out of conversation mode. The message you want to edit will still be highlighted. Add you comments, then click the header for Received, and it will go back into Converation Mode, and you will still have your comments on that message.
Great article, thank you Diane.
We have 5 people accessing shared mailbox but only the person who creates the new YES/NO custom field can see it and use it.
I can see from previous comments below that you have suggested the same fields be set up on the other users outlook programs but this doesn't work.... presumably because each time you're setting up a 'new' bespoke YES/NO field and the server doesn't know they're all wanting the same data.
How do we set up other PC/Outlooks to list the new fields and also to update if the YES/NO has been toggled?
Incidentally, when I create the same "new field" on a second/third/fourth computer, I would expect to see the new field as an available once the original person had created it... but it doesn't seem to be listed on the available fields...
Many thanks in advance
>> you have suggested the same fields be set up on the other users outlook programs I don't remember saying that (and have not reviewed the comments to see what i meant) - but if I did, its wrong or not what I meant. If two people create the same field, the names will be field, field1, field2 etc. assuming outlook lets them create the fields - it should complain that the name exists. The fields sync with the items but it can take 15 min or so for these things to sync.. Views will sync too, and should be for 'this folder available to everyone' views. Hopefully the first screenshot won't be too confusing. It is from "lois lane" profile. Bo created a field and a view - lois can change the field and created one of her own. If she wants to create a new view, all of the fields not yet used in that view will be listed in the field chooser, under user-defined fields in [folder]. (The field chooser screenshot was taken before the ll-yesno field was created). the second screenshot is from bo's computer. I needed to restart outlook to see the field and view… Read more »
BTW, the software switched my screenshots. The "first" one has the field chooser, the "second" one, with the Copy of B... view, is from Bo's computer.