Would you like to know when the recipient opens your email? What about having the server send your message on a particular date at a particular time? Maybe you would like someone else to handle the replies to your message? Let’s explore the options that are available in the Message Options dialog box in Outlook.

The Message Options Dialog Box

From the toolbar in a new mail message, choose the button.  You can also open the Message Options dialog box by choosing Options from the View menu.  The Message Options dialog box displays as below.

Options in Detail

• Importance level: Use High importance if the message is urgent. The recipient sees a red exclamation point next to the message in his/her inbox. Low importance is usually reserved for messages such as unimportant announcements and newsletters. Recipients see a blue downward pointing arrow next to these messages. Normal is the default importance level setting. The recipient sees no special indicator for this type of message.

Note: You can also quickly set the importance level to High or Low using these buttons on the new mail message toolbar:

• Sensitivity level: When a recipient opens the message, he/she sees an information bar in the header of the message indicating how the message is to be treated. For example, it might read, “Please treat this as Private.” The default level is Normal and the recipient sees no note in the header .

Note: Marking a message as Personal or Confidential only shows a note in the recipient’s header. However, marking a message as Private puts a note in the recipient’s header and does not allow the recipient to alter your words if they choose to forward the message.

• Use voting buttons: Often times an email is sent to receive feedback or opinions on a particular issue or subject. Voting buttons offer a unique way to keep track of responses. In part 2 of this tutorial, voting buttons are presented in greater detail.

• Tell me when this message has been sent: The server can send you a receipt if it has successfully been able to leave this message for the intended recipient(s). Check this box to have this receipt delivered to you.

• Tell me when this message has been read: The server can also send you a receipt after the recipient has actually opened the email. Check this box to have this type of receipt delivered to you.

Note: If you delete a message you have received with a "Tell me when this message has been read" receipt attached to it without opening it, the sender receives a receipt that states you deleted the message without reading it.

• Have replies sent to: If another user needs to handle all replies to this email, check this box and enter the user’s name in this field. As before, press the Tab key to move to the next field and Outlook finds the matching name in the address book and underlines it. Use the Select Names button to select from a list. When the recipient chooses the Reply button on the message, the reply is automatically addressed to the user you specified. The default setting is to have replies sent back to you.

• Save sent message to: If you would like to save this message in an Outlook folder other than the Sent Items folder, choose the Browse button and select the appropriate folder.

• Do not deliver before: The server can hold a message and deliver it on a specific date and time. To select a delivery date, choose the drop down arrow to the right of this field. Select a date from the calendar. Position your cursor in the field to type a different delivery time.

Note: You can also use "natural language" to place a date in a field. For example, you can type, "next Wednesday" or "two weeks before Christmas". When you move off of the date field, Outlook finds the correct date and places it in the field. Try it - but remember, spelling counts!

• Expires on: When a message is sent that is no longer relevant past a certain date (for example, a meeting agenda), you can specify when the message is to expire in the recipient’s inbox. A message that has expired is indicated in gray with a strike through as shown below.

• Categories: Outlook items can be associated with specific categories. In this way, you can easily keep track of and find all items in a particular category.

Make voting on issues and tracking votes easy, and learn how to flag messages in part 2...

Keep going!