How to convert or turn a message into a task in Outlook?

Author Siluvia Last modified 2025-04-10

Sometimes, email messages contain important task-related information that requires follow-up by a certain date. Instead of manually taking notes or setting separate reminders, Outlook allows you to directly convert an email into a task. This can be incredibly useful for managing your workload and ensuring you don't forget important deadlines. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the steps to transform an email message into a task within Outlook.

Convert or turn a message into a task in Outlook

Convert or turn a message into a task in Outlook

1. Navigate to your inbox and click to highlight the email you want to convert into a task. Click and hold on to the highlighted email, then drag it down to the "Tasks" icon, which is located at the bottom left of the Outlook navigation bar.

the steps of converting a message into a task in outlook

2. When you drop the email onto the "Tasks" icon, a task editing window will pop up. Configure the details (such as the "Subject", the "Start date", and the "Due date"...). Check the "Reminder" checkbox and specify the date and time if needed. Finally, click "Save & Close" to save and close your task editor.

3. Switch to the "Tasks" section in Outlook to view your newly created task. When you open it, you'll be able to see all the information from the original email within the task.