How to Create a Task in Outlook (Every Version, 2026)
Outlook tasks give you a built-in to-do list that lives alongside your email and calendar. Instead of switching to a separate app, you can create, organize, and track tasks from the same place where you manage everything else.
This guide covers every current method: Outlook on the web (My Day panel), new Outlook for Windows and Mac, classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook mobile, and the connection between Outlook tasks and Microsoft To Do.
1. Create a Task in Outlook on the Web
Outlook on the web uses the My Day panel, which syncs with Microsoft To Do.
- Sign in to outlook.com or your Microsoft 365 webmail
- Click the My Day icon (checkmark with a sun) in the top-right toolbar
- The My Day panel opens on the right side of your screen
- Click Add a task at the top of the panel
- Type the task name and press Enter
- Click on the task to expand it and add details:
- Due date — click the calendar icon to pick a date
- Reminder — click the bell icon to set a reminder time
- Repeat — click the recurrence icon to make it recurring
- Notes — type additional details in the notes field
- Steps — add subtasks by clicking Add step
- To switch between lists, click To Do at the top of the panel to open the full task view with all your lists (My Day, Important, Planned, Flagged Email, Tasks, and any custom lists)
Keyboard shortcut: There’s no dedicated shortcut to create a task, but you can click into the My Day panel and start typing immediately.
2. Create a Task in New Outlook (Windows & Mac)
The new Outlook desktop app has a dedicated To Do section in the sidebar.
- Click the To Do icon (checkmark) in the left navigation sidebar
- The full To Do panel opens, showing your task lists
- Select the list you want to add the task to (e.g., Tasks, My Day, or a custom list)
- Click Add a task at the top of the list
- Type the task name and press Enter
- Click on the task to open the detail pane on the right, where you can set:
- Due date
- Reminder
- Repeat
- Notes
- Steps (subtasks)
- File attachments
- To add a task to My Day, right-click any task and select Add to My Day, or click the sun icon next to the task
From the Calendar view: You can also drag a time slot in your calendar to create an event, but tasks and events are separate objects in Outlook. To see tasks on your calendar, make sure Show tasks is enabled in your calendar settings.
3. Create a Task in Classic Outlook for Windows
Classic Outlook has a dedicated Tasks module with more advanced options than the newer versions.
- Click Tasks in the bottom-left navigation bar (or press Ctrl + 4)
- Click New Task in the ribbon (or press Ctrl + Shift + K from anywhere in Outlook)
- The task form opens with these fields:
- Subject — the task name
- Start date and Due date
- Status — Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Waiting on Someone, or Deferred
- Priority — Low, Normal, or High
- % Complete — track partial completion
- Reminder — check the box and set a date and time
- Recurrence — click the Recurrence button in the ribbon for repeating tasks
- Body — add detailed notes, formatted text, or file attachments
- Click Save & Close
Quick task entry: In the Tasks view, you can type directly into the Click here to add a new Task row at the top of the task list. This creates a task with just a subject — you can add details later by double-clicking it.
4. Create a Task in Outlook Mobile (iOS & Android)
The Outlook mobile app doesn’t have a standalone Tasks section, but you can flag emails and access Microsoft To Do.
Flag an email as a task:
- Open the Outlook app on your phone
- In your inbox, swipe left on an email and tap the Flag icon (or long-press the email and select Flag)
- The email appears in your Flagged Email list, accessible through Microsoft To Do
Access full task management:
- Tap the Microsoft To Do app (separate download, free with any Microsoft account)
- All tasks you create in Outlook — including flagged emails — sync automatically to Microsoft To Do
- Create new tasks in To Do and they’ll appear in your Outlook task lists on desktop and web
Outlook mobile is designed primarily for email and calendar. For full task creation, due dates, reminders, and subtasks on your phone, use the Microsoft To Do app — it’s the same underlying task system.
5. Flag an Email as a Task
Flagging is the fastest way to turn an email into a task without leaving your inbox.
Outlook on the web / New Outlook:
- Hover over any email in your inbox
- Click the flag icon on the right side of the message row
- The email gets a default flag (due today)
- To set a specific due date, right-click the flag icon and choose Today, Tomorrow, This week, Next week, No date, or Custom
- Flagged emails appear in the Flagged Email list in both Outlook and Microsoft To Do
Classic Outlook for Windows:
- Click the flag icon in the message row, or right-click the flag for more options
- Choose a follow-up date: Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week, No Date, or Custom
- Selecting Custom lets you set a specific start date, due date, and reminder
- Flagged emails appear in the Tasks view under To-Do List
To complete a flagged email: Click the flag icon again — it turns into a checkmark and the task is marked as complete.
6. Assign a Task to Someone Else
Task assignment is available in classic Outlook for Windows only. New Outlook and Outlook on the web do not support this feature.
- Open classic Outlook and go to Tasks (or press Ctrl + 4)
- Click New Task in the ribbon
- Click Assign Task in the ribbon (under the Task tab)
- The To field appears — enter the email address of the person you’re assigning the task to
- Fill in the task details: subject, due date, status, priority, and notes
- Choose your tracking options:
- Keep an updated copy of this task on my task list — your copy updates automatically when the assignee makes changes
- Send me a status report when this task is complete — you get an email when they mark it done
- Click Send
The recipient receives an email with Accept and Decline buttons. If they accept, the task appears in their task list and you can track their progress.
Limitations:
- Both sender and recipient need Exchange or Microsoft 365 accounts
- You can only assign a task to one person at a time
- Assigned tasks don’t sync to Microsoft To Do — they live only in classic Outlook’s Tasks module
- New Outlook and Outlook on the web don’t have task assignment — use Microsoft Planner or a shared To Do list for collaborative task management
7. Set Due Dates, Reminders, and Recurrence
These three features keep tasks from falling through the cracks.
Due dates:
- Web / New Outlook: Click on a task → click the calendar icon → pick a date. Or right-click a task and choose a quick date option (Today, Tomorrow, Next Week)
- Classic Outlook: Open the task → set the Due date field → Save & Close
- Tasks with due dates appear in the Planned smart list in Microsoft To Do
Reminders:
- Web / New Outlook: Click on a task → click the bell icon → choose a date and time for the reminder notification
- Classic Outlook: Open the task → check the Reminder box → set the date and time → Save & Close
- Reminders appear as notifications on your desktop and phone (if you have To Do or Outlook notifications enabled)
Recurrence:
- Web / New Outlook: Click on a task → click the repeat icon → choose Daily, Weekdays, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly, or Custom
- Classic Outlook: Open the task → click Recurrence in the ribbon → set the pattern (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly), start date, and end condition (no end date, end after X occurrences, or end by a specific date)
- When you complete a recurring task, a new instance automatically generates with the next due date
8. Outlook Tasks and Microsoft To Do — How They Connect
Outlook tasks and Microsoft To Do share the same backend. A task you create in one place appears in the other.
What syncs:
- Tasks created in Outlook on the web, new Outlook, and Microsoft To Do all sync in real time
- Flagged emails in Outlook appear in the Flagged Email list in Microsoft To Do
- Task lists, due dates, reminders, recurrence, notes, and steps all sync across both apps
- My Day selections sync — add a task to My Day in To Do and it appears in the Outlook My Day panel, and vice versa
What doesn’t sync:
- Tasks created in classic Outlook’s Tasks module sync to To Do, but some classic-only fields (% Complete, Status beyond basic complete/incomplete, billing information, mileage) don’t carry over
- Assigned tasks (classic Outlook only) don’t appear in Microsoft To Do
- Categories applied in classic Outlook may not display the same way in To Do
Where to manage tasks:
- Quick capture from email — use Outlook (flag emails, My Day panel)
- Full task management on desktop — use Microsoft To Do or the Outlook To Do sidebar
- Task management on mobile — use the Microsoft To Do app
- Advanced fields (% complete, status tracking, task assignment) — use classic Outlook
Microsoft has been progressively moving task features into To Do. If you’re using new Outlook or Outlook on the web, Microsoft To Do is the underlying task engine.
Quick Reference
| What you want to do | Where to do it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Create a basic task | Web / New Outlook | My Day panel or To Do sidebar → Add a task |
| Create a task with advanced fields | Classic Outlook | Tasks → New Task (Ctrl + Shift + K) |
| Flag an email as a task | Any version | Click the flag icon on the email |
| Set a due date | Any version | Open task → calendar icon or Due Date field |
| Set a reminder | Any version | Open task → bell icon or Reminder checkbox |
| Make a task recurring | Any version | Open task → repeat icon or Recurrence button |
| Add subtasks | Web / New Outlook / To Do | Open task → Add step |
| Assign a task to someone | Classic Outlook only | New Task → Assign Task → enter recipient → Send |
| View tasks on your calendar | New Outlook | Calendar settings → Show tasks |
| Manage tasks on mobile | Microsoft To Do app | Syncs with all Outlook task lists |
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