How to set up an Outlook email account

Whether you’re a business professional, student, or anyone in between, Outlook is an excellent option for email management. It’s a top choice for anyone who wants a free email service provider and seamless integration with other Microsoft Office applications. 

But if you’re brand new to the software or want a tutorial teaching you how to maximize the tool, this guide is for you. 

Table of Contents

1. Creating a new Outlook account

2. Setting up Outlook for the first time

3. Customize an Outlook email

Creating a new Outlook account

Before you create your Outlook account, you’ll need to choose how and where you’ll use the app. There are three main primary ways to use Outlook: 

• Outlook.com (web-hosted) 
• Outlook for Windows
• Outlook for Mac

If you plan to use the desktop Outlook, head to the respective app store and download the official application. Next, follow these steps to set up an email account on Outlook:

1. Go to your preferred form of Outlook.
2. Click the Create free account button. 
   
   
3. Enter your desired email address, password, and personal information. 
4. Set up security measures like two-factor authentication and security questions to protect your account. 

Setting up Outlook for the first time

Now that you’ve created your account, it’s time to personalize your inbox the way you want.

Inbox design

The first way to personalize Outlook is by configuring your inbox layout. You can change the background color and layout and adjust preferences for daytime and evening. 

Go to Settings, followed by View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the pane. Here, you can adjust color and set a focus mode, notifications, and how you prefer your inbox sorted. 

Adding an email signature

Adding an email signature also starts with Settings. From there, go to Compose and reply and scroll until you reach the Email Signature section. 

You can create a new signature, paste an existing one, or add any images you’d like. For a full tutorial, check out How to set up an email signature in Outlook. 

Adding additional email addresses

Since many people manage multiple email addresses, Outlook makes it easy to integrate them. 

Simply go to File, followed by Add Account. From there, enter your email address and password if prompted. For additional email accounts, you’ll need a premium subscription.  

Understanding Outlook settings

In case you don’t want to tinker around with the settings, here are two customizations that may be helpful:

• Set up automatic replies: Click Settings, followed by Automatic replies. Then type the message you’d like to send while you’re away.  
• Create rules for incoming messages: You can further filter messages by importance, person, or organization. Head to File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule. Then select a template, edit conditions, and write a description. 

Final thoughts: How to quickly customize an Outlook email

Creating a new Outlook account is quick and easy, taking just minutes to complete. And whether you use Outlook for personal or business, it’s essential to keep your inbox organized and unique to you. 

If you’re looking for a simple way to customize your email signature, check out our free signature generator with six templates to choose from.