Have you ever sent an important email that got buried in someone’s overflowing inbox? Maybe it was a time-sensitive report or a critical project update — and you wished you could flag it as “urgent.” The good news? You can!
In this comprehensive, beginner-friendly guide, we’ll walk you through how to set the priority of an email in Outlook 2013, so your important messages get the attention they deserve.
We’ll also explore what each priority level means, why setting email importance matters, and how to adjust it for replies, rules, and even automatically.
What Does Email Priority Mean in Outlook 2013?
Email priority in Outlook 2013 tells the recipient how important or urgent your message is. It helps organize emails visually, letting users quickly spot which messages need immediate attention.
When you set a priority level, Outlook adds a visual indicator (like a red exclamation mark for high priority or a blue arrow for low priority). This doesn’t force the recipient to open it first — but it signals importance.
Why Should You Set Email Priority?
Setting an email priority can make communication smoother, especially in professional or team settings.
Here are some key benefits:
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✅ Draws attention to urgent emails (e.g., “Client meeting rescheduled”).
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🕒 Saves time for both sender and receiver.
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📂 Helps recipients organize and respond efficiently.
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📬 Improves clarity by distinguishing routine updates from critical information.
However, use it wisely — overusing “High Priority” can reduce its effectiveness.
How Many Priority Levels Are There in Outlook 2013?
Outlook 2013 offers three priority levels:
| Priority Level | Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| High | 🔴 Red exclamation mark | Urgent or time-sensitive messages |
| Normal | ⚪ None | Default for most emails |
| Low | 🔵 Blue down arrow | Informational or non-urgent messages |
By default, Outlook assigns Normal priority to all new emails.
How to Set the Priority of a New Email in Outlook 2013
Let’s start with the most common task — setting the importance of a new message before sending it.
✉️ Step-by-Step Instructions:
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Open Outlook 2013.
Launch the Outlook application on your computer. -
Click on “New Email.”
You’ll find this button on the Home tab in the top-left corner. -
Compose your email.
Fill in the To, Cc, Subject, and Body fields as usual. -
Locate the “Tags” section.
Under the Message tab in the ribbon, look for the Tags group. -
Choose your priority.
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Click High Importance (red exclamation mark)
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Or click Low Importance (blue down arrow)
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Send your message.
The email will now include a priority flag visible to the recipient.
That’s it! You’ve successfully set the priority for your outgoing email.
Alternative Way: Use the Message Options Dialog Box
If you don’t see the Tags section, you can adjust importance using the message’s properties.
Here’s how:
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In the new email window, click the Message Options icon (the small arrow in the corner of the “Tags” group).
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In the Properties dialog box, find the Importance drop-down menu.
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Choose one of the following:
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High
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Normal
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Low
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Click Close, then send your email.
This method gives you extra control, such as setting delivery and read receipts at the same time.
How to Change the Priority of a Sent Email (If Possible)
Once an email is sent, its priority cannot be changed on the recipient’s end. However, you can resend the message with a new priority flag.
To resend with a different priority:
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Go to your Sent Items folder.
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Open the email you want to resend.
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Click Actions > Resend This Message from the ribbon.
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Set a new priority in the Tags section.
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Send it again.
This creates a new version with the updated priority indicator.
How to Set Default Email Priority for All New Messages
If you frequently send urgent or low-importance messages, you can adjust your default priority level.
Steps to set a default priority:
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Go to File > Options.
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Select Mail in the left sidebar.
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Scroll to the Send Messages section.
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Find the option “Default Importance Level.”
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Choose High, Normal, or Low from the drop-down menu.
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Click OK to save.
All new messages will now automatically carry your selected importance level.
How to Sort and Filter Emails by Priority
Sorting by priority helps you manage your inbox efficiently.
To sort by priority:
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Go to your Inbox folder.
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Click View > Arrange By > Importance.
To filter only high-priority emails:
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Click the Filter Email option in the Home tab.
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Choose Importance > High.
This displays only messages marked as “High Importance.”
How to Create a Rule to Automatically Set Email Priority
Want Outlook to mark messages automatically based on sender or subject? You can do this using rules.
Steps:
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Go to Home > Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.
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Click New Rule.
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Choose Apply rule on messages I send.
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Add conditions (e.g., if the subject contains “urgent”).
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Choose the action Set importance to high.
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Save your rule.
From now on, Outlook will automatically tag matching emails with your chosen priority.
How Recipients See Priority Levels in Outlook 2013
Recipients will see:
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A red exclamation mark beside high-priority emails.
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A blue arrow beside low-priority emails.
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Normal messages show no icons.
In conversation view, the icons help readers identify what’s urgent before opening.
When Should You Use High or Low Priority?
Overusing high-priority tags can make them lose impact. Use them only when truly necessary.
✅ Use High Priority for:
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Deadlines or urgent approvals
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System issues or critical updates
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Time-sensitive meetings
✅ Use Low Priority for:
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General updates or newsletters
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FYI emails
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Informational messages
⚠️ Avoid:
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Marking all messages as high — it causes “importance fatigue.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Email Priority
Even though setting importance is simple, these common errors can undermine your efforts:
| Mistake | Why It’s a Problem |
|---|---|
| Overusing “High Importance” | People start ignoring your flags |
| Forgetting to change default importance | Leads to confusion |
| Using low importance for urgent tasks | Reduces response time |
| Not verifying before sending | Can appear careless |
Always review your priority settings before hitting “Send.”
Troubleshooting: Why Isn’t My Priority Showing Up?
If the recipient doesn’t see the priority icon, try these solutions:
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Check the recipient’s email client.
Some clients (like webmail) may not display Outlook icons. -
Verify you selected the priority before sending.
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Ensure no conflicting rules are overwriting importance levels.
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Update Outlook 2013 — outdated versions can sometimes glitch on message tags.
Tips for Better Email Communication in Outlook
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Keep subject lines short but specific.
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Use bold text for key information inside the message.
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Combine high-priority flags with clear deadlines.
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Avoid sending high-priority messages outside business hours.
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Always follow up respectfully if no response is received.
Conclusion
Setting the priority of an email in Outlook 2013 is a small step that makes a big difference in communication efficiency.
Whether you’re marking a message as high importance to get urgent attention or labeling something as low to indicate it’s just informational — understanding this feature helps you manage professional communication effectively.
Remember: Priority should reflect urgency, not emotion. Use it thoughtfully to ensure your messages are both noticed and respected.
FAQs
1. How do I set high priority in Outlook 2013?
Open a new email → Go to Message tab > Tags group → Click High Importance before sending.
2. Can I change the priority after sending an email?
No, but you can resend the message with a new priority flag.
3. What does the red exclamation mark mean?
It means the email was marked as High Importance by the sender.
4. Can I set Outlook to always send emails as high priority?
Yes. Go to File > Options > Mail > Default Importance Level and select “High.”
5. Will recipients outside my company see the priority flag?
Yes, most modern email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird) recognize the priority tag.
🔑 Key Takeaways
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Outlook 2013 lets you mark emails as High, Normal, or Low priority.
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Use High Priority for urgent matters and Low for non-urgent ones.
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You can create rules to automatically assign importance levels.
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Avoid overusing priority flags — keep communication meaningful.
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Proper use of this feature improves response times and productivity.