As someone who relies heavily on back-and-forth email communication to complete daily tasks, unanswered emails are my version of a modern-day horror movie. Unfortunately, waiting for a key response in order to move forward with a group project is something all email users have experienced in one way or another. Alternatively, I know how easy it is for key information to get lost when you receive a slew of emails each day. Until now, tracking down email updates was a never-ending cat and mouse game.
Here’s where Microsoft’s @mention feature saved the day. With @mentions playing a key role in my workflow, I started receiving email responses much faster and was finally able to track down missing pieces to a group project with ease. I was hooked.
In short, the @mention feature allows you to tag a specific person or group in an email to alert them that you are addressing them directly. Emails with @mentions stand out in the recipient’s inbox and direct their attention to the part of the email that involves them.
It’s easy to get started using @mentions in Outlook, whether you’re using the web version of BobcatMail, the Outlook desktop client, or the mobile app:
- In the body of a draft email or meeting invitation, type the “@” symbol followed by the first few letters of the contact’s first or last name. Outlook will offer suggestions from the TXST directory.
- Once you’ve selected a contact, their full name will appear highlighted in the message, and their email address will be automatically added to the To: line.
After you send the email, it will appear with an @ symbol label in the recipient’s inbox list, helping draw attention to it among their other messages. Their name will show up highlighted when they open the message, alerting them to what they need to see.
Once you’ve got the basics down, here are some tips to help you use @mentions like a pro:
- If you receive a lot of emails like me, you can filter your inbox to show only the messages that mention you. From your inbox, select the filter and choose the Mentions me option. I can’t suggest this enough, especially if you use your email as a running to do list.
- You can use this feature to alert a group of people by @mentioning a distribution list, such as an Outlook group.
- If you use the full email list to view your emails, you can add the Mention column to see which messages @mention you at a glance. You can toggle that feature in Outlook’s column settings.
Using @mentions in Outlook can help improve communication efforts overall and ensure the right people see your essential messages in a timely manner. Give it a try in your next email!
Jenny Carrasco is the Communications Lead for the IT Assistance Center.
