View e-mail messages by conversation

When you arrange messages by conversation, messages in a folder that share the same subject appear together in the message list. The messages within each conversation are sorted with the newest message on top. When a new message is received, the entire conversation moves to the top of your message list.

Icon for a collapsed conversation

Icon for an expanded conversation

 Conversation heading

 Icon for unread message

Do any of the following:

Read messages that are part of a conversation

When you click on a conversation header in the message list, the conversation index shows in the reading pane. The conversation index shows one line for each message in the conversation, with each line displaying the message sender and the first few words from the message body.

1. At the bottom of the navigation pane, click Mail  .

2. Do any of the following:

To	Do this
Expand or collapse a conversation in the message list	Click Expand  or Collapse  next to the conversation heading.
Show the conversation index in the reading pane	In the message list, click the conversation heading.
Read a single message from the conversation	In the message list or in the conversation index, click the message.
Return to the conversation index in the reading pane	In the reading pane, at the top of the message, click the Conversation  icon.

Notes: 

• To set preferences for how conversations are displayed in the message list, on the Outlook menu, click Preferences, and then under E-mail  , click Reading. Under Conversations, select the preferences that you want.

• Messages in the Junk Mail and Deleted Items folders are not included in conversations.

Turn off viewing by conversation

1. At the bottom of the navigation pane, click Mail  .

2. On the Organize tab, click Conversations.

   

   Tip: To set preferences for how conversations are displayed in the message list, on the Outlook menu, click Preferences, and then under E-mail  , click Reading. Under Conversations, select the preferences that you want.

See also

Customize the Outlook window

Arrange and group items

Filter messages or tasks