Exchange Outlook Web App-OWA

Outlook Web App (OWA)
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E-MAIL MESSAGES
CONTACTS
CALENDARS
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SIGNATURES
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Outlook Web App (OWA) looks and feels very similar to Outlook 2010 and 2007. You can send and receive messages and attachments, create folders and organize messages within the folders, view calendar appointments and contacts, look up names in the Global Address List (GAL), set up the Out of Office Assistant, and more.

  • Watch an introduction to OWA video.
  • For more about features available in OWA, see Outlook Web App.
  • For information about supported browsers, see Supported browsers
  • For introduction to OWA "Getting Started", see Getting Started with OWA
  • To understand the difference between the Standard and Light interfaces, see Interface Option Microsoft Outlook Help concerning supported e-mail programs and features, see E-mail programs & Features
  • Additional question on Outlook Web App (OWA), Microsoft Outlook, or Exchange visit our FAQ page

Login:  

Note:  User the same username/password credentials used for 'MyClarion', D2L, & Computer Log-ons.

E-Mail Messages:

  • Viewing Messages - Your viewing pane will display messages depending on the following selections. These selections are per folder. So, if you create a new folder, they will need reset. Click on the arrow to expand the menu.  Note: Conversation View group messages together.
  • Reading Messages - Simply click on the message you would like to view
  • Creating a New Message - Click "New"
  • Reply, Reply All, or Forward Messages - While reading the message, click on the arrow buttons or the Actions drop down menu.  While reading the message, you can also 'click your right mouse button' for a menu selection.
  • Deleting Message(s) - Click on the Delete menu option at the top of your message column.
  • Receiving Notifications - Notifications will also appear on the top right
  • View E-mail Details - Right-Click on a message in your 'Sent Folder' and select "Open Delivery Report"
    and details on the current message will be displayed.  Note: If you are prompted with a pop-up blocker message - select 'Yes" to allow.  You will continue to get this message each time unless you click on 'Options'
    on the browser title bar. The image example below is for Firefox but Internet Explorer has a similar notification asking if you want to add site - say 'Yes'.
  • Search for E-mail Messages - A quick search can be done utilizing the 'Search Entire Mailbox' located
    at the top of the email column. An 'Advanced Search' is available by opening the search drop down menu.  Note: Clicking the drop down menu again closes this feature. Once the message has been located, hover over the message to see the current folder name where the message is currently located.
  • Using Folders - You can create and manage folders in Microsoft Outlook Web App (OWA) using the below steps. OWA should look similar to your desktop client, with the exception of the web browser toolbars at the top and bottom of the window.

Default interface instructions:

Special Note: If you are using the default interface, you can access all of the folder management options by right-clicking the folder and, from the menu that appears, choosing your desired option.

      • Creating a new folder
        • Once you have decided in which folder you want to create the new folder, right-click that folder (i.e., if you want to create a subfolder in the Inbox, right-click the Inbox).
        • From the menu that appears, choose Create New Folder.
        • Type a name for the folder in the box, and then press Enter.
      • Renaming a folder:
        • Right-click the folder you want to rename and, from the menu that appears, choose Rename.
        • Type the new name of the folder in the box, and then press Enter.
      • Moving a folder:
        • Right-click the folder you want to move and from the menu that appears, choose Move Folder.
        • In the Move or copy folder window, click where you want to move the folder (i.e., if you want the folder to be a subfolder of the Inbox, click the Inbox).
        • Click Move.
      • Deleting a folder:
        • As OWA will not prompt you to confirm the deletion once you click Delete, you should first make sure that all the messages in the folder are ready for deletion.
        • Right-click the folder you want to delete and, from the menu that appears, choose Delete.

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Light interface instructions - If you are using the Light interface, in the left menu pane, click Manage Folders...

The following options will appear:

    • Create New Folder
      • Use the "Create folder in:" drop-down menu to choose where to create the folder.
      • In the "Folder name:" field, type your desired folder name, and then click Create.
    • Rename Folder
      • Use the "Current name:" drop-down menu to choose the folder to rename.
      • In the "New name:" field, type your desired folder name, and then click Rename.
    • Move Folder
      • Use the "Folder to move:" drop-down menu to choose the folder to move.
      • Use the "New location:" drop-down menu to choose the new location of the folder, and then click Move.
    • Delete Folder
    • Use the "Folder name:" drop-down menu to choose the folder to delete.
    • Click Delete.

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  • Organizing your E-mails
    • Open the message you want to move or copy
    • Click the Move/Copy icon (a yellow folder obscuring a white document behind it, with a blue arrow pointing from the document to the folder), and then choose Move to Folder... or Copy to Folder... . This will open another window that displays a list of folders in your Inbox.
    • In the Move/Copy Item window, select the folder into which you wish to move or copy the message. For a sub folder, click the + (plus sign) next to the higher folder shown, and the sub folders will appear.
    • Click either Move or Copy. You can then close the message window.
  • Organizing your E-mails with the Light Interface
    • Check the box next to the message or messages you want to move, and then click Move.
    • Select the radio button next to the desired folder. If the folder is not listed, choose a folder from the drop-down menu next to the final radio button. Click Move. You can then close the message window.
    • Special Note: When using the light interface, you can move, but not copy, messages to a different folder.
  • Retrieving Deleted Messages - If you accidentally delete a message, you can retrieve it from the deleted folder, for up to 14 days. If you need to retrieve a message older than 14 days, you may use the 'Recover Deleted Items Options' for an additional 3 days. Hover over the Deleted Items folder and right click your mouse.
  • Adding shared Exchange e-mail accounts - When trying to connect to a 'shared' e-mail account follow the below steps to properly configure your Outlook Web App (OWA):
    • In the 'Mail View', right-click on your name in the left-side pane and choose "Open Other User's Inbox..."
    • Type in the 'username' of the shared e-mail account and click "OK".
    • The new mailbox should now appear in the left window pane.

Contacts:

  • Accessing Contacts - To access your contacts, select Contacts from the left side of the screen.  Contacts will be listed in the middle pane. Contacts can be arranged and sorted.
  • Adding Contacts
    • Click on New.
    • Fill in the information
    • Click Save and Close.  
    • To edit a contact, double click on the contact.
  • Adding Groups
    • Click on the drop arrow next to new.
    • Select group.  
    • Name the group and add the email addresses.
    • Click Save and Close when finished.  
    • To edit a group, double click on the entry.
  • Deleting Contacts/Groups
    • Select contact and click the delete icon.
    • Right click contact and select delete.
    • Select contact and press the delete key on your keyboard.
  • Sending an Email to a Group
    • Click the drop arrow next to New. Select Message.
    • Click on To: This will open the address book.
    • Select My Contacts to access your groups. Select contact. Choose which field the contact should be placed. When finished, click OK.
    • Group will appear in designated field. Compose the message and give subject, if you choose. Click send.

  Calendars:

  •  Calendar Basics - Video
  • Accessing your Personal Calendar
    • Click on the calendar menu option on the left, bottom of the screen.
    • Your calendar will appear. Please note that appointments and meetings can be color coded.
  • Viewing Multiple Calendars
    • Multiple calendars can be selected for viewing at the same time (side-by-side) based on check boxes you check.
    • Calendar viewing can be selected as daily, work week, weekly, or monthly.
  • Setup a New Appointment
    • Click drop down menu item "New" while viewing your calendar.
    • Appointments can be arranged by clicking on Appointment and completing the following screen.
  • Using Scheduling Assistant to setup meetings
    • Create a new appointment or meeting request, and then click the Scheduling Assistant tab.
    • Under Select Attendees, type the names or aliases of the people you want to attend your meeting. The names you enter will be automatically resolved, if possible. If a unique match can't be found for a name, the name is underlined. Right-click the name to view a list of possible matches. Click the name that matches to add it to the list of attendees. You can also click Select Attendees to open the Address Book window.
    • To set an attendee as 'required', 'optional', or a 'resource', click the icon next to the name. Every time you click the icon, it changes to the next setting. The meeting organizer meeting organizer can't be changed.
    • The availability chart automatically displays all your attendees' schedules on the day of your meeting with the time of your meeting highlighted. A blue bar in the schedule window next to a name means that person is busy at that time.
    • To change the meeting date, click the Start or End box, and then select a new meeting date.
    • To move the meeting time, click the center of the highlighted bar that represents the meeting time, and then drag the meeting to a different time.
    • After you verify availability, click the Appointment tab to finish filling out your meeting request.

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What else do I need to know?

    • Next to the availability chart is a summary of attendee availability. The summary offers a list of possible meeting times in addition to how many of the selected attendees and resources are available at each time. To see the details of a specific time, click the time in the Suggested Times list. To see possible times on other days, click the calendar in the Suggested Times pane. Clicking a time in the Suggested Times list automatically changes the meeting to that time. You can use the Scheduling Assistant toolbar to change the date, start time and end time of the meeting. You can use the Suggested Times window to change the date and duration of your meeting and to select a suggested time.
    • The Scheduling Assistant has an option on its toolbar to show only working hours. If this is selected and one or more attendees don't have working hours that overlap with the other attendees, the Scheduling Assistant will show it couldn't find any available times for the meeting. This frequently happens for meetings that include attendees in multiple time zones. You can turn off Show only working hours to see possible meeting times. Notice the lock on the calendar entry for a private meeting.
  • Appointment Reminders
    • Open the item on which you want to add or change the reminder.
    • Make sure the Reminder check box is selected if you want reminders on this item. If you don't want a reminder for this item, make sure the check box is cleared.
    • Use the drop-down list to select how long before the appointment you want to get a reminder notice.
    • Click save Save and Close or press CTRL+S before you close the appointment or meeting from the browser window.

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What else do I need to know?

    • You can add a reminder to any item from the reading pane or by opening the item and modifying it.
    • You can add a reminder to flagged items by right-clicking the flag icon and then clicking Set Date and Reminder.
    • To change the default reminder on all calendar items, click Options > Customize > Calendar, and then set the reminder options.
  • Add or Connect to another users Calendar
    • Option 1:  You can request permission to view another users calendar by checking the box labeled "I want to request permission to view the recipient's Calendar folder". This will notify user of your request to view their calendar. For more information on how to access this feature see "Sharing my Calendar".
    • Option 2:
      • Click Share on the Calendar tool bar, and then click Add Calendar.
      • If the person whose calendar you want to open is in your organization, enter their name, and then click OK.  Note: You may get the following error message if the user who's calendar you're trying to add did not set permissions to allow you to connect to it. If you get this message use 'Option 1' listed above.
  • Sharing your Calendar
    • In Outlook Web App, click Calendar in the Navigation Pane.
    • Click Share in the Calendar toolbar.
    • Click 'Share a calendar' and the name of the calendar that you want to share.
    • Enter the names of the people you want to share your calendar with - on the "TO" line, the way you would address a message.
    • Under "Share", click one of the following buttons to set how much information 

      you want to share:
      • Free/busy - only shows your free/busy information

      • , as well as the subject and location of calendar items.
      • All information - lets the recipient see your free/busy information, subject, location, and other calendar details.
    • If you want to automatically request permission to view the recipient's Calendar 

      folder, select I want to request permission to view the recipient's Calendar folder.

    • Add any information you want to the body of the request, as you would with any other message.
    • Click Send to send your request.

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What else do I need to know?

    • Calendar entries marked as private will display only free/busy information, no matter what permissions you've given.  To view a calendar that someone else has shared with you:
      • Click Share on the Calendar tool bar
      • Then click Add Calendar - If the person whose calendar you want to open is in your organization, enter their name, and then click OK.  If the person isn't in your organization, enter the URL to add a calendar from the Internet
      • Then click OK.

Note: If you want to give someone permission to make changes to your calendar, you'll have to use Outlook
to connect to your mailbox. You can use Calendar Permissions in Outlook to give people permission
to change your calendar.

  • Setting Permissions to your Personal Calendar

Note: You can use Change Sharing Permissions to view the people you've shared your calendar with and the permissions they have. You can also use Change Sharing Permissions to stop sharing your calendar.

How do I use Calendar Sharing Permissions?

      • In Outlook Web App, click Calendar in the Navigation Pane.
      • Click Share a calendar on the Calendar toolbar.
      • Click "Change Sharing Permissions..." and then, in the Calendar dialog box, select the name of the calendar that you want to change sharing permissions for.
      • Click the name of the person whose permissions you want to change.Click Edit and select the permissions you want.6. Click Save to save your change.

How do I stop sharing a calendar?

      • In Outlook Web App, click Calendar in the Navigation Pane.
      • Click Share a calendar on the Calendar toolbar.
      • Click Change "Sharing Permissions..." and then, in the Calendar dialog box, select the name of the calendar that you want to stop sharing.
      • Click the name of the person you want to stop sharing your calendar with to select it, and then click Delete.Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete that person from the list, or click No to cancel.

Logout:

  • Logging Out of OWA - Always remember to log off by clicking "Sign Out" located at the top right corner.

Other:

  • Conversation View (Enable/Disable) - In Outlook Web App (OWA), conversation view groups email messages into conversations based on the subject of the message. Conversation view is enabled by default for every mail folder in your mailbox. You can disable it, but you will need to disable it on each folder separately; there is no option to disable the setting on multiple folders. To disable or enable conversation view:
    • In the left column of OWA, click the folder for which you want to modify conversation view.
    • In the right window, below the "New" option, click the drop-down arrow next to "Arrange by:".
    • At the bottom of the menu, to disable the option, uncheck Conversation, or to enable it, check this box.
    • Repeat all the steps above for every folder for which you want to disable or enable conversation view.

Special Note: Conversation view is only available in the default interface of OWA. 

  • Setup 'Out of Office' or Vacation message
    • To enable/disable the Out of Office Assistant:
      • In the upper right corner of the OWA window, click Options.

      • In the resulting window:
        • In the default interface, on the left, click Organize E-Mail and then to the right click Automatic Replies.
        • In the the Light Interface, on the left, click Automatic Replies.
      • To disable the Out of Office assistant, On the right, select "Don't send automatic replies"
    • Option under "Out of Office Assistant":
      • To set a time frame for the Out of Office auto-replies to begin and end, check Send replies only during this time period:
        • Next to "Start time:", use the menu to select the month and day, and then the time you want the Out of Office Assistant to start sending the auto-replies.
        • Repeat for the "End time:"
      • To send a different message to users outside your organization, check Send automatic reply messages to External Senders.
        • Choose from the two options available:
          • Send replies only to senders in my Contacts list (Use this option to send the reply to senders outside of your organization but in your Contacts list.)
          • Send replies to anyone outside my organization
      • Compose the auto-reply in the text boxes provided; you can also send a different message to external senders. The default interface provides font and paragraph editing tools; the Light interface provides only a text field with no formatting tools.
      • Click Save.
    • Configuring the Out of Office assistant to send a specific message to those outside the university vs. those inside the university:
      • Enable the Out of Office Assistant (see above)
      • Check Send automatic reply messages to External Senders.
      • Select Send replies to senders in my Contacts list.
      • Click Save.

Note: You do not need to enter a message in the second text box labeled "Send a reply once to each
sender outside my organization with the following message:".

Signatures:

  • Create a signature
    • Sign in to Outlook Web App.
    • At the top of the page, select Outlook (or Mail). Or, select the app launcher Office 365 app launcher icon, and then select Outlook.
    • Office 365 navigation options
    • At the top of the page, select Settings Settings icon >Options.
    • In Options, select Settings > Mail. Or, in Options, under MAIL > Layout, select Email signature.
    • Under Email signature, in the text box, type the signature you want to use. Use the formatting bar to format the font as you want it to appear.
    • If you want your signature to display at the bottom of all outgoing items, including replies and forwards, select Automatically include my signature on messages I send. If you don't select this option, you can add your signature to a message manually to any message.
    • Click Save.

 

  • Manually add your signature to a new message
    • If you've created a signature, but didn't select the option to add your signature to all outgoing messages, you can manually add it to specific messages.
    • Sign in to Outlook Web App. For help signing in, see Sign in to Outlook Web App.
    • At the top of the page, select Outlook (or Mail). Or, select the app launcher Office 365 app launcher icon, and then select Outlook.
    • Office 365 navigation options
    • In Outlook Web App, select new New above the folder list. A new message form will appear in the reading pane.
    • In the menu at the top of the message, select insert Insert then Signature (or Your signature).
    • When you're done and your message is ready to go, select Send.
  • Automatically add your signature to every message you send
    • If you've created a signature, you can specify if you want your signature to be added to all outgoing messages, including replies and forwards.
    • Sign in to Outlook Web App. For help signing in, see Sign in to Outlook Web App.
    • At the top of the page, select Outlook (or Mail). Or, select the app launcher Office 365 app launcher icon, and then select Outlook.
    • Office 365 navigation options
    • At the top of the page, select Settings Settings icon >Options.
    • In Options, select Settings > Mail. Or, in Options, under MAIL > Layout, select Email signature.
    • Under Email signature, use the check box to specify if you want your signature to be added to all outgoing messages.
    • If you want your signature to display at the bottom of all outgoing items, select Automatically include my signature on messages I send.
    • If you don't want your signature to display at the bottom of all outgoing messages, clear the Automatically include my signature on messages I send check box.

 

  • Adding images to OWA signatures
    • Browse to the image or picture you want to use and then make a 'copy' of the image.
    • Right click in the signature in OWA and choose Paste.
    • Click "No" when you get a security prompt about content coming from a non-HTTPS source.
    • Don't forget to save the signature by pressing the Save button in the Options screen.
    • Note:   If the picture does not show up and a text-based link is displayed instead, disable the S/MIME control in OWA via the Security section.
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Last Updated 3/4/20