Your Email in Outlook

What's Changing

Your email is moving from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook. Think of it as upgrading to a new car - the steering wheel is in the same place, the road is the same, but the dashboard looks a bit different.

Your new email address is firstname.lastname@[domain].com - and your old address has been aliased, so no email goes missing. Your contacts come with you. The main change is the app you use to read and send email.

What Stays the Same

• Your contacts - they transfer automatically
• Your email history - past emails are migrated over
• How email works - compose, send, reply, forward - all the same concepts

Getting Started with Outlook

Opening Outlook on Your Computer

1. Click the Outlook icon on your desktop or taskbar
2. If you don't see it, search for "Outlook" in the Windows Start menu
3. Sign in with your work email and the new password you were given

Opening Outlook on the Web

1. Go to outlook.office.com in your browser
2. Sign in with your work email address
3. You'll see your inbox right away - it works a lot like Gmail's web interface

The Outlook Layout

Here's what you'll notice right away:

• Inbox is front and center, just like Gmail
• Folders are on the left (instead of Gmail's "Labels")
• The reading pane shows your selected email on the right
• New Email button is at the top left - same as Gmail's "Compose"

Gmail to Outlook - Quick Comparison

Understanding Focused Inbox

Outlook has a feature called Focused Inbox that automatically sorts your email into two tabs:

• Focused - emails Outlook thinks are most important (messages from people you interact with regularly, direct messages to you)
• Other - newsletters, automated notifications, and less urgent items

This is similar to Gmail's Priority Inbox. It works well once it learns your habits, but some people prefer to see everything in one list. To turn it off:

1. Click View in the ribbon
2. Click View Settings
3. Turn off "Sort messages into Focused and Other"

Setting Up Your Email Signature

Your email signature is how customers and colleagues identify you. Set it up right away:

1. Click the Settings gear (top right of Outlook)
2. Go to Accounts > Signatures
3. Create your signature with your name, title, dealership, and phone number
4. Set it as the default for new emails and replies/forwards

Example for dealership staff:

John Smith | Sales Consultant Sherwood Park Toyota (780) 555-0123 | john.smith@sherwoodparktoyota.com

Your Calendar Lives Here Too

Your Outlook Calendar and your Teams Calendar are the same calendar - they are always in sync. Any meeting booked in Teams shows up in Outlook and vice versa. Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar of Outlook to see your schedule without leaving the app.

Troubleshooting: Email Not Showing Up?

If you can't find an email you're expecting:

1. Check the Other tab - Focused Inbox may have sorted it there
2. Check Junk/Spam - look in the Junk Email folder on the left sidebar
3. Search for it - use the search bar at the top and type the sender's name or subject
4. Give it a moment - after migration, it can take a few hours for all emails to appear
5. Check Shared Mailboxes - if it was sent to a shared address (service@, sales@), it appears in that mailbox's folder, not your personal inbox

Where Shared Mailboxes Appear

If you have access to shared mailboxes like service@ or sales@, they appear as separate sections in your left folder panel - below your personal inbox folders. They don't mix into your regular inbox. Click the shared mailbox name to expand it and see its own Inbox, Sent Items, and folders.

Tips for Dealership Staff

• Shared mailboxes (like your dealership's service@ or sales@ address) work similarly - your IT team will set these up for you
• Calendar invites come right into Outlook too - no more switching between Gmail and Google Calendar
• Teams chat notifications can appear in Outlook, so you won't miss messages from colleagues
• Right-click for options - right-clicking any email, folder, or contact gives you a menu with useful actions (move, flag, categorize, etc.)
• Drag and drop works everywhere - drag emails into folders, drag attachments onto the desktop, drag files into new emails

Keyboard Shortcuts You Already Know

If you used Gmail keyboard shortcuts, many of them work in Outlook too:

• R - Reply
• F - Forward
• E - Archive
• Ctrl + N - New email
• Ctrl + Enter - Send

Need Help?

If you can't find something or something doesn't look right:

1. Check the Quick Start guide on this site
2. Ask a colleague who has already been migrated
3. Contact your dealership IT contact
4. Email the CanadaOne IT team at helpdesk@canadaoneauto.com