How to Pin Frequently Used Folders in New Outlook Sidebar

The new Outlook for Windows uses a simplified sidebar that shows only a limited set of default folders. Many users find that their most-used folders, such as project folders or archive mailboxes, do not appear in the sidebar automatically. This happens because the new Outlook does not inherit folder preferences from classic Outlook. This article explains how to pin any folder to the sidebar in new Outlook, including shared mailboxes and public folders.

Pinning a folder places it directly in the sidebar list so you can access it with one click. The sidebar stays visible across all views, including Mail, Calendar, and People. You do not need to scroll through the folder pane or use search to find pinned folders.

This guide covers the exact steps for pinning and unpinning folders, the types of folders that can be pinned, and common issues you may encounter.

What the Sidebar Shows by Default in New Outlook

The new Outlook sidebar for Windows displays a fixed set of default folders: Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Junk Email, Outbox, and Archive. These folders are always visible. Any other folder you create or receive from a shared mailbox does not appear automatically.

The sidebar is separate from the folder pane. The folder pane shows the full folder hierarchy of your mailbox. The sidebar shows only the folders you choose to pin. You can pin a folder from the folder pane, from search results, or by right-clicking the folder directly.

Pinning works for any mail folder. Calendar folders, contact folders, and task folders cannot be pinned to the sidebar. Only folders of type IPF.Note (mail folders) are supported.

What Happens When You Pin a Folder

When you pin a folder, Outlook adds it to the Favorites section at the top of the sidebar. The Favorites section is a collapsible group that appears above the default folders. You can reorder pinned folders by dragging them up or down within the Favorites section. Pinned folders show the same unread count and total item count as they do in the folder pane.

Steps to Pin a Folder to the New Outlook Sidebar

You can pin a folder using one of two methods. Both methods produce the same result.

Method 1: Right-Click and Pin to Favorites

1. Open new Outlook and locate the folder
   In the folder pane on the left, find the folder you want to pin. The folder pane shows all folders in your mailbox. If you do not see the folder pane, click the three-dot menu in the upper left corner and select View > Folder Pane.
2. Right-click the folder name
   Click the right mouse button on the folder. A context menu appears with several options.
3. Select Pin to Favorites from the menu
   Click Pin to Favorites. The folder immediately appears in the Favorites section at the top of the sidebar. You can now click the folder to open it directly.

Method 2: Drag and Drop to the Sidebar

1. Open the folder pane
   Ensure the folder pane is visible. Click the three-dot menu in the upper left corner and choose View > Folder Pane if needed.
2. Click and hold the folder you want to pin
   Left-click the folder and keep the mouse button pressed. Do not release the button yet.
3. Drag the folder to the Favorites section
   Move the mouse pointer to the Favorites section at the top of the sidebar. A horizontal line appears to show where the folder will be placed. Release the mouse button to drop the folder there.

Both methods add the folder to Favorites. You can pin up to 50 folders to the sidebar. After pinning, you can reorder the folders by dragging them within the Favorites section.

Common Issues When Pinning Folders in New Outlook

The Pin to Favorites Option Is Grayed Out

This happens when the folder is not a mail folder. Calendar, contacts, and tasks folders do not support pinning. Only folders that contain email messages can be pinned. If you right-click a calendar group or a contacts folder, the option is disabled. Use the folder pane to confirm the folder type. Mail folders show an envelope icon.

Pinned Folder Disappears After Restarting Outlook

This occurs when the folder belongs to a shared mailbox or a public folder that you have not added to your profile. Pinned folders from shared mailboxes remain only if the shared mailbox is still open. If you close the shared mailbox, any folders pinned from it are removed. To prevent this, keep the shared mailbox open by right-clicking the mailbox name in the folder pane and selecting Add to Favorites. This adds the entire mailbox as a pinned item.

Cannot Pin a Subfolder of a Shared Mailbox

New Outlook does not allow pinning subfolders of shared mailboxes directly. You can pin the root folder of the shared mailbox by right-clicking the mailbox name and choosing Pin to Favorites. To access a subfolder, expand the pinned mailbox in the sidebar, then click the subfolder. This is a current limitation of the new Outlook client.

Pinning Folders vs Adding to Favorites: What Is the Difference

Item	Pin to Favorites	Add to Favorites (Classic Outlook)
Where the folder appears	Favorites section at top of sidebar	Favorites section in the folder pane
Supported folder types	Mail folders only	Mail, calendar, contacts, tasks
Shared mailbox support	Root folder only	All folders
Reorder by dragging	Yes	Yes
Unpin method	Right-click > Unpin from Favorites	Right-click > Remove from Favorites

The new Outlook uses the term Pin to Favorites instead of Add to Favorites. The behavior is identical. Both actions place the folder in a special section that stays visible at all times. The key difference is that the new Outlook restricts pinning to mail folders only.

How to Unpin a Folder from the Sidebar

1. Right-click the pinned folder in the sidebar
   Find the folder in the Favorites section of the sidebar. Right-click the folder name.
2. Select Unpin from Favorites
   Click Unpin from Favorites from the context menu. The folder is removed from the sidebar immediately. The folder itself is not deleted.

You can also drag the folder out of the Favorites section and drop it onto the folder pane. This also unpins the folder.

Conclusion

You can now pin any mail folder to the new Outlook sidebar using the right-click menu or drag-and-drop. Pinned folders appear in the Favorites section and stay visible across all views. Use this feature to keep project folders, archive mailboxes, or shared mailbox root folders one click away.

Next, try pinning a shared mailbox root folder to quickly access emails from a team mailbox. If you use multiple shared mailboxes, pin each one to the sidebar for faster switching.

For advanced users, press Ctrl+6 to open the folder pane and see the full folder hierarchy. You can then drag any folder from the hierarchy directly into the Favorites section without right-clicking.