When you reply to an email in Outlook, the entire conversation history is often included by default. This creates long, cluttered replies that are difficult for recipients to read. The behavior is controlled by a single setting in Outlook’s options. This article explains how to change that setting so your replies contain only the most recent message.
Key Takeaways: Control What Gets Included in Your Replies
- File > Options > Mail > Replies and forwards: This menu controls whether your reply includes the entire thread or just the last message.
- Ctrl + R: The keyboard shortcut to reply to a message, which will respect the setting you configure.
- Include original message text: The dropdown setting you must change from ‘Include original message text’ to another option.
Why Outlook Includes the Full Email Thread
Outlook is designed to provide context in email conversations. The default setting adds all previous messages from the thread into your new reply. This is intended to help recipients remember the discussion history, especially if the email chain is long or involves multiple people.
However, this default often leads to excessively long emails where the new content is buried. The setting applies globally to all your replies and forwards. It is not tied to a specific email account or message type. Changing it once will affect all future messages you send from that Outlook profile on that computer.
Steps to Reply With Only the Last Message
You can change the default reply behavior in a few steps. The setting is found in the main Outlook options menu.
- Open Outlook Options
Click the File tab in the top-left corner of the Outlook window. Then select Options from the left-hand menu. This opens the Outlook Options dialog box. - Navigate to Mail Settings
In the left pane of the Outlook Options window, click the Mail category. Scroll down through the settings until you find the section labeled ‘Replies and forwards’. - Change the Reply Setting
Locate the dropdown menu next to ‘When replying to a message’. Click the dropdown and select ‘Do not include original message’. Click the OK button at the bottom of the window to save and apply the change.
Using the Quick Access Toolbar for One-Time Changes
If you need to occasionally include the full thread, you can add a button to toggle the setting without opening the options menu.
- Customize the Quick Access Toolbar
Click the small downward arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar, usually located above the ribbon. Select ‘More Commands’ from the menu. - Add the Include Command
In the ‘Choose commands from’ dropdown, select ‘All Commands’. Scroll down the list and find ‘Include Original Message Text in Reply or Forward’. Select it and click the Add >> button to move it to the toolbar list. Click OK. - Use the Toggle Button
A new button with a quotation mark icon will appear on your toolbar. Before you reply, click this button to cycle through the include options for just that one message.
Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid
Setting Does Not Apply to Existing Drafts
If you change the setting while you have a reply open in a separate window, the change will not affect that draft. The new setting only applies to replies you start after clicking OK. You must close any open reply windows and start a new reply for the setting to take effect.
Forwarding Still Includes Full Thread
The ‘When replying to a message’ setting only controls replies. Right below it is a separate dropdown for ‘When forwarding a message’. You must change this second setting to ‘Do not include original message’ if you also want to forward only the last email.
Conversation View Can Cause Confusion
If you use Conversation View, replying from the reading pane may not use the last message in the thread. Outlook might use the specific message you have selected within the conversation. To ensure you reply to the most recent one, open the latest email in its own window before pressing Ctrl + R.
Reply Behavior Settings Comparison
| Item | Do not include original message | Include original message text | Attach original message |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Sends only your new text; the previous email is omitted | Inserts the full thread history below your new reply | Adds the previous email as a separate .msg file attachment |
| Email Length | Short and clean | Can be very long | Short body, but has an attachment |
| Recipient Action | Must refer to their own inbox for context | All context is in the email body | Must double-click the attachment to open it |
| Best For | Internal teams with shared email history | External contacts or infrequent correspondence | Formal forwarding for record-keeping |
You can now send concise replies that focus on your new message. Remember to also adjust the separate setting for forwarding messages if needed. For more control, explore the Quick Access Toolbar to add the ‘Include’ toggle for one-off exceptions to your new clean-reply rule.