Structure & Styles in Outlook

What it is

Structure and styles in Outlook refer to using built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3) and list formats to create properly organized emails. These styles provide semantic meaning to your content, allowing assistive technologies to understand and navigate the document structure.

Outlook's built-in styles include:

• Heading 1: Main sections of your email
• Heading 2: Subsections within main sections
• Heading 3: Sub-subsections for detailed organization
• Normal/Body text: Regular paragraph content
• Bulleted lists: Unordered collections of items
• Numbered lists: Ordered sequences or steps

Why it matters

Using built-in heading styles and proper structure is essential for email accessibility because:

• Screen reader navigation: Screen reader users can jump between headings using keyboard shortcuts, allowing them to quickly scan and navigate long emails
• Semantic meaning: Assistive technologies understand the hierarchy and relationship between content sections
• Keyboard efficiency: Users can navigate by headings without reading every word
• Visual clarity: Helps all users quickly understand the email's organization and find specific information
• Consistency: Maintains consistent formatting across all your emails

How to apply heading styles

Method 1: Using the Styles gallery

1. Select the text you want to make a heading
2. Go to the Format Text tab in the ribbon
3. In the Styles group, click Styles
4. Select the appropriate heading level (Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3)

Method 2: Using keyboard shortcuts (Windows)

• Ctrl + Alt + 1: Apply Heading 1
• Ctrl + Alt + 2: Apply Heading 2
• Ctrl + Alt + 3: Apply Heading 3

Choosing the right heading level

• Heading 1: Use for main sections (e.g., "Project Update," "Meeting Agenda," "Important Announcement")
• Heading 2: Use for subsections within a main section (e.g., "Current Status," "Next Steps," "Action Items")
• Heading 3: Use for sub-subsections when needed for detailed organization

Modifying heading styles

You can modify the appearance of heading styles in Outlook while maintaining their semantic structure.

How to modify a heading style

1. Apply a heading style to some text
2. Format the text as desired (font, size, color, etc.)
3. Select the formatted text
4. Go to Format Text > Styles
5. Right-click on the heading style you applied
6. Select Update [Heading] to Match Selection

This updates the style definition, and all text using that style will update automatically.

Using lists in emails

Lists help organize information and make it easier to scan. Use Outlook's built-in list tools for proper accessibility.

Creating bulleted lists

1. Position your cursor where you want the list
2. Go to Format Text tab
3. Click the Bullets button
4. Type your list items, pressing Enter after each item
5. Press Enter twice to end the list

Creating numbered lists

1. Position your cursor where you want the list
2. Go to Format Text tab
3. Click the Numbering button
4. Type your list items, pressing Enter after each item
5. Press Enter twice to end the list

When to use each list type

• Bulleted lists: Use for items without a specific order or sequence (e.g., team members, features, benefits)
• Numbered lists: Use for sequential steps, ranked items, or when the order matters (e.g., instructions, priorities, timeline)