Outlook is Not a Project Management Tool - Here's How to Turn it into One!

Carola Moresche, Thursday 06 November 2025 | Reading time: 10 min.

How to turn emails, attachments, and appointments into tasks, documents, and time entries in your projects with InLoox for Outlook Modern Add-in.

A few weeks ago, on a flight back from a client workshop, I couldn’t help noticing that almost every open laptop had one thing in common: Microsoft Outlook. No matter the job title or dress code — from button-downs to hoodies — everyone was deep in their inboxes, juggling meetings and attachments. With over 400 million users globally¹, Outlook isn’t just an email tool anymore; it’s where most of our daily work really happens.

However, it’s equally clear that Outlook is not a project management platform. Turning an email into a project task, storing an attachment in a project, or recording a client meeting as work time—all of that is tedious, time-consuming, and nearly impossible without switching between different tools. With InLoox for Outlook, you can streamline these workflows effortlessly, right within Outlook itself.

Content

TL;DR: InLoox for Outlook at a Glance
How to Bring Project Management into Outlook
Capturing Outlook Emails as Tasks
Assign a Person, Set a Due Date, and Estimate Effort
Add Subtasks, Keep Attachments, and Assign to a Project
Link Tasks, Add Cost Calculations, and Use Custom Fields
Update Task Status and Mark Tasks as Complete
Step-by-Step: How to Turn Emails into Tasks
Save Outlook Emails or Attachments as Documents
Save Emails as PDF Documents or in .eml Format
Attach Files from Other Emails to Tasks
Store, Edit, or Download Emails and Attachments in Folders
Synchronizing Documents Between InLoox and Microsoft SharePoint
Step-by-Step: How to Turn Emails and Attachments into Project Documents
Track Outlook Appointments and Emails as Work Time
Record Emails with Descriptions as Project Work Time in Outlook
Record Outlook Appointments from Personal and Shared Calendars
Add Categories to Emails and Appointments
Step-by-Step: How to Record Emails and Appointments as Work Time
Keep Communication Project-related within Outlook Using InLoox
From Outlook to the InLoox Web App
Seamless Project Work Directly in Outlook

TL;DR: InLoox for Outlook at a Glance

Features

Email → Task: Convert emails (including attachments) into tasks with just one click – complete with due dates, effort estimates, checklists, and links.
Email/Attachment → Document: Save emails as PDFs or .eml files directly in your project folder, with drag & drop support and SharePoint synchronization.
Appointment/Email → Time Entry: Track time directly from your inbox or calendar (including shared ones), with stopwatch functionality and billable status options.
Comments & @Team: Comment directly on tasks, documents, and time entries; tag team members and receive follower notifications.
AI Assistant: Automatically creates tasks from emails – with smart suggestions for titles, descriptions, effort, and due dates.
Central Storage & Transparency: All project data – tasks, documents, and time entries – remain in context and traceable at any time.

Benefits

No Media Breaks: Work directly in Outlook – no switching between tools, no copy-paste hassle.
Better Overview: All relevant project information in one place – clear, consistent, and always up to date.
Time Savings: Capture work time faster and process emails more efficiently.
More Productive Workdays: Communication, task management, and time tracking are seamlessly integrated instead of running in parallel.
Seamless Integration: Outlook remains your familiar workspace – InLoox simply enhances it with true project management functionality.

How to Bring Project Management into Outlook

If you’re using an InLoox Cloud Edition (Professional, Enterprise, or Enterprise Plus) together with Microsoft Exchange Online, you can install the InLoox for Outlook Add-in yourself via Outlook or Microsoft AppSource, or have your Office 365 or Microsoft Exchange administrator do it for you.

If you’re using InLoox On-Prem Edition in combination with Microsoft Exchange Online or Microsoft Exchange Server, then only your Microsoft Office 365 or Exchange administrator can retrieve and install InLoox for Outlook.
If the add-in is deployed by an administrator, it can be made available to everyone in your organization. Please note that deployment across all devices may take up to 24 hours.

For detailed step-by-step installation instructions, refer to this help article on installing InLoox for Outlook ».

Capturing Outlook Emails as Tasks

A customer sends the statement of work for a software project. A colleague requests video material for a marketing campaign. A prospect shares the documents for a bid proposal. These are just a few examples of work processes that are initiated by email. If such messages aren’t converted into actionable tasks, they risk getting lost in your inbox.

With InLoox for Outlook, you can turn an email into a task with just one click and assign it to an existing project—or create a new project for it. The subject line, body text, and attachments are automatically transferred and saved in InLoox as the task name, task description, and attached document. You can, of course, edit or delete any of this information as needed.

Once the task is completed, you can simply check it off in InLoox for Outlook. The progress is instantly reflected in the project, and your team is automatically notified. This keeps the project status up to date at all times and helps you maintain full visibility of your to-dos.

^{Video Tutorial: InLoox for Outlook Modern Add-in © InLoox, Inc.}

Assign a Person, Set a Due Date, and Estimate Effort

The better the planning, the more reliably deadlines can be met. By setting a start and end date, you define the timeframe for task completion, and with an effort estimate, you can later compare the planned effort with the actual time recorded via time tracking.

If you’re not responsible for completing the task yourself, you can assign it to another person. That person will automatically receive an email notification from InLoox and can immediately change the task status to “In Progress” directly in InLoox for Outlook.

Add Subtasks, Keep Attachments, and Assign to a Project

Some emails contain detailed instructions that are essential for correct execution and must not be overlooked. You can record these details in the task’s checklist to ensure that no intermediate steps are forgotten before completion.
If the email includes one or more attachments, InLoox automatically adds them as documents to the task. You can remove any unnecessary attachments with a single click.

Next, assign the task to a project. Simply start typing the project’s name into the field, and InLoox will search your existing project list. If no suitable project exists, just type a new project name and press Enter to create it instantly.

Link Tasks, Add Cost Calculations, and Use Custom Fields

Tasks can also be related to other tasks, time entries, or budget items. To make these relationships visible, use the linking function—this way, relevant connections are immediately apparent when working on the task. These InLoox links remain intact even if the task is reassigned to another person, ensuring that important context and information are preserved, avoiding unnecessary follow-ups.

For cost calculation, InLoox automatically determines planned expenses based on the effort estimate and cost group you select. This automatically creates a planned expense entry in your project finances, which you can later compare to the actual time-based expenses recorded through time tracking.

Many organizations also use custom fields to capture specific data or data from third-party systems. You can manage these fields directly within the InLoox add-in, without ever leaving Outlook.

Update Task Status and Mark Tasks as Complete

By updating the task status, you let your project team know that you’re working on the task, and once it’s finished, you can check it off with a single click in InLoox for Outlook.
This gives you full control over your task list and allows you to instantly share your progress with the team. Everything updates in real time, seamlessly, and without switching between different tools.

Step-by-Step: How to Turn Emails into Tasks

In Outlook, select the email you want to turn into a task.
Click the InLoox icon in the top-right of the email. The InLoox for Outlook side panel opens on the right.
In InLoox, the email appears under “Currently selected item.”
Click the checkmark to create a task from the email. A new task is created (labeled NEW) using the email subject as the task name.
Optional: Use the AI Assistant (wand icon). InLoox analyzes the email and suggests several tasks with effort estimates and due dates. Add whichever tasks fit.
Open the new task in InLoox for Outlook and set the start/end dates, the recurrence interval (if needed), and the effort.
Edit the task description if necessary. InLoox automatically pulls in the email text.
If the task requires sub-steps, create a checklist.
If the email has an attachment, it’s automatically added to the task as a document. If you don’t need it, remove it with the trash icon.
If the task doesn’t belong to a project but is related to another item, use Linked items to connect it—to another task, a budget item, or a time entry.
If it is a project task, select the project. If no project exists yet, type in the project’s name, hit Enter and InLoox will create the new project with the task; you’ll automatically be assigned the Project Manager role.
If the project has a Gantt chart, you can assign the task to a specific activity. InLoox will replace the task’s start/end dates with the activity’s dates.
For Billing, choose the task’s billing group. Check Billable if, for example, the task can be invoiced to a customer.
If your InLoox account uses custom fields for tasks, you can fill them out right there.
If you want certain people to receive notifications about progress, add them as followers.
If InLoox–Outlook synchronization is enabled, the email will automatically be labeled with the “InLoox” category in Outlook—so you know it’s already been processed.
When the task is done, check it off in InLoox for Outlook. The task status changes to “Completed,” gets a green checkmark, and moves to the bottom of the list.

Save Outlook Emails or Attachments as Documents

A well-organized document storage system benefits not only you but your entire project team. Documents stored in your inbox are accessible only to you. They lack any task or project context, are often difficult to locate, and searching for them can be time-consuming. When attachments such as quotes, templates, contracts, or scope statements are saved directly within a project, they become centrally available to both you and your team.

In addition, all files are stored within a consistent document folder structure in the InLoox project and can even be synchronized with your Microsoft SharePoint or file share. This means you can open, edit, and keep documents up to date directly, without creating duplicates.

^{Video Tutorial: InLoox for Outlook Modern Add-in – Document Management © InLoox, Inc.}

Save Emails as PDF Documents or in .eml Format

You have the flexibility to store emails in InLoox for Outlook either as PDF files or in the original .eml format. Saving an email as a PDF is ideal for archiving purposes or for attaching it as a document to another email.

When you save emails in the .eml format in InLoox for Outlook, you gain a major advantage: you can reopen the email in Outlook directly from InLoox and continue the conversation seamlessly. Additionally, you can reuse the sender’s and CC recipients’ email addresses. Simply click on an address, and Outlook will open a new message addressed to that person.

Attach Files from Other Emails to Tasks

In ongoing projects, new documents constantly come in via email and they should, of course, be filed properly. The workflow here is simple: drag and drop. Open the task in InLoox for Outlook and drag the email attachment directly into it. InLoox will attach the document automatically, and your filing is done.
Note: The drag-and-drop feature is only supported in Microsoft Outlook Classic.

Store, Edit, or Download Emails and Attachments in Folders

Emails and documents shouldn’t be stored chaotically within a project but ideally organized in meaningful folders. InLoox can create a custom folder structure according to your specifications. In the InLoox settings, this folder structure can be defined as a default template for all projects or synchronized via your SharePoint or file share integration.

Collaboration often requires that documents be editable and kept up to date in real time. Outdated or duplicate files create unnecessary coordination overhead for you and your team. When dealing with Microsoft Office files such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents, you can open, edit, and save them directly from InLoox for Outlook, either on your desktop or in the respective web application.

Synchronizing Documents Between InLoox and Microsoft SharePoint

If you’ve integrated InLoox with SharePoint or a file share, you can open the folder where a document is stored and continue working directly from there. You can also move the document to a different project folder the synchronization between SharePoint (or file share) and InLoox ensures that all changes are automatically reflected in InLoox. And if you ever need to download a document locally, just one click is all it takes.

Step-by-Step: How to Turn Emails and Attachments into Project Documents

In Outlook, select the email you want to store as a document in a project.
In the InLoox side panel, click on the Documents tab.
InLoox automatically selects the email and any attachments to capture them as documents. Deselect the checkboxes for the email or attachments you don’t want to include.
Choose whether to save the email as a PDF or as an .eml file.
Select the target project. Alternatively, create a new project if needed.
Choose the destination folder within the project (e.g., Contracts, Quotes, Correspondence). You can also create a new subfolder directly by clicking the plus icon.
If no folder structure exists yet in the project, click Initialize. InLoox will automatically create the default folder structure defined in the settings.
Click OK. The email and attachments are now stored in InLoox under the project’s document section. In Outlook, the email is labeled with the InLoox tag so you can see that it has already been archived.
Click on a document in InLoox for Outlook to add additional information or metadata, such as a document description or document status.
If necessary, link the document to other InLoox elements, e. g. a task or a time entry.
If you saved an email as a .eml file, you can reopen it directly in Outlook by clicking the “Open in App” icon to continue the conversation. The sender’s and CC recipients’ email addresses are also clickable, allowing you to start a new email to them directly from InLoox for Outlook.

Track Outlook Appointments and Emails as Work Time

Whether it’s a client meeting, a team discussion, a project kick-off event, or a call with a supplier, these types of work efforts often remain where they were created: in the Outlook calendar. However, they should also be reliably recorded as project work time.

Even handling emails can sometimes take more than just a few minutes. These invisible contributions to project success should be tracked transparently to counter the “iceberg phenomenon” — where much of the real effort remains hidden — and to better understand the true effort within projects. This enables more realistic planning and resource allocation.

With just a few clicks, all these efforts can be captured in your projects via InLoox for Outlook, meaningfully linked to tasks or documents, and used directly for project billing or reporting purposes.

Record Emails with Descriptions as Project Work Time in Outlook

When you log an email as project work time, InLoox can automatically use the email text as the description for your time entry. By enabling the “Capture email content” option, you instantly establish a clear link between the recorded work time and the actual activity performed. This connection also serves as documentation for billing purposes, providing proof of effort and transparency.

Record Outlook Appointments from Personal and Shared Calendars

At the end of the day, with just a few clicks, you can log all your meetings, calls, and client discussions as work time within your projects. Make this a habit to not only improve future effort estimations but also to make invisible work visible.
Conveniently, InLoox allows you to track time not only from your own calendar but also from shared calendars. This is especially useful when project assistants or administrative staff are responsible for recording time entries for billing or reporting purposes.

Add Categories to Emails and Appointments

With automatically applied labels on tracked emails and appointments, you no longer have to wonder whether you’ve already logged those efforts. You can instantly see in Outlook which activities have already been recorded in your InLoox projects.

You can also define a custom prefix for your entire organization. This prefix is automatically added in Outlook whenever emails or appointments are captured in InLoox. To enable this, click the three dots next to “Capture time from email” or “Capture time from calendar”, and activate the option “Replace category on email/appointment” before logging your work efforts.

How to Record Emails and Appointments as Work Time

In InLoox for Outlook, go to the Time tab and select the project for which you want to track an email or calendar event as work time.
Additional settings: Click the three dots next to “Capture time from email” and decide whether you want to include the email content in the time entry. You can also choose whether to assign a category to the captured email. (See the help article on Outlook settings in InLoox for more details.)
To record time from an email, select the email and click the checkmark icon.
InLoox creates the time entry and opens it in the side panel. Under Mode, it’s best to switch to “Start and Duration” and enter the start date and duration in minutes, hours, or workdays.
Add or edit the description, e.g., what exactly you did.
The time entry can be linked to other InLoox elements such as a task or a budget item.
If the project for which the time was logged includes a Gantt schedule with activities, you can assign the entry to a corresponding activity or project task.
Under Billing, select the appropriate cost group. The Billable checkbox is automatically activated by InLoox; uncheck it if this recorded time should not be used for project billing.
You can also fill out any custom fields related to time tracking.

To track a calendar event from Outlook in InLoox, first select the appropriate InLoox project again.
Then choose your Outlook calendar — you can also select shared calendars that have been made available to you.
Additional settings: Click the three dots next to “Capture time from calendar” and choose whether to:

show ignored events,
show private events,
include the event description,
open the time entry automatically after creation, and
apply a category to the event.

From the list of your weekly events in the side panel, find the relevant appointment and click “Track”. You can hide events by selecting “Ignore”.
The time entry will open automatically — you can then adjust the imported title, description, start, end, and duration as needed.
Add further details, such as attaching documents or updating the custom fields.
InLoox automatically saves your time entry. You can close it by clicking the X icon.

Keep Communication Project-related within Outlook Using InLoox

You’ve turned an email into a task, assigned it to your colleague, and now you want to inform the entire project team about it? Simply use the @-function in the comment field and type @Team.
InLoox will automatically notify all team members working on the project about your comment, ensuring that important information isn’t scattered across different channels but instead remains clearly linked to the relevant task and project within InLoox.

You can also comment on documents and time entries in InLoox for Outlook and add yourself or other people as followers to stay informed about updates and progress.

From Outlook to the InLoox Web App

Once you’ve worked through your inbox and calendar and captured all relevant content in InLoox, you can jump straight into the full project world of the InLoox Web App with just one click. In your task list, simply click the blue project name of a task, and InLoox will open the corresponding project, either in your browser (Outlook Classic) or directly in the Outlook browser (Outlook App). From there, you can access all project areas such as the Kanban board, project documents, financials, or the project dashboard.

When you open a task in InLoox for Outlook, you can also click on any linked elements to navigate directly to them in the InLoox Web App, seamlessly and without interruptions.

Seamless Project Work Directly in Outlook

With the InLoox for Outlook Modern Add-in, Outlook becomes a productive project workspace where you can not only reply to emails and schedule appointments but also transfer information directly into your projects with just a few clicks, either as a task, document, or time entry.

All without switching tools: within your familiar Outlook environment, you always have your tasks in view, know what actions to take next, and can easily set priorities.

If you don’t yet have an InLoox account, you can try InLoox free for 30 days together with your team of up to five people! Or, if you’d like to see how it works in action, you can book a free, no-obligation demo with one of our InLoox experts.

Source: ¹https://financesonline.com/number-of-email-users/ Popular Email Providers: Gmail leads with 1.5 billion users, followed by Outlook (400 million) and Yahoo! Mail (230 million).