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Microsoft has a handy feature in Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint called the Quick Access Toolbar. The Quick Access Toolbar allows you to customize a toolbar in each of these applications so that you can add your favorite or hard-to-find commands. This toolbar is easy to set up and can save you time when working in any of these apps.

The Quick Access Toolbar will only work when the applications are installed on your desktop, so if you use the applications online through your browser, the toolbar does not show up. The toolbar may already be enabled in your Microsoft Office application. If so, it will appear above the Ribbon by default, and to add or remove commands from the ribbon, simply click on the symbol at the end of the Quick Access Toolbar that has a line and chevron that reads “Customize Quick Access Toolbar” when you hover over it. Then click on “More Commands.” If you do not see the Quick Access Toolbar, go to File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar. Check the box near the bottom labeled “Show Quick Access Toolbar.” You can change the toolbar position just below that to make it appear above the ribbon. Make sure to check ”Always show command labels” so that you can see the description of the symbols for the commands you add to the toolbar.

There are two methods for adding commands to the Quick Access Toolbar. From the File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar screen, you can click on any command in the left column, then click on “Add” in the middle. By default, only some of the more popular commands are shown. You can change the drop-down menu labeled “Choose commands from:” to “All Commands” to find any other commands. Another way to add a command to the toolbar is to navigate to the command in the Ribbon or through the menu bar at the top of the window, right click on the command, and then select “Add to Quick Access Toolbar.” Once you have your Quick Access Toolbar enabled and customized, when you press the Alt key, you will notice each command on the toolbar has a number, which is actually the keyboard shortcut for that command. So, you can either click on the command, or press alt + the number to execute a command on the toolbar.

Keep in mind that some Quick Access Toolbar commands may not appear in the Ribbon until they can be used, even if you are browsing the “All Commands” on the File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar screen. For example, to add the command “Resend This Message” in Outlook, you must open a sent email to find that command on the Ribbon, right click, then select “Add to Quick Access Toolbar,” or to find that command listed in the “All Commands” list in Options. In fact, you may need to enable the Quick Access Toolbar in a sent email window, as it may not appear in that window by default, even though you enabled the tool bar from your inbox window.

The Quick Access Toolbar can help you save time when working with these applications. It is really easy to setup and use, so if you have any trouble setting yours up, please email me at chris.colee@alabar.org or call (334) 517-2130.

 

 

Chris Colee
Practice Management Advisor

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