mark message as important from Outlook

Question

Trying this:

Change the importance level for a message

In the mail message window, on the Message tab, in the Options group, click High Importance or Low Importance.

So I opened a message, by which I think they mean message window and am on the Message tab. I don't see Options. I see:

1. delete
2. respond
3. quick steps
4. move
5. tags
6. editing
7. zoom

across the toolbar (?) above the message content.

Answer 1

So the instructions you are looking at are for a message you are writing.

If you click "New Email" then the 'High Importance' 'Low Importance' is on the right side of the ribbon. This is for telling the recipient the importance level of your message to them.

A way to mark importance for a received message, best I can see anyways, is to create 'categories' right click the message you want to categorize and then select categorize, and choose one, you can even rename that color category. You can add the 'category' column by right clicking any column and then selecting 'View Settings'---> 'columns' and then adding category to the list on the right.

This can also be done in the 'tags' section of the ribbon if you open the message completely, however I use 'preview' so instead opening the message, I just right click the message, it's merely a preference and doesn't have to be done the first way mentioned.

Also, you can 'flag' messages by right clicking them, something else to consider.

NOTICE: These instructions are for Outlook 2013. Though they should be very similar in 2007/2016