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Quick Answer

While typing the body of an email, type the @ symbol followed by the person's name (e.g., @John). Select them from the dropdown list. Their name will highlight in blue, and they will automatically be added to the 'To' line.

How to Use @Mentions in Outlook Email ​

Applies to: Microsoft Outlook (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019)
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-03-09

Summary ​

The @Mention feature in Outlook lets you tag specific people in an email body to draw their attention to a particular section of the message. When you @mention someone, they are automatically added to the To line, and the email is highlighted in their inbox with an @ symbol. This article explains how to use, find, and filter @mentioned emails.

Prerequisites ​

  • Microsoft Outlook desktop app or Outlook on the web.
  • A Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online mailbox.
  • No admin rights required.

Instructions ​

1. Mention Someone in an Email ​

Tag a person directly in the body of your message.

  1. Open a new email or reply to an existing thread.
  2. In the message body, type @ followed by the person's name (e.g., @Sarah Jones).
  3. A dropdown of matching contacts appears — select the correct person.
  4. The person's name appears highlighted and linked in the message body.
  5. Outlook automatically adds them to the To field if they are not already a recipient.
  6. The recipient will see an @ icon next to the email in their inbox.

2. Find Emails Where You Are Mentioned ​

Quickly locate messages that specifically mention you.

Desktop App:

  1. Open Outlook and go to your Inbox.
  2. Click the Filter Email dropdown on the Home ribbon.
  3. Select Mentioned Mail.
  4. Outlook filters your inbox to show only emails where you were @mentioned.
  5. Click the filter again to clear it and return to your full inbox.

Outlook on the Web:

  1. Open Outlook on the web.
  2. Click the Filter icon above the message list.
  3. Select Mentioned from the filter options.
  4. Only @mentioned emails are displayed.

3. Use @Mentions Effectively ​

Best practices for getting the most out of mentions.

  1. Use @mentions to assign actions — Instead of writing "Sarah, please review the attached report," write "@Sarah Jones please review the attached report." This creates a clear, traceable action item.
  2. Mention multiple people — You can @mention several people in the same email to assign different tasks or draw attention to specific sections.
  3. Keep mentions specific — Place the @mention next to the relevant sentence or task, not at the top of the message, so the recipient knows exactly what they need to act on.

Troubleshooting ​

TIP

When you @mention someone, Outlook highlights the email in their inbox with an @ icon. This makes it stand out from regular emails and encourages faster responses on action items.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
@Mention dropdown does not appearOutlook may not recognise the contactType more characters of the name, or verify the person exists in your organisation's address book.
Mentioned person was not added to the To lineContact was manually removedAfter @mentioning, do not manually remove the person from the To field or the mention will not work properly.
Cannot find the Mentioned Mail filterUsing an older version of OutlookUpdate Outlook to the latest version via File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.