Out of every Office app, OneNote has the tightest integration with Outlook. That’s because both apps share similar objectives and operations. It may not seem obvious how, but you can actually use OneNote as a task manager with Outlook's calendar and to-do list tools.

By adding OneNote to Outlook in this way, you ensure your tasks and messages stay organized in a notebook. And OneNote's collaboration features make it easy to share this information with your team.

We’ll show you how to use OneNote and Outlook integration to better manage the complexities of multiple projects.

Where Outlook Tasks Fall Short

Whether you’re keeping track of action items or impending projects, you can use Outlook tasks to manage to-do lists and track activities. These let you record information like start date, due date, status, priority, and progress. You can track one-time tasks and tasks that recur over a period of time.

tasks listed in the Outlook window

If the project involves multiple people, you can create a plan and assign tasks to each person. Outlook also helps you manage multiple projects and tasks with ease without the need for any complicated apps.

However, despite their advantages, Outlook tasks do fall short in certain areas. While you can write notes on a task, it lacks context. Some projects need greater vision and planning. Without any context, you’ll fail to link ideas together. And, the ability to categorize and organize tasks is limited; Outlook quickly gets cluttered as you keep adding tasks.

Activate the OneNote Add-in for Outlook

You can improve upon tasks by integrating OneNote to Outlook instead. Here's how to do that for OneNote 2016 or OneNote in Windows 10.

OneNote 2016

If OneNote isn’t active in your version of Outlook, follow these steps to activate the add-in.

Open Outlook. Click the File tab to reveal the Account Information window. Then click Options on the left.

Outlook account information window

From the Outlook Options window, click the Add-ins option located on the left. In here, you’ll see the lists of active, inactive, and disabled application add-ins.

list of add-ins-in the Outlook option window

If OneNote is on the Inactive Application Add-ins, select COM Add-ins next to Manage at the bottom of the screen. Then, click the Go button. From the dialog box, check the OneNote Notes about Outlook items, then click OK.

activate OneNote add-in from the list

You should now see the OneNote icon in the Home tab.

OneNote in Windows 10

In the OneNote app, the process for activating the add-in is slightly different. Repeat the same steps from above to open the Outlook Options dialog box. Then click the Advanced tab, scroll down and enable Use Send to OneNote with OneNote for Windows 10, if available. Click OK.

activate OneNote add-in for Windows 10

Note: Send to OneNote is an offline COM add-in that works well with OneNote 2016 and older versions, like 2010 and 2013. If you check the add-in for Windows 10, Outlook configures to use the OneNote app. To restore the earlier COM add-in, uncheck this option and follow the procedure for OneNote 2016 again.

Add an Outlook Task to OneNote

At first, you must decide whether a given notebook is personal or shared. With a shared notebook, you can share notes with other team members and opt to let users edit the notebook.

Those with editing privileges can add tasks, meeting notes, and more. The comments are shown in different colors to make it clear who added what as the project proceeds.

Create a Shared Notebook in OneNote

We’ll create a OneNote notebook called Projects and use section groups to hold multiple small projects. In each section group, add sections like Meeting Minutes, Corresponding, and Tasks. You can add more or rename sections as per your needs.

To share a notebook, click the File tab. Then, click Share to display sharing options. Under the Share heading, click Share with People. Enter the email addresses of people you want to invite, select the share setting (View or Edit), and click Share.

create a shared notebook in OneNote

Send Your Task to OneNote

In Outlook, click the Tasks button in the navigation bar to switch to the Tasks module. Then, click the New Task button on the ribbon or press Ctrl + N. Fill in the subject details, due date, reminder, and priority, if needed. Click on the Send to OneNote icon in the ribbon.

create a task and click the OneNote button located on the ribbon

From the dialog box that appears, select the location of your notebook and section and click OK. To see your task, navigate to the Tasks section we just created. By bringing your tasks into OneNote, you provide a central space to organize information related to that task.

select a location of your task in OneNote

Then, add tables, screen clippings, an Excel spreadsheet, or even a secondary to-do list. Other team members will be able to see what you’re working on, read task details, and give feedback. Here are some tips on how to use a to-do list with OneNote.

details of the task in OneNote

Save an Outlook Email to OneNote

The process for sending an email is similar to tasks. Open your email inbox. Select the message you want to save to OneNote. And click the Send to OneNote icon in the ribbon. From the dialog box, select the location where you want to store the message and click OK.

send email to OneNote

You can even share a page via email from OneNote to other stakeholders involved in your project. To do this, navigate to the page of notes you want to email in OneNote. Click the File tab, then click Send. Choose any desired option from the list; if the content has many sections, tables, or images, it’s better to send it as a PDF.

share a OneNote page via email

Using OneNote with Outlook Meeting

The Calendar app contains your schedule of appointments, events, and meetings. All calendar items start as an appointment. It's an activity that doesn't involve other people or resources. An event occurs at least once and lasts 24 hours or more.

An appointment becomes a meeting when you involve other people and include resources, such as conference rooms. With Outlook, you can save precious time by requesting a meeting, keeping track of the meeting date, and automating the meeting minute process.

Click the Calendar button in the navigation bar to switch to the calendar module. Find the meeting you want to add, double-click it to open the Meeting window. Then, click the Meeting Notes icon located in the ribbon.

OneNote integration with Outlook for meeting notes

Send the Meeting Notes to OneNote 2016

A dialog box appears asking whether you want to Share notes with the meeting or Take notes on your own. The former option works with a shared OneNote notebook. The latter option works with your private notebook. However, you can share them through email.

choose the destination notebook from the dialog box

Select Take notes on your own. Then choose the location of your meeting notes from the dialog box. A new page containing your information opens in OneNote. Beneath the Notes heading, start writing your action items. If there’s a PowerPoint presentation, you can insert a printout of slides into a page.

meeting notes in OneNote notebook

When the meeting finishes, click on the Email Page icon in the ribbon. An Outlook message window will open with attendees' addresses at the top. Then, click the Send button to send the meeting notes. Your attendees will get to know key points and handouts. There’s no need to take printouts and distribute them.

share the meeting notes with attendees

Send Your Meeting Notes to the OneNote App

If you use the OneNote app for Windows 10, ensure that the Send to OneNote add-in is checked. Find the meeting you want to add, then click the Meeting Notes icon in the ribbon. Select the location of your notebook, and click Save.

send meeting notes to the OneNote app

Alternatively, you can create a structured page with pre-built note containers set up to capture specific types of notes during your meetings. Here’s a tutorial on how to create page templates in OneNote.

Learn How to Use OneNote Tags

OneNote integration with Outlook can handle a lot of project management tasks. While setting up the integration takes a bit of time and planning, you’ll quickly adjust to the workflow.

OneNote has many features, but every business owner or manager should learn how to use tags in OneNote. It’s an effective way to categorize information and helps you find them later on.