# Astalty for Outlook

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/other/astalty-outlook-add-in

> Log Astalty tasks against your emails without leaving Outlook using the Astalty add-in.

The **Astalty for Outlook** add-in lets you create an Astalty task from an email or [add the email to an existing task](#adding-an-email-to-a-task-you-already-have). Open an email and select **Astalty** on its toolbar to get started.

> **This is different to the Outlook calendar integration**
>
> The add-in covered on this page logs **tasks** against your emails. If you are instead trying to sync your calendar so Astalty events appear in Outlook, see [Connecting your Outlook Calendar](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/calendar/calendar-set-up/connecting-your-outlook-calendar).

> **Where it works**
>
> The add-in appears when you are **reading** an email in **new Outlook** (Windows and Mac), **Outlook on the web**, and **classic Outlook desktop**. Any Astalty account can sign in, including accounts with two-factor authentication enabled.
>
> On **legacy (classic) Outlook for Mac** and **volume-licensed Outlook 2021**, you can still log tasks, but can't attach the email itself. The add-in tells you before you save. See [Attaching the email and its files](#attaching-the-email-and-its-files).

> **Doesn't work with IMAP, SMTP or POP accounts**
>
> The add-in only installs on an Outlook account connected via **Microsoft 365, Exchange** (Online or on-premises), or a natively-connected **Outlook.com** account. Accounts connected only through **IMAP, SMTP or POP** do not support the add-in. Ask your IT administrator about connecting the mailbox through Microsoft 365 or Exchange.

## Adding the add-in to Outlook

The add-in is available to Astalty users whose Outlook account meets the connection requirement above. It is installed once and then stays available on every email you open. Depending on your organisation, it may be added for you by your Microsoft administrator, or [you may add it yourself from within Outlook](https://marketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/product/WA200011688?tab=Overview).

In Outlook, open the **...** (more actions) menu on the toolbar and choose **Get Add-ins**.

![Outlook toolbar with the More actions menu open and Get Add-ins highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-install.png)

Search for **Astalty**, open the Astalty add-in, and click **Get it now**.

![Microsoft Marketplace Astalty add-in page with the search for Astalty and the Get it now button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-install-2.png)

If you're prompted, sign in to the Microsoft Marketplace with your work, school or Microsoft account to finish adding the add-in.

![Sign in to Microsoft Marketplace dialog asking for a work, school or Microsoft account email.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-install-3.png)

> **Can't see the Astalty button yet?**
>
> If the **Astalty** button does not appear after installation, fully quit and reopen Outlook.

## Opening the panel and signing in

Open any email and click the **Astalty** button on the message toolbar to open the panel. The first time, you'll be asked to connect your Astalty account. Click **Connect Astalty account** and a secure sign-in window opens where you log in exactly as you would in the browser, including any two-factor authentication step.

![Outlook message with the Astalty add-in panel open, showing the Sign in to Astalty prompt and Connect Astalty account button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-sign-in.png)

Your name and organisation are shown at the bottom of the panel, and you can **Sign out** from there at any time.

Changing or resetting your password, selecting **Logout all other sessions**, or setting up 2FA also signs the add-in out. Connect again the next time you open the panel. See [What Happens to Your Other Sessions](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/users/passwords-and-sessions#what-happens-to-your-other-sessions).

> **Keep the panel open**
>
> If you pin the panel, it stays open and automatically updates to show whichever email you have selected, so you don't need to reopen it for each message.

The panel matches Outlook's light or dark theme automatically, switching as you switch Outlook's.

![Astalty for Outlook panel in dark theme, showing the Linked tasks section and Log a task form matching Outlook's dark mode.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-dark-theme.png)

## Logging a task from an email

With an email open, the panel shows the email you are working from at the top, then **New task** and **Existing task** tabs. **New task** is selected by default and opens a **Log a task** form below it.

![Astalty for Outlook panel showing the Log a task form with its Note field pre-filled from the email, plus participant, time, Billable and Completed controls, and Create task.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-task-panel.png)

Fill in the task the same way you would with a quick task in Astalty:

- **Task title:** a short description of the task.
- **Participant:** start typing to search, or pick from the list. The add-in reads the email's sender and recipients and marks any that match a Participant in your account with a **Suggested** badge, so the right person is usually one click away.
- **Charge Item:** once a Participant is selected, choose the Charge Item to bill against. Their default Charge Item is selected automatically if they have one.
- **Time:** enter the time spent, or use the quick **+** buttons to add your organisation's standard increments. Use **Clear** to reset it.
- **Note:** pre-filled with the email's text, so you don't need to copy and paste it across. Edit or clear it before saving. If you have the panel pinned, save before switching to another email: switching resets the form and loads the newly selected email's text.
- **Billable** and **Completed:** toggle these on or off just like a quick task.

### Attaching the email and its files

If the email has attachments, or you want to keep a copy of the email itself, use the **attachments** button (it shows a summary such as *Email + 1 more*) to choose what to include. By default, the email and every available attachment are selected.

The add-in can attach up to 25 documents to one task. When the email itself is available, it takes one place, leaving room for up to 24 eligible attachments. On a host that cannot attach the email itself, up to 25 eligible attachments can appear. Inline images, cloud attachments and unsupported file types do not appear in the list.

![Log a task form with the attachments control showing Email + 1 more selected.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-attach-documents.png)

The email and each attachment are listed, and you can select or deselect them individually before creating the task.

![Attach documents dialog listing the email and its PDF attachment with both selected and a Done button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-attach-documents-2.png)

> **Older Outlook versions can't attach everything**
>
> Some older Outlook versions cannot attach the email itself or its files. The attachment control tells you what is available before you save. You can still log the task. Use a current Outlook version if you need attachment support. See [Microsoft's Outlook support requirements](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/concepts/requirements-for-running-office-add-ins) for client availability.

![Log a task form on an Outlook version that can't attach the email, showing the attachments control with the message This version of Outlook can't attach the email itself.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-attach-unsupported-email.png)

If an upload fails, Astalty still creates the task and names the files that were not attached. Open the task to add those files afterwards.

> **Astalty remembers your choice**
>
> If you untick the email or the attachments before saving, the add-in remembers each choice and starts the next email the same way until you tick it again. This is remembered on the computer you're using, not against your Astalty account, so it doesn't carry over to a different device.

The selected files are saved to the task's documents when it is created. Open the **Documents** tab on the task to find the email as an `.eml` file and each attachment in its original file type.

![Astalty task Documents tab listing the saved email as an EML file and the plan attachment as a PDF.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-task-documents.png)

### Creating the task

Click **Create task**. This creates the same task, charge, and note you would get from a quick task in Astalty, and links it to the email you were viewing. The task's start date and time default to the moment you create it.

![Filled Log a task form in the Astalty for Outlook panel with the Create task button highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-create-task.png)

The form then clears so you are ready to log the next task. Use **Reset** at any time to clear the form yourself.

## Adding an email to a task you already have

Select the **Existing task** tab to add the current email, and optionally a note and its attachments, to a task you already have instead of creating a new one. This is useful when several emails about the same thing should end up on one task, such as replies in a thread.

![Existing task tab with the task picker open, listing a Linked task and a task already marked Added.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-existing-task-picker.png)

- **Select a task:** search by task or Participant name, from 2 characters, or browse the list. Tasks linked to the open email's thread that you can edit are listed first, badged **Linked**; your other tasks follow. A task that already holds this exact email is disabled and badged **Added**, so the same email can't end up on one task twice.
- **Note:** an optional case note, added to the task the same way as [the note on a new task](#logging-a-task-from-an-email).
- **Attachments:** if the email has attachments, or you want to keep a copy of the email itself, choose what to include the same way as [attaching the email and its files](#attaching-the-email-and-its-files).
  Click **Add to task**. The email, its thread, the note and any selected files are saved to the task you picked, and the form clears ready for the next email.

> **Jump straight to a linked task**
>
> From the **Linked tasks** list, a task's **⋮** menu has an **Add this email** option if you can edit the task and it doesn't already hold this email. This switches to this tab with that task already selected. See [Adding this email to a linked task](#adding-this-email-to-a-linked-task).

## Seeing tasks already logged against an email

When you open an email that already has one or more tasks logged against it, a **Linked tasks** section appears at the top of the panel. Expand it to see each task, its Participant and the time recorded. This lets you check whether an email has already been actioned before you log another task.

![Astalty for Outlook panel showing a Linked tasks section above the Log a task form for an email that already has a task.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-linked-tasks.png)

### Opening a linked task in Astalty

To see the full task, click the **⋮** (more actions) button on the linked task and choose **View in Astalty**. The task opens in a new browser tab, on the task board with its [task view](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/tasks/task-view) already open. From there, you can check the note, charge and documents saved against it.

![Linked task in the Astalty for Outlook panel with its more actions menu open and View in Astalty highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-linked-task-view-in-astalty.png)

### Adding this email to a linked task

Click the **⋮** button on a linked task and choose **Add this email** to add the email you're viewing to that task. This is useful for a later reply in the same thread. The add-in switches to the **Existing task** tab with that task already selected; scroll down and click **Add to task** to confirm, or add a note or attachments first. See [Adding an email to a task you already have](#adding-an-email-to-a-task-you-already-have).

![Linked task in the Astalty for Outlook panel with its more actions menu open and Add this email highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/outlook-add-in-add-this-email.png)

**Add this email** only appears on a task you can edit that doesn't already hold this email.