How to Replace the Color Category of an Outlook Item with VBA

Outlook Solutions September 29, 2025

If you want to replace the color category of an Outlook item, you’ll need to remove the original one as a new category is assigned. Thus, in this article, we will teach you how to automate this via VBA.

The primary reason why we make use of color categories in Outlook is to better classify and manage your Outlook items. Plus, Outlook permits us to assign one or more color categories to one item. However, too many categories assigned to a single item may sometimes clutter up your classification rules. Therefore, many users want to replace the color category instead of overlaying categories. Here we will expose an effective way to you.

Replace the Color Category of an Outlook Item with VBA

Replace the Color Category of an Outlook Item

  1. At the very outset, launch your Outlook application.
  2. Then switch to “Developer” tab and click the “Visual Basic” button or press “Alt + F11” key shortcuts.
  3. Next you will enter the “Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications” window.
  4. At this point, you should double click on the “ThisOutlookSession” project on the left side to open it.
  5. Subsequently, copy the following VBA codes into this project window.
Public WithEvents objExplorer As Outlook.Explorer
Public WithEvents objInspectors As Outlook.Inspectors
'Take Mailitem as an example
Public WithEvents objMail As Outlook.MailItem

Private Sub Application_Startup()
    Set objExplorer = Outlook.Application.ActiveExplorer
    Set objInspectors = Outlook.Application.Inspectors
End Sub

Private Sub objExplorer_Activate()
    On Error Resume Next
    Set objMail = objExplorer.Selection.Item(1)
End Sub

Private Sub objInspectors_NewInspector(ByVal Inspector As Inspector)
    Set objMail = Inspector.CurrentItem
End Sub

Private Sub objMail_PropertyChange(ByVal Name As String)
    Dim strSpecificCategory As String
    Dim strCategories As String
    Dim varArray As Variant
    Dim i As Long
  
    If Name = "Categories" Then
       strCategories = objMail.Categories
       varArray = Split(objMail.Categories, ",")
       If UBound(varArray) >= 1 Then
          'If want to get a confirmation before removing the original category
          'Add the following lines
          'Dim strPrompt As String
          'Dim nResponse As Integer
          'strPrompt = "Do you want to remove the original color category?"
          'nResponse = MsgBox(strPrompt, vbQuestion + vbYesNo, "Color Category Assignment")
          'If nResponse = vbYes Then
          For i = 0 To UBound(varArray)
              'Remove the previous color categories
              varArray(1) = ""
              'Rebuild the categories
              objMail.Categories = Join(varArray, ",")
              Exit Sub
          Next i
          'End If
       End If
    End If
End Sub

VBA Code - Replace the Color Category of an Outlook Item

  1. After that, you should assign a digital certificate to this new macro.
  2. Later you need check your Outlook macro settings to ensure signed macros are enabled.
  3. Eventually you should restart Outlook to activate the new VBA project.
  4. From now on, every time you assign a new category to an item, the previous one will be automatically removed.

Handle Nettlesome Outlook Issues

As Outlook is prone to error and corruption, you will encounter various issues in your Outlook. Therefore, you should make sufficient precautious. For instance, it is advisable to make regular backups for your PST file. Moreover, you ought to get hold of a powerful PST fix tool, such as DataNumen Outlook Repair.

Author Introduction:

Shirley Zhang is a data recovery expert in DataNumen, Inc., which is the world leader in data recovery technologies, including recover Sql Server and outlook repair software products. For more information visit www.datanumen.com

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