Although Microsoft Loop was barebones at launch, the software giant fast-paced the development with regular feature add-ons in the last few months. Loop is a new personal Wiki and collaboration software from Microsoft that works quite differently from your traditional Microsoft 365 app. It requires a learning curve due to its unique organizational style and user experience design (UX). If you are new to Loop or already use it to manage your workflow on your laptop, check out our top tricks to elevate your Loop setup in no time.

10 Add table of contents

Your Microsoft Loop page may contain different blocks like Kanban boards, tables, Q&A, task lists, and more. When you create a long Loop page, make sure to add a table of contents for better navigation. It eliminates endless scrolling and lets you jump to a relevant block with a single click.

Once you complete a Loop page, head to the top, use the / command, search for Table of contents and hit Enter. Microsoft could have done a better job at displaying TOC, as the current format style looks quite busy.

9 Use comments and boosts for effective communication

Comments and boosts play a major role in real-time communication on Microsoft Loop. You can simply select a block and click the tiny comment icon below a block (represented by six dots). Now, check the option to write a comment or express boost with one of the built-in emojis.

It’s neatly implemented and can come in handy in ongoing projects and discussions.

8 Jot down ideas

Microsoft Loop has a neat Ideas tab to jot down your quick notes. You don’t necessarily need to create a new Loop page to jot down ideas and thoughts. Simply head to the Ideas section, select +, and express a quick thought. The best part is that the Ideas tab is accessible from all your Microsoft Loop workspaces.

Whether you are working on a personal or a team workspace, your quick notes are accessible with a single click only.

7 Link your Loop pages

The ability to link your Loop pages is another thoughtful feature to boost your productivity. For example, if you are creating a quarterly report on a Loop page and want to link an expenses report from another page, simply type @ check other Loop pages in the same workspace and select a relevant one.

The software integrates the Loop page within the same document for easy access. You don’t need to jump back and forth to find relevant info.

6 Integrate your OneDrive files

As expected, Microsoft Loop integrates well with the company’s cloud storage platform – OneDrive. Just type @ followed by the file name you want to attach. Loop pulls out relevant files from your OneDrive account with the title name. Select a file you want to attach and check it in action.

You can glance over the file name, file location, a small preview, and when it was last edited. When you click on it, Loop opens it in a separate web tab (and not on a native Office app). You can’t insert an image using the same trick, though. You need to use the Image block from the / command.

5 Use the Kanban board to manage tasks

While Loop can’t compete with advanced project management tools like Jira and Asana, it can easily replace your basic Trello board. Loop offers Kanban boards, which is one of the popular ways of managing projects with team members.

Use the / command, scroll to the Templates section to insert a Kanban board to your Loop page, and start adding relevant details. You can customize columns, create cards, assign them to team members, and add a due date. You can also expand cards to add additional details like checklists, notes, and comments.

4 Create and share Loop components

Loop components is where Microsoft’s collaboration software truly shines. You can copy a Loop page or any block as a Loop component and share it over other Microsoft apps like Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. It basically lets you crowd-source an agenda, track a group’s tasks list, or brainstorm ideas collectively.

Click the six-dot menu beside any Loop block and select Share as a new component. Loop creates a gradient stroke around the block to differentiate it from standard blocks on the page. Now, copy the component from the top-right menu, and share it on an Outlook email or a Teams chat.

Your team members can start editing Loop components, and the changes will be reflected on your personal Loop page, too. The possibilities are endless here.

3 Utilize and tweak Microsoft Editor settings

Like other Microsoft 365 apps, Loop also comes with the Editor built-in. It takes care of your embarrassing typos and grammar mistakes. After all, sharing a Loop page with typos looks unprofessional and may confuse your team members.

Microsoft Editor works in the background and shows suggestions with a red line below a word. You can even tweak its behavior as per your preferences. Type @ and click the three-dot menu to open Editor settings. Make the required changes for proofing, inline editing, refinements, and enhancements, and you are good to go.

2 Explore Trello and Jira integration in Microsoft Loop

Microsoft Loop lets you bring your Trello and Jira boards into Loop for an effective collaboration. Type /, select Trello or Jira, and follow the on-screen instructions to import your boards.

You can interact with your Trello board and even turn it into a Loop component to use it across other Microsoft 365 apps. You can check Microsoft’s official page to learn more about third-party integration.

Trello and Jira integration in Loop is limited to Microsoft Work and School accounts only.

1 Share Loop pages with peace of mind

Your Microsoft Loop pages are stored in your OneDrive account. This means you can share your Loop pages privately with the same excellent OneDrive tools.

When you generate a page link from the Share menu, open link settings. Here, you can add an expiry date (after which the link becomes inactive) and even set a password to avoid unauthorized access to a confidential Loop page.

Get the best out of Microsoft Loop

While Microsoft Loop has a long way to go, it’s off to a promising start. As expected, it works seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps like Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive. That said, you may be left wanting more if you aren’t heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. Thankfully, there is no shortage of Microsoft Loop alternatives out there. You can check our dedicated guide to explore our top five picks.