Guide to Outlook Email Templates

What are Outlook Email Templates?

Outlook email templates are pre-written messages that you can reuse for sending common emails, eliminating the need to write similar emails repeatedly. Instead of typing the same information over and over again, you can create a template and simply customize it as needed. This feature is particularly useful for customer support teams, sales departments, and anyone who needs to send similar emails regularly.

Key Benefits of Using Email Templates in Outlook:

• Time Efficiency: Templates allow you to send emails faster by avoiding the repetitive task of writing similar messages each time.
• Consistency: Templates help ensure that your messaging is consistent, especially when communicating with clients or colleagues.
• Error Reduction: Templates minimize the chances of missing important information or making mistakes in your emails.
• Personalization: While templates are pre-written, you can still customize them with personal touches, making your emails feel tailored to the recipient.

How to Create an Email Template in Outlook

Creating an email template in Outlook is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Open a New Email

1. Open Outlook and click on New Email in the top-left corner to create a new message.
2. Type the subject line and body text that you want to include in your template. This can be anything from a general greeting, a standard introduction, or any repetitive message you send.

Step 2: Save the Email as a Template

1. Once you have composed your email, go to the File tab in the message window.
2. From the dropdown, select Save As.
3. In the Save As dialog box, select Outlook Template in the “Save as type” dropdown menu. By default, this option will save the email as an .oft file.
4. Name your template and choose a location to save it on your computer. Click Save when done.

How to Use an Outlook Email Template

Once you’ve created an email template, using it is just as simple as creating one. Follow these steps to access and use your templates:

Step 1: Open the Template

1. Go to the Home tab in Outlook and click on New Items in the ribbon.
2. From the dropdown, select More Items and then Choose Form.
3. In the Choose Form dialog box, select User Templates in File System from the "Look In" dropdown menu.
4. Browse to the location where you saved your template, select it, and click Open.

Step 2: Customize and Send the Email

Once the template opens, you can modify the content as necessary to suit the specific recipient. You can change the subject, add or remove text, and insert personal details before hitting Send. This feature saves you the trouble of starting from scratch every time, but still allows for personalization.

How to Manage Email Templates in Outlook

As you accumulate more email templates, organizing them becomes essential. Outlook doesn’t provide an in-built template manager, but there are a few methods you can use to keep things neat.

Creating a Template Folder

1. Open Outlook and go to the File tab.
2. Select Options from the menu, then click Advanced.
3. Scroll down to the General section and click on File Locations.
4. Here, you can select a folder on your computer to store your templates for easy access.

Organizing Templates in Subfolders

Once you’ve saved your templates to a folder, you can create subfolders within Outlook or your file system to group them by category. For example, you could create subfolders for marketing, customer support, or personal templates. This helps you quickly find the right template when you need it.

Advanced Tips for Using Outlook Email Templates

Use Quick Parts to Add Reusable Snippets

If you don’t want to create an entire template, but still need to reuse snippets of text or phrases, Quick Parts is a helpful tool. Quick Parts allows you to save short pieces of text (such as your signature, boilerplate text, or standard responses) for later use.

To create a Quick Part:

1. Select the text you want to save.
2. Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon.
3. In the Text section, click on Quick Parts.
4. Select Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery and name your snippet.

You can access these snippets from the Quick Parts dropdown anytime you compose an email, saving time on repetitive typing.

Create Email Templates with Macros

For users comfortable with programming, you can create more sophisticated templates using macros in Outlook. Macros allow you to automate actions, including inserting dynamic content, attaching files, or even sending emails to multiple recipients based on a predefined schedule. This option is especially useful for advanced users who need more flexibility in their template creation.

To use macros in Outlook:

1. Open the Developer tab (you may need to enable it in Outlook settings first).
2. Click on Visual Basic to open the VBA editor.
3. Write your macro and assign it to a button or shortcut for quick access.

Share Templates Across Teams

If you work within a team, sharing templates can ensure consistency in communication. You can store your templates on a shared network drive or use OneDrive or SharePoint for easy collaboration. This way, team members can access the same templates and maintain a unified brand voice.

Conclusion

Outlook email templates are a simple yet powerful tool to save time and increase productivity in your email communication. By creating templates, using Quick Parts, and even integrating advanced techniques like macros, you can enhance your email workflow and streamline your communication process. Whether for personal or professional use, mastering Outlook templates can make your daily tasks much more efficient.

Try creating your first template today and discover how much easier your email experience can be!