by The tutorial explains how to create, save and use standard Outlook email templates. You will also learn how to reply with template in Outlook 365, 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010.
Outlook e-mail templates are a really powerful feature, though often underestimated. Rather few people know that templates for Outlook emails exist and even fewer know how to create and use them the right way.
Imagine how much time you could save if instead of typing the same text over and over again, you would simply click on a template and a nicely formatted e-mail message with pre-verified and therefore always accurate information is ready to be sent!
How to create an email template in Outlook
This section explains how to create and save email templates on an example of Outlook 2010. In later versions, it works exactly the same way, with maybe some insignificant differences in the color scheme and design of the Outlook ribbon.
To make an email template in Outlook, carry out these steps:
- Compose a new message in the usual way (Home tab > New E-mail). Be sure to add all the details you want to save in your template, such as the body text, subject, attachment, recipient address if needed, and so on.
For example, you've created a new design of your newsletter and now want to save it as an email template:
- Switch to the File tab and click the Save as button.
- Select Outlook Template (*.oft) from the Save as type drop-down list and give your new template an appropriate name.
Important! Do not change the destination folder where email templates are saved, otherwise Outlook won't be able to locate them. By default, Outlook saves all template files to this folder:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates
Tips:
- In the same way you can make a template from any existing e-mail message that you either sent or received. Just open it from your Outlook folder, say Sent Items, switch to the File tab and click Save as.
- In case you need to attach some relevant documents, see How to create Outlook email template with attachments.
- To add a touch of humor and personality to your templates, you can insert smileys and other emojis.
How to use email templates in Outlook
To create a message based on an email template, here's what you do:
- On the Home tab, click New Items > More Items > Choose Form.
- In the Choose Form dialog box that appears, select User Templates in File System from the Look in drop-down list. This will display a list of all the e-mail templates you currently have. Select the needed one and click Open.
That's it! A new message will be created based on the chosen template, with the same body, subject, formatting, images, etc.
Tip. To reduce the number of clicks required for opening a template, you can place the Choose Form button directly on the ribbon. We have a special guide on how to add a custom button to Excel ribbon. In Outlook, the steps are exactly the same.
How to edit Outlook email template
To modify an existing template, open it as an email message (as described above) and make the changes you want. After that save the template under the same name again as described in Saving an Outlook template. Done!
How to delete Outlook templates
To delete an Outlook template (.oft file) that you no longer use, follow these simple steps:
- Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to the folder where your templates are stored. Typically, they are in this location:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates - Select the template you want to remove and press the Delete button on your keyboard. Or right-click the unwanted template and choose Delete from the context menu.
Done! You have successfully removed an Outlook template from your system.
How to pin templates to task bar or create desktop shortcut
If you frequently use one or more templates in your work, navigating to the Developer tab each time may seem quite a long way. In this case you can create a shortcut and place it on your desktop or pin the template to the task bar. The latter seems even a better option, so let's go ahead with it.
- Go to the folder where all Outlook templates are located:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates - Find the needed one, select it and drag towards the Outlook icon on your taskbar. This will pin the template to the context menu of the Outlook icon.
- Next time you need to need to e-mail with template in Outlook, right-click the Outlook icon on the task bar and choose the template you want. As shown in the screenshot below, you can pin several templates that you use most often.
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If you don't want a particular email template on your task bar any longer, right click on it and choose Unpin from this list.
If you'd rather have a template shortcut on your desktop, then right-click the template and choose Send to >Desktop.
This will create a shortcut on your desktop and you click it whenever you want to create a new message with this template.
How to share Outlook email templates
An Outlook template is a usual file (.oft), so you can pick any template from the folder where all Outlook templates are stored (C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates) and send it as an al attachment or save to a network share.
Automatically apply a template for all new messages as Outlook theme (Stationery)
If you want to use a specific template for all new emails, then you have to create an HTML template first and then set it as your Outlook email theme. For example, you may want to use a particular font or background color in all email messages that you send.
Here are the steps to create an html email template for Outlook:
- Create a new email message and design it as you like.
- Switch to the File tab, click the Save As button and save the email as an HTML file to the Stationery folder here:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Stationery\
You can also design your Outlook e-mail template using any other HTML editor and save the resulting html file to the same folder. - To set the newly created template as your default Outlook email theme, go to the File tab > Options > Mail > Compose messages section and click the Stationery and Fonts button.
- Find your email template in the list of Outlook themes and click OK to set it as the default email theme.
From now on, your new Outlook email template will automatically be applied to all messages you are composing.
Where do I find free email templates?
There are tons of free ready-to-use templates on the web for all possible scenarios and occasions. Here are just a few examples:
Surely, Outlook templates provide many useful features that can save you a lot of time. But if you send tens of repetitive emails daily, the capabilities of built-in Outlook templates may not be enough. For example, what if you want to reply with template in Outlook? And if you've created a few dozen templates for different occasions, how could you view their content to pick the best-suited one? And if you could only insert a template in the message with a mouse click!
Sounds like a wish-list for the Microsoft Outlook team? :) No matter how fantastic it may sound, all these features are already implemented in our own templates for Outlook emails, and the next section shows how to use them.
Shared Email Templates - quick way to reply with template in Outlook
If you are looking for email templates that can be used at any time from any device (including Outlook desktop and Online, Windows and Mac), you'll certainly love our brand-new Shared Email Templates. This tool does do not require switching to other tabs, creating desktop shortcuts, and the like. All is done directly in the e-mail message window:
- Write a message like you normally do and save it as a template.
- Include links and images.
- Attach files if needed.
- Place fillable or drop-down fields where appropriate.
- Click to insert the template.
Once a template is created, you can use it personally or share with your teammates.
The screenshot below gives an idea of how your email templates can look like:
That was just a quick introduction to this awesome tool. I invite you to have a look at this page to discover a lot more fascinating features!
118 comments
Hello,
I have a problem showing a Text on a background I used vml technique but it didn't work only 2007 and 2010 but 2013 half of image appear and I need to lick over to load all the image any one could give a hand.
Thanks
Very absorbing and useful knowledge, thanks
Hi
My team has to send large number of email notification per week. I looked at creating group for each category and asked them to send. But there is always element of missing few groups, or not able to send the weekly reminder, how can i automate sending emails every week.
Alex
Hi -
When I save a Outlook template (.oft) with a Japanese subject, it is not retaining the subject and is converting it to "????". How can I get it to keep the Japanese characters in the subject?
I just updated our shared templates for 2017 and when I import them on my colleagues computers all of the hyperlinks that are in the templates I created are gone. Please advise.
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for your comment. I kindly ask you to email support@ablebits.com
Our support service assistants will try to help. Thank you.
Hi, I created an oft.-template and want to integrate a macro, so the first line will include the name of the recipient. I want to use ~%TO as suggested on your homepage. How is this possible? Greets from Germany.
Can I create a template from a shared calendar in Outlook 2010?
Hi there,
This is great, however what I am wanting is very similar to this but in calendar instead, with appointments. We schedule all our work through outlook calendars which our employees can access on their phones (at the office we have control over all their individual calendars). Our employees note all the details of their jobs in the notes section of the calendar appointment and what we need is a template when creating the appointment so it is logical and they don't forget to record any of the job details. Is this possible? Also I tried all your instructions as a practice run and when I went to re-open the email template and I got to C:\Users\UserName and there was no "app data" file. Do you know why this would be?
Cheers =)
Your instructions are very simple to follow, thank you. However, what I am wanting to do is not listed. I work with veterans so I want a patriotic background to my emails. I have a nice stationary I would like to scan to use as a background/theme. I can't figure out how to do it. Can you help? Also, Some of the MS stationary preloaded is like a background where you can write over the top (ie.. the bears), but what I load want let me. How can I save a stationary that is just a background. Lastly, How can I use/make borders for my stationary.
Thank you for your assistance.
Hi
I've created a template using the outlook platform but it cant be viewed on iPhones or Macs. Is there a way we can make the template compatible with these systems?
Thank you
Gretel
hi;
I had a problem to bring choose forms ( it is not exist in my menu)
Hello,
Anyway to get this them setup to include a specific address in the CC line? When I add a CC address and save the HTML, once I select it as a theme, it converts the CCN line to text in the body of the email.
Thanks in advance,
SPL
them = theme
Hi! Thanks for the article. I have a doubt. I would like to type on a template/BG. For example,
Line #1: Logo (which should also be static on the top corner)
Line #2: Type able text on a grey background. And whenever there's a huge text, the grey background should increase in size accordingly).
Line #3: Company slogan (which should also be static on bottom corner)
Is this possible in Outlook?
Thank you for a great article. I have created a template and saved it as an html file in the stationery folder. The template incorporates an image in the top right had corner and when i open a new email the whole template is moved several rows down leaving a gap at the top of the email. Any suggestions on how to resolve this?
Thank you for this excellent article. In the section entitled 'Using macros in Outlook email templates', you point to the insert macro feature which lists a series of macros, such as ~%ATTACHFILE=. Are there any predefined macros in Outlook 2010? I can't seem to find any drop down macro list. I would like to be able to mass merge emails from Outlook and not using the Mail Merge feature via Word.Is this even possible? Thanks for your guidance and keep up the good work. Tim
I have created a oft. template for new messages which works well. But I would like to use this same template when replying to incoming messages. How do I do this?
I don't want a set of stock formatted content in new email messages.
I just want to override the default styles that Outlook uses in new email messages. For example, I want to define the hanging indent, tab stop, and Spacing Before the paragraphs when the Bullets ribbon tool button is used to add bullets.
Even if I leave one bullet in the stationery template, using this button to add a bullet to a paragraph applies the Outlook default 0.25" hanging indent with a 0.25" tab stop, and no spacing before.
How can these deeply-embedded defaults be changed?
Hello, Craig,
Please try to change the Normal style. In a new email go to Format Text tab -> Styles -> right-click Normal -> Modify. Select all the necessary styles and select New document based on this template. Click OK to finish up.
Dear madam,
Seem all features are fantastic, but I still have to commit which Im very willing to enjoy them.
Excellent site, great information!
Can you help with this please? I have created a form that allows users to 'tick' questions. So far it's quite a simple form: I've attached the tick boxes to personalised fields but now I want to collate the responses just like voting buttons. Can I do this without needing MS Access (which we cannot have in our organisation)?
Many thanks for any help you can provide.
Hello, Pamela,
Looks like you need VBA to accomplish your task. Sorry, we cannot help you with this.
Can you tell me why the "save as..." option is greyed out and unavailable in Microsoft Office 2011 and Microsoft 365? I have the most recent update in the latter (2016), and it's still unavailable.