How to create an email template in Outlook

Can I create a template in Outlook? Yes, you can! If you’re sending regular content then it’s a big time-saver.

You can just compose and save a message as a template, and then reuse it when you need to. You can also change detail i.e. perhaps the salutation?

Time needed: 5 minutes

How to create an email template in Outlook

Click ‘new email’ in the normal way

Just click ‘New Email’ and type away adding your content. You can add images, tables and any other information in the normal way.
Save as a template
Go to the File tab and select ‘Save As’
In the ‘Save As’ dialogue box select ‘Save as type’ list and select ‘Outlook Template’
Add a file name for your template and click ‘Save’
Use the template
Select ‘New Items > More Items > Choose Form’
Open User Templates in File
At the ‘Choose Form’ window, you should select ‘User Templates in File System’
Choose your template
Choose your template and amend away… add To, Cc, Bcc or anything else you’d like to and just send.

Note: Changes made aren’t saved to the template. If you use the Save command, this creates a draft of your message, but won’t update the template. To update the template, follow the steps for saving a new template.

How to create an email Form Outlook

To create an email form in Outlook, you have a few options. You can use Microsoft Custom Forms, which integrates with Microsoft Outlook, or create a custom form within an Outlook email message. Here’s how you can do both:

Option 1: Using Microsoft Forms

Go to the Microsoft Forms website (forms.office.com) and sign in with your Microsoft account or your organisation’s Office 365 account.
Click on “New Form” to create a new form.
Customize your form by adding questions, multiple-choice options, text boxes, etc., according to your requirements.
Once you have created your form, click the “Send” button in the top-right corner.
Select the “Email” option to send the form via email.
In the “To” field, enter the recipients’ email addresses.
Compose your email message, providing any additional information or instructions.
Click “Send” to send the email form to the recipients.

Option 2: Creating a custom form within an Outlook email message

Open Outlook and click the “New Email” button to create a new email message.
In the message body, click on the “Options” tab in the ribbon at the top.
Click on “Use Voting Buttons” and select “Custom…”
In the “Properties” window that appears, enter the options you want to include in your email form. For example, you can use options like “Yes/No,” “Approve/Reject,” or create custom options like “Option 1/Option 2/Option 3.”
Click “Close” to save your custom form options.
Compose your email message, providing any additional information or instructions.
Add the recipients’ email addresses in the “To” field.
Click “Send” to send the email form to the recipients.

When recipients receive the email form, they will see the options you provided and can select one option to respond. The responses will be sent back to you, and you can view them in your Inbox or any designated folder.

Note that the availability of certain features and options may vary depending on your Outlook version and configuration.

Creating custom Outlook forms

Creating custom forms in Outlook allows you to design personalized data collection templates for specific purposes. Please note that the process described below is applicable to Outlook for Windows.

Here’s how you can create a custom form in Outlook:

Enable the Developer tab:

Open Outlook and go to the main ribbon at the top.
Right-click anywhere on the ribbon and select “Customize the Ribbon.”
In the “Customize the Ribbon” window, check the box next to “Developer” in the right-hand column.
Click “OK” to apply the changes.

Access the Outlook Form Designer:

Click on the “Developer” tab that now appears on the ribbon.
In the “Custom Forms” group, click on “Design a Form.”
The Outlook Form Designer will open.

Design your custom form:

In the Form Designer, you’ll see a blank form canvas.
Use the available controls in the “Toolbox” to add fields, labels, buttons, and other elements to the form.
Customize the properties of each control by right-clicking on it and selecting “Properties.”
Adjust the layout and design of the form by dragging and resizing the controls as needed.

Save and publish your custom form:

Once you’ve finished designing the form, click the “Publish” button in the Form Designer’s ribbon.
If applicable, choose a location to save the form, such as your Personal Forms Library or a shared Forms library.
Provide a name for the form and click “Publish.”

Use your custom form:

Create a new email or appointment in Outlook to use the custom form.
On the ribbon, click on the “Developer” tab.
In the “Custom Forms” group, click on “Choose Form.”
In the “Choose Form” window, select the “Personal Forms” tab (or the appropriate forms library).
Locate and select your custom form from the list.
Click “Open” to open a new email or appointment using your custom form template.

Now you can fill out the custom form, collect data, and save the responses within Outlook. The form can be distributed to others, and they can use it to provide responses as well.

Please note that custom forms are specific to the Outlook installation on your computer and may not be accessible on other devices or installations unless you export and import the form template.