How To Save Email Templates In Outlook

If you find yourself writing the same email over and over again, learning how to save email templates in Outlook is a game-changer. This guide shows you how to create reusable emails for everything from weekly reports to customer service replies, saving you significant time and effort. By creating a template, you can store a pre-written subject line, body text, formatting, and even attachments, ready to use with just a few clicks. This process eliminates repetitive typing and ensures your communications are consistent and professional every time.

Fast Answer

Create Template: Compose a new email, then go to File > Save As.
Save as Type: Choose Outlook Template (*.oft) from the dropdown menu.
Use Template: Go to New Items > More Items > Choose Form... and select "User Templates in File System".

5 Minutes Time needed

Easy Difficulty

Saving Location Watch out for

Before You Start

Preparing properly ensures the process is smooth and your templates work as expected. There are a few different ways to create templates in Outlook, and the best method depends on your needs. This guide covers the three main approaches: saving as an Outlook Template file (.oft), using the "My Templates" add-in, and creating Quick Parts.

What You Need

Microsoft Outlook Desktop App: The most powerful template features, especially saving .oft files and using Quick Parts, are primarily available in the desktop version of Outlook for Windows and Mac. The Outlook web app offers a simpler feature called "My Templates".
Email Content: Have the text and any standard attachments you want to include in your template ready to go.

Safety, Timing, and Context Checks

Personal Information: Double-check your template content to ensure you haven't accidentally included any sensitive or personal information. Remove any specific names, dates, or details that shouldn't be in a generic template.
Version Differences: The interface for Outlook can vary slightly between different versions (e.g., Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016) and between Windows and Mac. The steps in this guide are based on the modern Outlook 365 interface but are broadly applicable to recent versions.
Plain Text vs. HTML: Some template features, like advanced formatting and Quick Parts, only work if your email format is set to HTML. You can check this in a new email window under the Format Text tab. HTML is the default for most users.

Check first: Before creating a template for work, check if your company has any policies on email communication or pre-approved templates. Using official branding and wording is often a requirement.

Step-by-Step Instructions

We'll walk through the most common and robust method first: creating a reusable .oft file. This method is ideal for complete emails, including subject, body, and attachments.

Step 1: Compose Your Base Email

The first step is to create the email you want to turn into a template. Open Outlook and click on New Email in the top-left corner of the Home tab. This will open a blank message window. Don't worry about putting anyone in the "To", "Cc", or "Bcc" fields for now; you'll add recipients each time you use the template.

Think of this as your master copy. Write the content exactly as you want it to appear in most situations. This is your chance to perfect the wording, check for typos, and get the structure just right.

Step 2: Add Subject, Body, and Formatting

Fill in the details of your template. Add a clear and concise Subject line. For example, if it's a weekly report template, you could use "Weekly Project Update: [Project Name] - [Date Range]". The square brackets act as useful placeholders for you to fill in later.

Next, write the body of the email. Apply any formatting you need, such as bold text, bullet points, or different font sizes, using the tools in the Message and Format Text tabs. If you always include your signature, make sure it's present. If you need to include a standard file with this email every time, you can even attach it now using the Attach File button.

Tip: Use placeholder text like "[Client Name]", "[Insert Link Here]", or "[See Attached File]" to remind yourself of the specific details you need to customise each time you use the template.

Step 3: Save as an Outlook Template File (.oft)

With your email composed, it's time to save it as a template. In the message window, click on the File tab in the top-left corner. From the menu that appears, select Save As. This will open a standard file-saving dialogue box.

Here's the crucial part: click on the Save as type dropdown menu. By default, it will say "Outlook Message Format - Unicode". Scroll through the list and select Outlook Template (*.oft). When you select this, Outlook will automatically change the save location to its default templates folder. It's highly recommended to keep this default location, as it makes finding the template later much easier.

Give your template a memorable name in the File name field, such as "Weekly Report Template," and click Save. You can now close the original email message window without saving it as a draft.

Step 4: Use Your Saved .OFT Template

Now that your template is saved, you need to know how to use it. From the main Outlook window (not a new email window), go to the Home tab. Click on New Items, then hover over More Items, and finally click on Choose Form....

In the "Choose Form" window, click the dropdown menu next to "Look In:" and select User Templates in File System. You should see the .oft file you just saved. Select it and click Open. A new email will appear, pre-filled with everything from your template. Simply add your recipients, fill in any placeholder details, and click Send.

Shortcut: For faster access, you can find the .oft file in Windows File Explorer (usually at `C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates`) and create a shortcut to it on your desktop. Double-clicking the shortcut will open a new email from the template.

Alternative Method 1: Use the "My Templates" Add-in

For simpler, text-only templates that you want to sync across devices (including Outlook on the web), the "My Templates" add-in is a great option. In a new email message, click the View Templates or My Templates button on the ribbon. If you don't see it, click the three-dots (...) menu to find it.

A pane will open on the right side of the window. Here, you can click on + Template to create a new one. Give it a title and paste or type your text into the body. Note that this method has limited formatting options and does not support attachments. Click Save. To use it, simply open the pane and click on the template you want to insert into your email body.

Alternative Method 2: Use Quick Parts for Reusable Snippets

Quick Parts are perfect for saving reusable blocks of text, like a complex legal disclaimer, a set of instructions, or a detailed address block, rather than a whole email. To create one, type out the text in the body of a new email and format it as desired. Select the entire block of text you want to save.

Go to the Insert tab, find the Text group, and click on Quick Parts. From the dropdown menu, select Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.... In the dialogue box that appears, give your Quick Part a unique name and click OK. To use it later, just place your cursor where you want the text to go, click Quick Parts again, and select your saved block from the gallery.

Quick Reference: Which Template Method to Use?

Situation	Use this Method	Why
You need to save a complete email with subject, body, and attachments.	.OFT File Template	This is the only method that saves a full, standalone email message that can include attachments.
You need a simple text snippet that works on Outlook Web and Desktop.	My Templates Add-in	This is a cloud-synced feature, making your simple text templates available on any device where you log in to Outlook.
You frequently reuse a specific paragraph, table, or formatted block of text.	Quick Parts	It's the fastest way to insert pre-made content blocks into any email without affecting the subject or recipients.
You need to share a template with your colleagues.	.OFT File Template	You can simply email the .oft file to your team members, and they can save it to their own templates folder.

Common Problems When You Save Email Templates in Outlook

Even with a straightforward process, you might run into a few common issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot them.

I can't find the template I saved.

This usually happens when using the "Choose Form" method. The most likely reason is that you are not looking in the right place. When the "Choose Form" window opens, ensure the "Look In:" dropdown is set to "User Templates in File System". Outlook sometimes defaults to "Standard Forms Library," which is where you won't find your custom templates. If you saved the .oft file to a location other than the default, you'll need to select "Browse..." and navigate to that folder manually.

My formatting disappears or looks wrong.

Formatting issues often stem from the email format setting. Quick Parts and complex formatting require the HTML format. If your email is set to "Plain Text", all formatting will be stripped. To fix this, open a new email, go to the Format Text tab, and ensure HTML is selected before you insert your template or Quick Part. Also, copying and pasting complex layouts from Microsoft Word can sometimes introduce messy code; it's often better to create the formatting directly within Outlook.

The &quot;My Templates&quot; or &quot;Quick Parts&quot; button is missing.

If a button is missing from your ribbon, it might be disabled or just not displayed on the simplified ribbon. First, check the three-dots (...) menu at the end of the ribbon to see if it's there. If not, you may need to enable an add-in. Go to File > Options > Add-ins. At the bottom, next to "Manage:", select "COM Add-ins" and click Go.... Make sure "My Templates" is checked. For Quick Parts, it may just need to be added back to the ribbon via File > Options > Customize Ribbon.

Advanced Tips for Outlook Email Templates

Once you've mastered the basics, you can use these advanced techniques to make your templates even more powerful and efficient.

Automate Replies with Rules: You can combine templates with Outlook Rules to send automated replies. For example, you could set up a rule that identifies emails with "Invoice Request" in the subject line and automatically replies using your "Invoice Information" template. You can set this up under File > Rules and Alerts by creating a new rule that "replies using a specific template".
Share Templates with Your Team: The easiest way to share a template is to send the .oft file as an attachment. Your colleagues can then download and save it to their own `Microsoft\Templates` folder. For teams that need access to many shared templates, consider saving them in a shared network drive or a SharePoint document library that everyone can access.
Pin the Templates Folder: If you use .oft templates frequently, navigating to the folder can be a pain. Open Windows File Explorer, paste `%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates` into the address bar, and press Enter. Once you're in the folder, right-click on Quick access in the left-hand navigation pane and select Pin current folder to Quick access. Now, the folder will always be one click away.
Edit Existing Templates: To edit an .oft template, you must open the template file itself, not just create a new email from it. Navigate to your templates folder (using the method above) and double-click the .oft file. This will open it as a new email. Make your changes, and then use File > Save As again, selecting Outlook Template (*.oft) and overwriting the original file with the same name.

How To Save Email Templates In Outlook FAQ

Can I include attachments in an Outlook email template?

Yes, but only if you are using the .oft file method. When you compose the email before saving it as an .oft file, simply attach the files you need. Every time you create a message from that template, the attachments will be included automatically. The "My Templates" and "Quick Parts" methods do not support attachments.

Do Outlook templates sync between my desktop and my phone?

It depends on the method. Templates saved as .oft files or as Quick Parts are stored locally on your computer and do not sync. However, templates created using the "My Templates" add-in are tied to your email account and will sync, making them accessible in Outlook on the web and on other computers where you are logged in.

Where are Outlook templates saved on a Mac?

On a Mac, the default location for .oft files is slightly different. You can find them by opening Finder, clicking Go from the menu bar, holding down the Option key, and clicking Library. From there, the path is typically: `~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content.localized/Templates.localized`.

Can I use templates in &amp;quot;New Outlook&amp;quot;?

The "New Outlook" for Windows is evolving, and it behaves more like the web version. It primarily supports the "My Templates" add-in for creating and using templates. The traditional .oft file and Quick Parts functionality is part of the classic Outlook desktop application and is not fully integrated into the "New Outlook" at this time.

Final Checklist for Saving Email Templates in Outlook

Choose Your Method: Decide if you need a full email template (.oft), a cloud-synced snippet (My Templates), or a reusable content block (Quick Parts).
Proofread Your Content: Check for any spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or placeholder text that needs to be filled in.
Remove Sensitive Information: Double-check that no personal, client-specific, or confidential data is saved in the master template.
Save to the Correct Location: For .oft files, ensure you save them as the "Outlook Template" type and let Outlook use its default folder for easy access.
Test Your Template: Before relying on it, create a new email from your template to ensure everything—text, formatting, and attachments—appears exactly as you intended. Send a test to yourself to be sure.