What an Outlook mail template is and why you'd use one

An Outlook mail template is a pre-written email message you save and reuse whenever you need to send the same type of message again. Instead of typing the same greeting, closing, or full body text each time, you open the template, fill in the specific details for that recipient, and send. Templates work in Outlook on Windows, Mac, and the web version.

People use templates for emails they send repeatedly: meeting requests with the same agenda items, customer responses with the same troubleshooting steps, status updates with the same format, or any message where the structure stays the same but a few details change. Once you create a template, it takes seconds to pull it up instead of minutes to write from scratch.

The template itself is just a saved message file. Outlook stores it in a folder you can access from the New Message window, so you can create a fresh email from that template whenever you need one.

Key Takeaways

  • A template in Outlook is a saved email message you can reuse by opening it, changing the recipient and specific details, and sending it as a new message.
  • On Windows and Mac, you save a template by composing the message, then using File > Save As and choosing Outlook Template as the file type.
  • On Outlook on the web, you save a template by composing the message and selecting the three-dot menu, then Save as template.
  • Once saved, templates appear in the New Message window under the template dropdown, so you can create a fresh email from any template in seconds.
  • Templates store the body text, formatting, and any attachments you include, but not the recipient address or subject line unless you want them to stay the same every time.

Creating a template on Outlook for Windows

Start by opening Outlook and creating a new email message. Click the Home tab, then select New Email (or press Ctrl+N). Type the message body exactly as you want it to appear each time you use this template. Include any greeting, closing, signature, or standard text that will be the same in every email you send from this template.

You can also add formatting — bold text, bullet points, colors, or a table — and Outlook will preserve all of it in the template. If you want to include an attachment that goes with every email of this type, attach it now. Do not fill in the To or Subject line unless you want those to be the same every single time you use the template.

Once the message looks right, click File in the top left corner of the message window. Select Save As. A dialog box opens. In the Save as type dropdown at the bottom, select Outlook Template (*.oft). Give the template a clear name — something like "Monthly Status Update" or "Customer Refund Response" — so you recognize it later. Click Save. Outlook stores the template automatically, and you can close the message without sending it.

Creating a template on Outlook for Mac

Open Outlook and create a new message by pressing Command+N or clicking File > New > Message. Write the message body with all the text, formatting, and attachments you want to include every time. Leave the To and Subject fields blank unless those details should be identical each time.

When the message is ready, click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Save As. A save dialog appears. In the File Format dropdown, choose Outlook Template. Name the template clearly and click Save. The template is now stored in Outlook's template folder, and you can close the message.

Creating a template on Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account at outlook.com or outlook.office.com. Click Compose to start a new message. Write the body text, formatting, and any attachments you want in the template. Leave To and Subject blank unless they should stay the same.

Look for the three-dot menu icon (usually in the bottom left of the compose window or near the Send button, depending on your version). Click it and select Save as template. A small window asks you to name the template. Type a clear name and click Save. The template is now stored in your account.

Using a template to send a new message

To send an email using a template you created, open Outlook and start a new message. On Windows, click File > New > More Items > Choose Form. Select the template from the list that appears. On Mac, click File > New > Message from Template and pick your template. On Outlook on the web, click the dropdown arrow next to Compose and select Your templates, then choose the one you want.

The template opens as a new message with all your pre-written text and formatting already filled in. Now add the recipient's email address in the To field, change the Subject line if needed, and modify any details specific to this email. When you're ready, click Send. The original template remains saved and unchanged, ready to use again next time.

Editing or deleting a template

If you need to change a template you already created, open it the same way you would use it to send a message. Make the changes you want to the text, formatting, or attachments. Then save it again using File > Save As (Windows and Mac) or the three-dot menu (web), making sure to save it as an Outlook Template with the same name. Outlook will ask if you want to replace the old version — click Yes.

To delete a template, the process varies by version. On Windows, templates are usually stored in a Templates folder within your Outlook data. You can find this folder by clicking File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, then navigating to the Templates folder and deleting the template file. On Mac, templates are in the Documents > Microsoft User Data > Office User Templates folder — you can delete the template file directly from there. On Outlook on the web, open a template the way you normally would, click the three-dot menu, and select Delete.

Common places templates go wrong

The most common mistake is including the recipient's email address or a specific subject line in the template when you meant to leave it blank. If you do this, every email you send from that template will go to the same person or have the same subject, which defeats the purpose. If this happens, edit the template, remove those details, and save it again.

Another issue is not being able to find your template when you try to use it. On Windows, make sure you saved it as an Outlook Template (.oft file), not as a regular message or Word document. On the web, templates are stored per account, so if you switch accounts, you won't see templates from your other account. On Mac, if Outlook crashes or updates, templates sometimes move — check the Documents > Microsoft User Data > Office User Templates folder to confirm they're still there.

If you attach a file to a template, that same file will be attached to every email you send from that template. This is useful if you always send the same document, but if the file changes or you don't always need it, remove it from the template and attach it manually each time instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a template with a specific subject line that stays the same every time?

Yes. When you create the template, type the subject line you want, and it will appear in every email you send from that template. You can still change it before sending if that particular email needs a different subject. This works well for emails where the subject is always the same, like "Monthly Report" or "Invoice Request".

What happens if I edit a template after I've already sent emails from it?

The template itself changes, but emails you've already sent are not affected. Only new emails you create from the updated template will have the new text. Old sent emails stay exactly as they were.

Can I share a template with someone else on my team?

On Outlook on the web, templates are stored in your account only and cannot be shared directly. On Windows and Mac, you can export a template file (.oft) and send it to a colleague, who can then import it into their Outlook. The easiest way to share a standard email format with a team is to save it as a Word document or shared file that people can reference when writing emails.

Do templates work the same way in Outlook mobile apps?

Outlook mobile apps (iPhone and Android) do not support creating or using templates the way the desktop and web versions do. You can create templates on your computer or web account, but you cannot access them from the mobile app. You would need to type the email on your phone or use the web version on a mobile browser.

Can I organize templates into folders?

On Windows and Mac, templates are stored in a single Templates folder, so you cannot create subfolders. You can organize them by using clear, descriptive names like "Customer Service - Refund" or "HR - Job Offer". On Outlook on the web, all templates appear in one list, so naming them clearly is the best way to keep them organized.