What a template email is and why you'd use one
A template email is a pre-written message you save in Outlook so you can reuse it without typing the same thing over again. Once you create it, you can open that template, fill in the specific details for each person or situation, and send it. Templates work for anything repetitive: weekly status reports to your manager, responses to common customer questions, meeting agendas, or messages you send to the same group regularly.
The real benefit is speed and consistency. You write it once, get the tone and format exactly right, and then every message that goes out looks the same and takes seconds instead of minutes to compose.
Key Takeaways
- Write and format your message first in a regular email, then save it as a template using the File menu.
- Templates in Outlook are saved as .oft files in a folder on your computer, separate from your actual sent messages.
- When you need to use a template, open it from the New Email menu, fill in the recipient and any custom details, and send normally.
- You can create templates for different purposes — customer responses, internal reports, meeting invites — and organize them by naming them clearly.
How to save an email as a template in Outlook
Start by composing the email exactly as you want it to appear each time. Write the subject line, the body text, and format it however you like — add bold text, bullet points, links, or images. Do not fill in the recipient field yet; leave that blank so you can add different people each time you use it.
Once the message looks right, click File in the top left corner. From the dropdown menu, select Save As. A dialog box will open. At the bottom of that box, you will see a dropdown that says "Outlook Template" or "All Files" depending on your version. Change it to Outlook Template (.oft). Give your template a clear name — something like "Weekly Status Report" or "Customer Refund Response" — then click Save. Outlook will store it automatically in the right folder.
Close that message without sending it. You now have a template saved.
Opening and using a template to send a message
When you need to send a message using your template, do not search for the file on your computer. Instead, go to your Outlook inbox and click New Email (or press Ctrl+N). A blank message will open. Click File, then look for New or New Items depending on your Outlook version. You should see an option that says More Items or Choose Form. Click that.
A dialog will appear showing your saved templates. Find the one you want and double-click it. The template will open with all your pre-written text and formatting already in place. Now fill in the recipient's email address in the To field, change any details that need to be specific to this person or situation, and click Send.
The message goes out as a normal email. The person receiving it will not see that it came from a template — it looks like any other message.
Where Outlook stores templates and how to find them later
Templates are not stored in your inbox or sent folder. Outlook saves them in a separate location on your computer. On Windows, they typically go to a folder called AppData in your user directory, but you do not need to navigate there manually. The easiest way to access your templates is always through the New Email menu, as described above.
If you ever need to edit a template, open it the same way you would use it — through New Email and the template list — make your changes, then save it again as a template with the same name. Outlook will overwrite the old version.
Organizing templates when you have many of them
If you create templates for different departments, customer types, or purposes, naming matters. Instead of "Email 1" and "Email 2", use names like "Sales - First Contact", "HR - Onboarding Welcome", or "Support - Password Reset". When you open the template list, these names will be sorted alphabetically, making it fast to find what you need.
You can also create a straightforward text file on your desktop listing what each template is for, especially if you share templates with coworkers or need to remember which one handles which situation. Some teams keep a shared document that says "Use Template X for Y scenario" so everyone stays consistent.
Differences between Outlook on Windows and Outlook on Mac
The process is nearly identical on both systems. On Mac, you still compose the message, click File, choose Save As, and select Outlook Template. When you want to use it, you go to File > New > More Items and pick your template from the list. The menu names and locations are the same.
The main difference is where the files are stored on your hard drive — Mac uses a different folder structure — but you will never need to find them manually. Outlook handles the storage for you on both systems.
What to do if you cannot find the template menu option
If you do not see a template option when you click File, you may be using Outlook in a way that does not support templates, such as Outlook on the web (the browser version). The template feature works in Outlook desktop applications on Windows and Mac, but not in the web version.
If you are using the desktop version and still cannot find the option, try clicking New Items instead of More Items, or look for a button that says Choose Form. Different versions of Outlook label these menus slightly differently. You can also search "Outlook template" in the Help menu to see the exact steps for your specific version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a template to someone else so they can use it too?
Yes. Templates are .oft files, so you can email them to a coworker as an attachment. They save it to their computer, and it will appear in their template list. This is useful for teams that need to send consistent messages or for sharing standard formats across a department.
What happens if I edit a template after I have already sent messages using it?
Only new messages you send using the updated template will have the changes. Old messages you already sent are not affected — they stay exactly as they were when you sent them. Templates only control what appears when you create a new message.
Can I add a signature to a template?
Yes. When you compose the template, include your signature at the bottom just as you would in a regular email. When you use the template later, the signature will be there. If you use Outlook's automatic signature feature, it may add another signature when you send, so check your message before clicking Send to avoid duplicates.
Is there a limit to how many templates I can create?
No hard limit exists, but creating dozens of templates makes the list harder to navigate. Most people find 10 to 20 templates manageable. If you have more, consider whether some could be combined or whether you really need all of them.
Can I use a template for meeting invites or calendar events?
Templates work for regular emails, not for calendar invites or meeting requests. For those, you would compose the invite normally, but you cannot save it as a reusable template the same way. Some versions of Outlook let you save meeting details as a draft and reopen it, but the process is different from email templates.