Share via

Outlook - Shared Email Templates

Chloe Raaymakers 0 Reputation points
2025-10-31T05:11:22.3433333+00:00

Hello,
Lets see if anyone can crack this coconut...🌴🥥
I'm trying to set up email templates that are accessible through 'Reply' or 'Forward' in outlook that are shared location so all the group can use them, create and edit them periodically as information / links change and to ensure consistency in client correspondence in a contact centre.

  • Not interested in a third party add-in (Most go against company data policy).

The issues existing options;
Signatures :

  • Not shared with the group
  • Can't upload from a SharePoint site

MyTemplates:

  • The panel to view the templates doesn't collapse so adding 50 templates is not a viable solution as scrolling down to find the correct one would be time consuming, and I'm trying to lessen the steps to reply to people.
  • They're not in a shared location or shareable format ⌛Hoping Microsoft allow both collapsing and setting a shared template location to happen in the near future because it would actually be useful then!

Quick Parts:

  • This was suggested by chat GPT but doesn't sound like it would actually work for shared email templates.
  • Not user friendly for beginners in Outlook functionality.

Template folder in Shared Inbox:

  • This is the solution currently in use, however we have about 50+ email templates in a shared inbox folder that have to be copied and pasted into the reply or fwd email every time.
  • There's a common human error issue with deleting / overwriting the original text
  • Creating a draft email and either 'saving As' or 'Move to' to outlook shared inbox folder doesn't always work.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and help out 😊

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-10-31T07:04:37.24+00:00

    Hi @Chloe Raaymakers

    Thank you for posting your question in the Q&A Forum. 

    I completely understand the challenges you are facing with managing shared email templates in Outlook, especially when balancing efficiency, consistency in communication, and compliance with company policies. 

    Since third-party add-ins are not an option, here are a few native Outlook features that might offer a more efficient and secure solution: 

    Quick Steps in the Shared Mailbox 

    • Quick Steps can help your team quickly reply and insert full template text with a single click, reducing repetitive tasks and improving efficiency. The template content remains secure within Quick Steps, preventing accidental modification or overwriting. 
    • Implementation Note: This method works best for simple text-based templates. For more complex templates involving formatting, images, or tables, this solution might not be as effective. Additionally, managing many Quick Steps could lead to visual clutter as your template library grows. 

    Outlook Template Files (.OFT) on SharePoint/OneDrive 

    • By storing templates as .OFT files on SharePoint or OneDrive, you can ensure your master templates remain secure. When a user opens an .OFT file, it generates a new draft, leaving the original template intact, ensuring everyone has access to the most current version from a central location. 
    • Implementation Note: There’s an extra step involved - users need to open the .OFT file and copy the content into their Reply/Forward email. While this preserves template integrity, it can feel slightly cumbersome compared to directly inserting templates. Additionally, .OFT files are most compatible with Outlook Desktop (Windows) and may not display well on Mac or OWA. 

    While these solutions could help streamline your workflow, we understand they may not fully address all of your needs. If you have specific feedback or additional requirements, we encourage you to share them with the Microsoft product development team via Help > Feedback in Outlook or via the Microsoft 365 Feedback Portal. 

    We hope these suggestions help improve your team’s workflow. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or if you need further assistance. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.