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Using Word to create template to use in Outlook

Keeney Kok, Valerie 21 Reputation points
2020-12-23T23:38:30.53+00:00

I have created a Word template that uses content controls. Some of the controls repeat data from an earlier control using Quick Parts. Everything works in Word, but when I copy/paste it to Outlook to create the template there for easier sending capability; the repeating data stops working. How can I fix that?

Outlook Management
Outlook Management
Outlook: A family of Microsoft email and calendar products.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
5,341 questions
Word Management
Word Management
Word: A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
939 questions
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  1. Charles Kenyon 2,846 Reputation points
    2020-12-28T20:02:22.827+00:00

    Word has two features that do what you want. (This is a Word forum.) The first is Content Controls. The second is MacroButton Fields. Both work well in Word and can be saved in AutoText or other QuickParts.

    I have no idea whether either will work in Outlook but you can certainly try. Here is a link to my free Add-In to assist with inserting MacroButton Field Prompts.

    Otherwise, you may have to compose your message in Word and copy-paste to Outlook or send as an attachment.

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  1. Keeney Kok, Valerie 21 Reputation points
    2020-12-28T17:02:22.02+00:00

    To give you better context, here is a sample. The red underlined areas are the places where I need the data to be duplicated from the first field entered. I have removed company and personal names for privacy reasons.

    SubContractorName was involved in Choose an item. at site Click or tap here to enter text. on Click or tap to enter a date.. The crew involved in this safety incident is suspended (stood down) and is barred from performing work on all sites and projects. This suspension shall remain in effect until released in writing by .

    During this suspension it is expectation that PrimeGCName will police and secure this SubContractorName jobsite to mitigate all existing and potential hazards (if this will take longer than the end of the day please notify for any additional time that may be needed). It is expectation that SubContractorName proactively manage this investigation, including the procurement of all documentation requested below. SubContractorName should work with PrimeGCName on concerns and deliverables.

    Concerns:

    1. Click or tap here to enter text.
    2. Click or tap here to enter text.
    3. Click or tap here to enter text.
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  2. JeffYang-MSFT 6,241 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2020-12-24T03:05:36.033+00:00

    Hi @Keeney Kok, Valerie ,

    Before going further, what's the version of your Outlook? (File > Office Account > About Outlook). Please make sure you have upgraded your Outlook to the latest version.

    Guessing you are doing operations like below, right?

    1. Create content controls and add the repeated data via Quick Parts
      50875-10-30-30.png
    2. Create a new Outlook email message and copy the content controls to Outlook
    3. Select this content control and Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery in Outlook
      50979-10-39-59.png
    4. Then, we could quickly add repeated data via Quick Parts in Outlook
      50906-10-44-30.png
    5. After finishing editing, we could save it as an Outlook template file via File > Save As > Select Save As type as Outlook template.
      50879-10-49-18.png
    6. Try sending email messages with the new-saved Outlook template.

    I tested in my Outlook 365 with all those operations above, everything seems just work fine without any issues.

    As I know, all Quick Parts in Outlook are saved in NormalEmail.dotm file and if there is something wrong with your NormalEmail.dotm file, issues like yours might happens. So, please try to exit your Outlook desktop client, rename the NormalEmail.dotm file as Normalemail.old, restart your Outlook client to re-add your Quick Part in Outlook and see if your issue could be resolved.

    You could find your NormalEmail.dotm file via drive:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

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  3. Keeney Kok, Valerie 21 Reputation points
    2020-12-28T16:34:45.693+00:00

    I haven't tried to do this yet; the holidays took me away from working on it. I have other work to catch up on and then I will try this.

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  4. Keeney Kok, Valerie 21 Reputation points
    2020-12-28T16:55:52.053+00:00

    So Jeff, I don't know if I'm doing this wrong or what, but this isn't working. I save the info as a QuickPart, but when I insert it into the body of my email, it does not perform the way I need it to. I want a field that will blank when you click into it to enter the data. This does not. This simply puts the words from the QuickPart in and when I click on it, nothing blanks and I end up typing into the words. I also need this field to copy itself to several other locations within the same email.

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