Mail templates

Question

I do not have the option to create templates using the new method "Mail Templates"

Is this option, ie the new method of creating templates, only available on Microsoft 365? I'm aware there was an issue with it but despite it apparently being fixed I still can't see it. I can create templates using the old method as found in apps but the new method is not there. When I click "Apps", "My Templates" it even asks if I want to use the new method "Access Mail Templates" but if I click on this there is nothing there.

Answer 1

Hi @Edward Crawford, 

Good day, and I appreciate the clear explanation of your concern. 

To directly address your question: the Mail Templates experience is tied to Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) and relies on Microsoft 365 services and tenant-level configuration (including EWS and add‑in availability). If your account is configured as an IMAP account (non–Exchange Online), this newer experience may not be available.  

On the other hand, if your account is part of a Microsoft 365 tenant, below is some additional context on what may be happening and the recommended next steps: 

A - What’s happening 

Microsoft recently confirmed a service-side issue (Issue ID: EX1255397) where changes to Exchange Online authentication and EWS impacted default add-ins, including My Templates, causing them to fail to load. Microsoft has since rolled back the affected changes and marked the issue as resolved. 

However, Microsoft also notes that tenants with EWS disabled may continue to experience this behavior. This could explain why you see the “Access Mail Templates” prompt but nothing loads afterward. 

B - Recommended next steps 

If you are using a Microsoft 365 tenant, please ask your IT administrator to verify the EWS configuration and add-in status. They can also refer to the following article for guidance: My Templates are missing from Outlook - Microsoft Support 

Workaround (in the meantime): Until Mail Templates becomes available in your environment, you may continue using Apps > My Templates (older add-in approach), or traditional template mechanisms, depending on your Outlook version. 

In case your IT department cannot access the necessary information or make the required changes, I recommend asking them to open a request with Microsoft Support team through the Microsoft Admin Center. They have access to backend configurations and can perform a more in-depth investigation. At the very least, they can provide the most effective workaround to ensure your experience remains smooth and secure.     

As community moderators, we appreciate your understanding that we do not have access to the administrative tools or permissions required to investigate or modify these configurations. We also do not have the capability to initiate remote sessions for direct assistance. Our role is to guide users to the appropriate resources and support channels.  

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to reach out.

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Answer 2

The new built-in Mail Templates experience is only available under specific conditions and may still be affected by the ongoing My Templates add-in issue.

Key points based on the described behavior:

1. Mail Templates availability
   • The built-in client controls for templates are available to Microsoft 365 subscribers and require supported Outlook builds (for example, Outlook for Mac requires version 15.35 (170610) or later).
   • In classic Outlook for Windows, templates are still primarily surfaced through the My Templates add-in and the older template mechanism. The new Mail Templates entry point is tied to that add-in and related service changes.
2. Current service incident affecting My Templates and related add-ins
   • There is an active service incident (MO1243496) where some admins cannot deploy add-ins and users cannot access them. Validated affected add-ins include My Templates, Salesforce, and Viva Insights.
   • Root cause is a recent service change enforcing stricter authentication, which blocked add-in deployment and user authentication for those add-ins.
   • The fix is in progress and partially deployed; telemetry shows a reduction in add-in errors but impact may persist for some users/tenants until deployment completes.
   • Symptoms match the description: My Templates missing from the ribbon, missing under All Apps/Add Apps, “Something went wrong” when trying to add it, or nothing appearing when choosing the new “Access Mail Templates” path.
3. What an admin can check while the incident is being remediated
   • As a tenant administrator, connect to Exchange Online PowerShell and verify the My Templates add-in status:
     1. Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell. See Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.
     2. Optionally start a transcript to capture output:

                Start-Transcript -Path "C:\mytemplates\MySession.txt" -Append
        

     3. Check the add-in status:

                get-app -Identity a216ceed-7791-4635-a752-5a4ac0a5eb93
        

     4. Ensure it is enabled organization-wide:

                Set-App -Identity a216ceed-7791-4635-a752-5a4ac0a5eb93 -OrganizationApp -Enabled $true
        

     5. List all add-ins to confirm:

                get-app
        

   • If the add-in is enabled but the new Mail Templates UI still does not appear or remains empty, the behavior is consistent with the ongoing service incident and should resolve once Microsoft completes the fix rollout.
4. Summary for the scenario
   • The new Mail Templates experience is tied to Microsoft 365 and the My Templates add-in infrastructure.
   • The inability to see anything after selecting “Access Mail Templates” is currently a known service-side issue, not a local configuration problem, and is being remediated by Microsoft.
   • Until the incident is fully resolved, the older template method remains the reliable workaround.

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References:

• Can I create email templates in Outlook for Mac?
• My Templates are missing from Outlook
• I have Outlook on Android with an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 commercial email account, but why don't I still see the add-ins?