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How to add shortcuts to template in Ribbon in Outlook?

It is a timesaving trick to apply templates, when you send email messages with same text, layout, or special format styles frequently. However, what annoy you is you may not find out where are the templates, or spend much time on finding out them. Actually there are some timesaving tricks to add shortcuts to templates in Ribbon in Microsoft Outlook 2010 and 2013, and enable you to apply templates with one clicking.

Add shortcut to template in Ribbon by creating quick steps

Add shortcut to template in Ribbon by adding Choose Forms in QAT

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arrow blue right bubbleAdd shortcut to template in Ribbon by creating quick steps

If you send email messages with some special text usually, you can create a template with the special text, and add it to the Quick Steps box.

Step 1: Click the Create New in the Quick Steps group under Home tab.

Step 2: In the Edit Quick Step dialog box,

  1. Enter a name for the new template in the Name: box;
  2. Click the in the Choose an Action box, and select the New Message in the drop down list.

Step 3: Click the Show Options below the To… box.

Step 4: Add information in the new template as following:

  1. Enter the recipients’ email addresses in the To… box
  2. Enter the subject information in the Subject: box
  3. Preset the Flag and Importance
  4. Enter the special text in the Text: box.

Step 5: Click the Finish button.

By now the new template has been added to the Quick Steps box, showing as the name you type in the Step 2.

Note: The Shortcut Key cannot be applied in this quick steps operation.
  As a result of the main interface of Microsoft Outlook 2007 showing in classic look, this method is invalid in Microsoft Outlook 2007.

arrow blue right bubbleAdd shortcut to template in Ribbon by adding Choose Forms in QAT

Most of time, not only special text, you may send email message with special layout and format styles. This method will help you open the template library, and let you select and apply templates quickly.

Step 1: Open the Template library with clicking the New Items > More Items > Choose Forms;

By the way, in Outlook 2007 you can click the File > New > Choose Forms directly.

Step 2: In the Choose Form dialog box, select the Standard Templates in the Look In: box, or click the Browser button to find out templates.

Actually, you can add the Choose Form command into the Quick Access Toolbar in Microsoft Outlook 2010 and 2013. And there are a couple of ways to realize it.

Method A:

Step 1: Click the New Items > More Items.

Step 2: Right click the Choose Form item.

Step 3: In the right-click menu, select the Add to Quick Access Toolbar item.

Then the Choose Form command is added to the Quick Access Toolbar immediately.

Method B:

Step 1: Click the File > Options.

Step 2: In the Outlook Options dialog box, click the Quick Access Toolbar in the left bar.

Step 3: In the Choose commands from: box, click the button and select the All Commands from the drop down list.

Step 5: Select and highlight the Choose Form item in the commands box.

Step 6: Click Add button.

Step 7: Click OK button.

Now the Choose Form command appears in the Quick Access Toolbar at once.

Note: There is no Ribbon in the main interface of Microsoft Outlook 2007, therefore these methods are not valid in Microsoft Outlook 2007.


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Comments (22)
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This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Easy, select the template file in Windows Explorer and drag and drop it in the task bar, you'll be indicated that it has been pinned in Outlook, then, to use it, just right click Outlook in the task bar and you'll be able to select the template directly. Let me know if you need any screen shots for that.

Thanks,

JL
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
could you please share screenshots? I'm not sure what you mean by drag into the task bar
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
This method is amazing thanks!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I've got an alternative 'outside of the box' suggestion - Use signature process for your templates instead.

Construct your email with the necessary formatting. Copy the full email. Create a new signature - template 1 for example and then paste the full email in.

Then when you want to use the template open a blank email and select Insert - Signature - Template 1


The only disadvantage this has over the traditional template is you can't preload the To: CC: and subject field etc. but it is quite easy to select your templates
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
@DavidJackson
Thank you...Thank you. After trying a little bit of everything, this worked for me :). I'll can use the quick steps above to create a preloaded email w/ To:, CC:, & Subject, and then use your suggestion to complete the body of the email. It's a 2 step process, but it works for me......beats the alternative :).
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I'd like to add several template emails in the Quick Step area from which several other employees can access as well. Is this possible?
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
On my laptop, I can go into the choose form which opens the dialogue box to pick my template. I then push the end button which takes me to location of where my templates are stored. Works great for me, but on my desktop, I can't get this option to work. All the file locations for the templates have been setup, but the end button keeps taking me to a different location. It takes me to looking inside one of my mailboxes. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Wim, you saved me tons of time! Thanks!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Very creative solution! I have templates that always have attachments and this solution works great!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I think I may have found a doable workaround. I agree with Daniel that the solutions above don't really give what we need: a direct link to a template that we want to use time and time again. This is what I did, and it makes it good enough for me: 1. Create the template and save it. The template will be stored in a directory on your hard disk, depending on your operating system: 1a. Windows 7 and Windows Vista saves the template in c:\users\username\appdata\roaming\microsoft\templates 1b. Windows XP saves the template in c:\documents and settings\username\application data\microsoft\templates 2. Browse to that directory, and now right-click the template file (keep holding the right mouse button!), and drag the template file onto your start bar, and then release the right mouse button 3. The template is now "pinned" on outlook in your startbar 4. To use the template, simply right-click on outlook in your startbar, and your template will show up in the "pinned" items, ready for you to use.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Thank you so much for this simple fix! I've been Googling macros, adding new tab in Outlook etc but this works perfectly! We'll be adding Outlook templates to all our computers in the office and have been trying to figure this out, you have no idea how happy you have made us!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Amazing!! i have to send 40+ emails with almost the same text, so each one needs slightly customising. This has saved me from sure repetitive strain injury, many thanks.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
That is a great solution! I used to have placed the "Templates" folder in the task bar (created by right click Task bar | Toolbars | New Toolbar...). This way works better if you have many templates as clicking the double 'greater than' sign besides "Templates" pops up all contents including any new .oft files inside the folder. The downside is that the "Template" folder now takes some space away from my taskbar and its not part of Outlook 'group'. However if just adding 2 or 3 .oft file links, this is the best logical place to tied it with the Outlook icon in the task bar. Thanks WIM
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Awesome, Thank for posting the first real solution to this issue.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Awesome, thanks for posting this!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Thank you, Wim! I've been trying to figure out an easy way since I have been upgraded to 2013. So happy to have found this!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Thanks for sharing Wim Chalmet. :-)
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
None of these steps are actually helpful. 1st method will create template, but unfortunately only in plain text - you cannot save template with colors or any modification. Using 2nd method will only allow you to access choose form, where you will still need to look for right template.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
You can change it from plain text to HTML. In the template, click on the FORMAT TEXT tab. In the FORMAT section, there is an HTML option. Then save it again.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Just save what you often use in a signature and open your email standard with this signature...
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I have Outlook 2013. I have an email template that I will use thousands of times. Q: How do I keep it there after each send so I don’t have to retrieve it and open it up every time?
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Just save your template as a signature and open your email standard with this signature.
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