How to keep draft email after sending in Outlook?

For many Outlook users, they prefer to keep the drafts as email templets for future using rather than create new email message with almost the same content. By default, when you composing a draft email and sending it, it will be moved to the Sent Items folder from the Drafts folder immediately. In this article, we will show you how to keep draft after sending in Outlook. And recommend you to use the Auto Text for keeping email template instead of using the email draft.

Keep draft email after sending in Outlook 2010 and 2007

Keep draft email after sending in Outlook 2013

Use Auto Text function for keeping email template in Outlook

Keep draft email after sending in Outlook 2010 and 2007

For keeping draft email after sending in Outlook 2010 and 2007, please do as follows.

1. Click the Drafts folder under the email account which you want to send later.

2. Use the Forward function to send the draft email.

1). In Outlook 2010 and 2007, please select a draft email which you want to send, and then click the Forward button. See screenshot:

Note: Or you can press the Ctrl + F keys on the keyboard to enable the Forward function.

3. Then a new message with the content of the draft is created, please compose this message and send it. After sending, the draft email still exists in the Drafts folder.

Keep draft email after sending in Outlook 2013

In Outlook 2013, you can do as follows to keep the draft after sending.

By default, when you select the draft email in the Drafts folder, the Forward button is grayed and cannot be used. See screenshot:

Method 1. Use the Ctrl + F shortcut keys in the opened draft email

1. Open the specified draft email by double clicking it.

2. In the message window, put your cursor on any place of the email header field, and then press the Ctrl + F keys on the keyboard.

3. Then a new email message with the same content of the draft is created. Please compose it and send it.

4. Close the draft email you have opened in step 1.

Method 2. Enable the Forward button

1. Please click File > Options.

2. In the Outlook Options dialog box, please click Mail in the left bar, then check the Open replies and forwards in a new window box in the Replies and Forwards section. And finally click the OK button. See screenshot:

3. Now, the Forward function has been activated under the draft situation, you can do as above Keep draft email after sending in Outlook 2010 and 2007 method to send the draft email.

Use Auto Text function for keeping email template in Outlook

In this section, I will introduce you a utility called Auto Text of Kutools for Outlook to easily save email content as template in Outlook.

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After installing Kutools for Outlook, please do as follows:

1. Firstly you need to create a new email message.

2. Then click Kutools > Pane to activate the Auto Text pane. It will be located on the right side of the message window by default. See screenshots:

2. Compose you email message, and select the content which you want to keep as template. Then click the button. See screenshot:

3. In the Auto Text dialog box, configure the auto text you want to save as template, then click the OK button.

4. Then the selected section is created as an auto text immediately. From now on, when you need to use this email content, you just need to double click the auto text you created, and it will be inserted to the email body at once. And you can apply the content repeatedly.

More detailed information of Kutools for Outlook’s Auto Text utility, please click Quickly create, edit, delete, and reuse quick parts (autotext) in Outlook.