Remove Subject Prefixes ("RE" or "FW") in Outlook
Subject prefixes in emails, such as "RE:" and "FW:", can sometimes clutter your inbox and make it difficult to read the subject lines clearly. If you want to remove or delete these prefixes, you can use a few methods. Here's a detailed guide on how to achieve this in Microsoft Outlook.
Deleting subject prefixes using Quick Steps
Batch remove subject prefixes of selected or all emails with Kutools for Outlook
Removing subject prefixes with VBA
Deleting subject prefixes using Quick Steps
Quick Steps in Outlook can automate repetitive tasks, such as removing prefixes from subject lines.
1. Under Home tab, click the arrow down in the Quick Steps group.
2. Then click New Quick Step > Custom.
3. Then in the Edit Quick Step dialog, specify the settings.
Give a name for the new quick step.
Choose Reply from the Choose an Action drop-down menu.
Then click Show Options to expand the options, then remove “RE” from the subject line.
Click Finish.
Now you can see your new quick step is displayed at the top of the Quick Steps group.
When you want to reply to an email and automatically remove "RE", click the quick step you create, and a message composing window is popped up without the subject prefix "RE".
- If you want to remove “RE” when replying all, create a new quick step and choose Reply All from the Choose an Action drop-down menu, then click Show Options to expand the options, and remove the “RE” from the subject line.
- If you want to remove “FW” when forwarding emails, create a new quick step and select Forward from the Choose an Action drop-down menu. Click Show Options to expand the options, and remove the “FW” from the subject line.
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Batch remove subject prefixes of selected or all emails with Kutools for Outlook
If you want to remove the subject prefix of selected or all emails across folders, you can try the Remove Subject Prefix feature of Kutools for Excel.
1. Select the emails that you want to remove subject prefix and click Kutools Plus > Subject Prefix in the Delete group.
2. Then in the Remove Subject Prefix dialog, check Selected Messages option, then in Rules for removing section, specify the prefix type you want to remove.
3. Click Ok. Now the subject prefixes of the selected emails have been removed.
If you want to remove the subject prefix of all emails in a forlder or across folders, accounts in Outlook, in the Remove Subject Prefix dialog, select Folders > Configure to open the Select Folder dialog, choose a folder or folders, then click Ok > Ok, the subject prefixes of all emails in the specified folder(s) have been removed.
Removing subject prefixes with VBA
To remove subject prefixes away, you just can handle it manually except running a VBA code in Outlook.
1. Press Alt + F11 keys to enable the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
2. In the popping dialog, double click at the ThisOutlookSession in Project-Project1 pane and copy and paste below code into the blank script.
VBA:Remove subject prefixes
Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
'UpdatebyExtendoffice20180326
RemoveREOrFW Item, "RE"
RemoveREOrFW Item, "FW"
End Sub
Function RemoveREOrFW(Item As Object, Str As String)
Dim xSubject As String
If InStr(Item.Subject, Str) > 0 Then
xSubject = Replace(Item.Subject, Str & ":", "", vbTextCompare)
Item.Subject = Trim(xSubject)
Item.Save
End If
End Function
3. Save the code and go back to reply or forward an email, the prefixes are still in the subject, but it will be removed after sending the email.
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