1. Open Outlook and Start a New Email

First, open your Microsoft Outlook application on your computer. Once it's loaded, you need to begin creating a new email message. You can do this by clicking the "New Email" button, usually found in the top-left corner of the Mail view. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N (on Windows) or Command + N (on Mac) while in the Mail section.

This action will open a blank message window, which is where you will compose the content for your template. Do not worry about sending this email; we are only using it as a canvas to create the template.

2. Compose Your Template Content

Now, fill in all the details you want to be included in your future template. This includes the subject line, the body text, and any standard attachments. Think about what information you frequently reuse. For example, if you send weekly reports, you might include the standard greeting, report structure, and closing remarks.

Leave out any specific information that changes each time you send the email, such as the recipient's name or a unique date. You can use placeholders like "[Recipient Name]" or "[Date]" if you wish, to remind yourself what to fill in later. You can also format your text with bolding, italics, or bullet points, as all formatting will be saved with the template.

3. Save the Email (Do Not Send)

Once you are happy with the content you've created for your template, it's time to save it. Make sure you **do not send** the email. Instead, look for the "File" tab in the top-left corner of the new message window. Click on "File".

This will open a menu with several options. You need to find and click on "Save As". A "Save As" dialogue box will then appear on your screen. This box is where you'll choose the file type and location for your new template.

4. Select 'Outlook Template' (.oft) Format

In the "Save As" dialogue box, you will see a field labelled "Save as type:". This is crucial. Click on the drop-down arrow next to this field. A list of various file formats will appear.

Scroll through the options until you find "Outlook Template (*.oft)". Select this option. This specific file format tells Outlook that this file is a reusable email template, not a regular email draft or a plain text file. Using the correct format ensures Outlook can open and populate new emails from it correctly.

5. Name Your Template and Choose a Save Location

Before you click save, give your template a clear and descriptive name in the "File name:" field. For instance, "Monthly Sales Report Template" or "Customer Service Response Template". A good name will help you quickly identify the template later.

By default, Outlook will suggest saving your template in a specific folder, usually something like C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Outlook Templates. It's generally a good idea to save your templates in this default location, as it makes them easier for Outlook to find. However, you can choose any folder on your computer if you prefer, as long as you remember where you saved it.

Once you've chosen a name and confirmed the location, click the "Save" button. Your email template is now created and saved!

6. How to Use Your Saved Email Template

Now that you've saved your template, let's learn how to use it. There are two main ways to open your template:

Option A: Through Outlook's "New Items" Menu (if saved in default location):

1. In Outlook's Mail view, go to the "Home" tab.
2. Click on "New Items".
3. Hover over "More Items".
4. Click on "Choose Form...".
5. In the "Choose Form" dialogue box, click the drop-down menu next to "Look In:" and select "User Templates in File System".
6. You should see your saved templates listed. Select the one you want and click "Open".

Option B: By Double-Clicking the .oft File:

1. Navigate to the folder where you saved your .oft template file using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
2. Simply double-click on the .oft file.

Either method will open a new email message pre-filled with all the content you saved in your template. You can now customise it with recipient details, specific dates, or any other unique information before sending.

Problem 1: Cannot find the "Outlook Template (*.oft)" option.

This is often due to using Outlook on the web browser (Outlook.com) instead of the desktop application. The dedicated .oft file format for templates is primarily a feature of the desktop version of Microsoft Outlook for Windows and macOS. The web version has "My Templates" which is a different, simpler feature.

Fix: Ensure you are running the full Microsoft Outlook application installed on your computer. If you are, double-check that you clicked "File" from the new message window, not the main Outlook window. If still missing, your Outlook installation might be corrupted, or you might be using a very old version.

Problem 2: Template opens as a read-only email.

If you open an .oft file and it appears as a message you can only read, rather than a new, editable email, it means Outlook isn't treating it as a template correctly. This can happen if the file association for .oft files is incorrect on your computer or if you're trying to edit the template file itself, rather than open a *new message* based on it.

Fix: Always open the template by double-clicking the .oft file to create a *new message*. If it still opens read-only, check your file associations in your operating system's settings to ensure .oft files are opened by Outlook.

Problem 3: Template is not found in "User Templates in File System".

When you try to access your template via New Items > More Items > Choose Form > User Templates in File System, you might find your template isn't listed. This usually happens if you saved the .oft file to a location other than Outlook's default templates folder.

Fix: The easiest solution is to navigate to the folder where you *did* save the .oft file using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and simply double-click the file to open a new email from it. If you want it to appear in the "User Templates" list, you will need to move the .oft file into Outlook's default templates folder (e.g., C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Outlook Templates).

Organising Your Templates

As you create more templates, keeping them organised becomes essential. Consider creating subfolders within Outlook's default templates directory (C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Outlook Templates). For example, you could have folders for "Customer Service," "Internal Communications," or "Project Updates." This way, when you browse for templates, you can quickly locate the one you need within its relevant category.

Another approach is to use clear and consistent naming conventions, such as "CS_Refund_Confirmation" or "Project_Update_Weekly."

Using Quick Parts for Reusable Content Blocks

While full email templates are great for entire messages, sometimes you only need to reuse specific phrases, sentences, or paragraphs. This is where Outlook's Quick Parts feature comes in handy. Instead of saving an entire email, you can save a highlighted block of text (including formatting) as a Quick Part.

To do this: In a new email, type the text you want to save. Highlight it. Go to the "Insert" tab, click "Quick Parts", and then select "Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery...". Give it a name. Next time you're composing an email, just go to "Quick Parts" and select your saved content to insert it.

Attaching Files to Your Templates

Did you know you can include attachments in your Outlook templates? If you frequently send the same document, brochure, or form with a particular email, attach it to the email *before* saving it as an .oft template. When you open the template, the attachment will automatically be included in the new message, saving you the step of manually attaching it every time.

Just remember that if the attached file's content changes, you'll need to update the template by opening it, replacing the old attachment with the new one, and re-saving it as an .oft file (overwriting the old one).

Creating Desktop Shortcuts for Quick Access

For your most frequently used templates, creating a desktop shortcut can save you a lot of time. Navigate to the folder where your .oft templates are saved (either the default location or your custom folder). Right-click on the specific .oft file you use most often, then select "Send to" > "Desktop (create shortcut)". Now, you can simply double-click this shortcut on your desktop to instantly open a new email based on that template.