Create Outlook drafts and use them as email templates

Mastering Outlook Drafts and Templates: A Comprehensive Guide

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to effectively managing drafts and leveraging them as reusable email templates in Outlook. We'll cover creating, finding, deleting, and restoring drafts, then show you how to transform them into shareable templates using the Shared Email Templates add-in.

Working with Outlook Drafts

A draft is an unsaved email. Let's explore draft management:

Saving a Draft:

1. Compose a new email or reply.
2. Add your content (text, links, formatting, images).
3. Save by clicking the "Save" icon or closing the window.

The unfinished email is saved in your "Drafts" folder (accessible via the Navigation Pane or by searching "drafts"). Double-click a draft to resume editing or send. You can also enable auto-saving in Outlook options (File > Options > Mail > Save messages).

Deleting a Draft:

Several methods exist:

• Use the trash icon next to the draft in the Drafts folder.
• Select multiple drafts, right-click, and choose "Delete".
• Drag and drop drafts into the "Deleted Items" folder.

Restoring Deleted Drafts:

• Use the "Undo" button or Ctrl Z.
• Retrieve from the "Deleted Items" folder.
• If emptied, use "Recover items recently removed from this folder".

Note: Sending a draft converts it into a sent item; the draft itself is lost.

Using Drafts as Email Templates with Shared Email Templates

To create reusable email templates, use the Shared Email Templates add-in.

Creating a Template Folder:

Create a new folder in Outlook to store your templates.

Connecting the Folder to Shared Email Templates:

1. Open Shared Email Templates.
2. Right-click a folder in the add-in pane and select "Connect Outlook Folder".
3. Browse and select your template folder. A small "O" will appear on the folder icon.

Sharing Templates with a Team:

1. Create a team in Shared Email Templates.
2. Connect your template folder.
3. Invite teammates and set permissions.
4. In Outlook, right-click the template folder, go to "Properties" > "Permissions", add teammates, and set their permission level (at least "Reviewer").
5. Ensure "Folder Visible" is checked for each teammate in the root folder's permissions.

Note: Sharing works within the same Office 365 business domain; personal accounts are not supported for sharing.

Important Considerations:

• Manual refresh is needed to see changes.
• Formatting is not displayed in the add-in; it's applied when pasting.
• Sharing is limited to one Office 365 business domain.

This detailed guide empowers you to efficiently manage Outlook drafts and utilize them as reusable templates, streamlining your email workflow.

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