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In current Outlook versions, My Templates is added to the message ribbon as an Outlook add-in. You do not normally add it through File > Options > Customize Ribbon.

The steps depend on whether you use new Outlook, classic Outlook for Windows, or Outlook on the web. Once installed, My Templates opens a task pane containing short, reusable snippets such as greetings, status updates, meeting instructions, and support replies.

Before you start: My Templates versus Mail Templates

Outlook has two similarly named template features:

Feature What it stores Where you open it
My Templates Short reusable text snippets with basic formatting Message > My Templates in new Outlook and Outlook on the web; Message > View Templates in classic Outlook
Mail Templates Complete messages, including recipients, subject, body, formatting, and attachments Message > Mail template > Save email as template in new Outlook and Outlook on the web

If you need to save an entire prepared email, use Mail Templates. The instructions below are for the My Templates add-in.

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Add My Templates to new Outlook for Windows

  1. Open a new message or reply to an existing message.
  2. Select the Message tab on the message ribbon.
  3. If My Templates is visible, select it. The My Templates task pane opens.
  4. If it is not visible, select Apps on the message ribbon and choose My Templates.

To keep it visible on the ribbon:

  1. Open a new message or reply.
  2. Select Apps.
  3. Right-click My Templates.
  4. Select Pin.

After you pin it, My Templates appears on the message ribbon and in the message action bar.

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Install My Templates if it is not listed

  1. On the Outlook ribbon or navigation bar, select More apps > Add apps.
  2. On the Apps page, search for My Templates.
  3. Select the add-in.
  4. Review its details if Outlook asks you to, then select Add.
  5. Return to a new message and select Message > My Templates.

Add My Templates to classic Outlook for Windows

In current classic Outlook builds, Microsoft changed the add-in button from Get Add-ins to All Apps. The change began with Outlook Version 2303, Build 16215.10000.

  1. Open classic Outlook.
  2. Select Home > All Apps.
  3. Search for My Templates.
  4. Select Add.
  5. Open a new message.
  6. Select the Message tab.
  7. Select View Templates.

View Templates opens the My Templates task pane. If it is not on the Message ribbon, select All Apps to display the installed add-ins.

On the Simplified Ribbon, select the … button and then select All Apps.

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Older classic Outlook builds

If your classic Outlook installation does not show All Apps, look for the older Get Add-ins command instead:

Home > Get Add-ins > My Templates > Add

Then open a message and look for Message > View Templates.

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Check the Reading Pane setting

Classic Outlook add-ins may not be available unless the Reading Pane is enabled on the right or bottom. Set it using one of these paths:

  • View > Reading Pane > Right
  • View > Reading Pane > Bottom

Add My Templates to Outlook on the web

  1. Sign in to Outlook on the web and open a new message or reply.
  2. Select the Message tab.
  3. Select My Templates.
  4. If it is not visible, select Apps and choose My Templates.

To pin the add-in:

  1. Select More apps.
  2. Right-click My Templates.
  3. Select Pin.

If it is not installed, select More apps > Add apps, search for My Templates, and select Add.

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Create and use a My Templates entry

  1. Open the My Templates task pane from a new message or reply.
  2. Select +Template.
  3. Enter a name in the Title field.
  4. Enter the reusable wording in the message field below it.
  5. Select Save.

To insert the text later, open My Templates while composing a message and select the saved entry. The text is inserted at the cursor position.

Use My Templates for short responses rather than full email designs. For example, a useful entry might contain a customer-service closing, a standard project-status paragraph, or a request for missing information. It is not the full-message template feature and is not intended to preserve recipients, subject lines, or attachments.

Why My Templates is not on the Outlook ribbon

You are looking for the wrong command

In classic Outlook, current installations use Home > All Apps, not Get Add-ins. In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, use Apps or More apps from the message interface.

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The add-in has not been installed

Open All Apps > Add Apps in classic Outlook, or More apps > Add apps in new Outlook and Outlook on the web. Search for My Templates and select Add.

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Your organization has disabled Outlook add-ins

If All Apps is missing entirely, or Outlook displays Something went wrong when you try to add the feature, your Microsoft 365 administrator may have disabled Outlook add-ins. A qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription is also required for My Templates.

Outlook started without an internet connection

My Templates is an Outlook add-in, so it depends on connectivity. Installed add-ins may not appear if Outlook starts while offline. If Outlook starts online and then loses its connection, the add-in will not run until connectivity is restored.

A Microsoft service issue is affecting the add-in

Microsoft marked the recent My Templates service incident as fixed under incident EX1255397, with an end time of March 27, 2026, at 1:40 AM UTC. The incident involved an Exchange Web Services deprecation update and an Exchange Online authentication change that blocked access to default Outlook add-ins.

Tenants that have deliberately disabled Exchange Web Services may still have problems. Microsoft recommends that administrators re-enable EWS where appropriate.

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Administrator check for a missing My Templates add-in

These commands are for a Microsoft 365 tenant administrator connected to Exchange Online PowerShell. They are not needed for ordinary users who simply want to pin the add-in.

The My Templates add-in identity is:

a216ceed-7791-4635-a752-5a4ac0a5eb93

To record the PowerShell session:

Start-Transcript -Path "C:mytemplatesMySession.txt" -Append

To check the add-in:

get-app -Identity a216ceed-7791-4635-a752-5a4ac0a5eb93

To enable it for the organization:

Set-App -Identity a216ceed-7791-4635-a752-5a4ac0a5eb93 -OrganizationApp -Enabled $true

To list available add-ins:

get-app

Microsoft says these administrator commands are no longer necessary for the resolved service incident unless Microsoft Support requests them. An administrator should verify organizational policy and Exchange configuration before changing tenant settings.

Using My Templates with a shared mailbox

Shared-mailbox behavior is easy to misunderstand:

  • In classic Outlook, and in new Outlook when the shared mailbox has not been promoted to a full account, user-installed add-ins belong to the user’s primary mailbox.
  • My Templates entries created in that situation are saved to the user’s primary mailbox, not the shared mailbox.
  • Other users cannot see those entries merely because they have access to the shared mailbox.

In new Outlook, a shared mailbox promoted to a full account can have its own templates. Other users must also open and promote that shared mailbox to a full account to access them. Those templates are not available from other platforms or from a non-promoted shared-mailbox view.

In Outlook on the web, shared-mailbox templates are shared only when the mailbox is opened in a separate tab or window through Open another mailbox. If it is opened in the same tab or window as the primary mailbox, templates created there are available only to the user who created them.

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Do not use Customize Ribbon to install My Templates

Older instructions may tell you to open File > Options > Customize Ribbon and add My Templates as a command. That is not the current installation procedure. My Templates is an Outlook add-in, so install or expose it through All Apps, Apps, or Add Apps, then pin it where Outlook permits.

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Also note that Add from URL is no longer available for installing a custom Outlook add-in. For a custom add-in, Microsoft currently supports downloading the add-in file and using Add from File through the Add-Ins for Outlook dialog.

FAQ

Can I add My Templates directly from File > Options > Customize Ribbon?

No. My Templates is an Outlook add-in. Install or find it through Apps, All Apps, or Add Apps, then use the Pin command when available.

What is My Templates called in classic Outlook?

In classic Outlook, the command is generally called View Templates. Install the add-in through Home > All Apps, then open a message and select Message > View Templates.

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Why do I see Get Add-ins instead of All Apps?

Get Add-ins is the label used by older classic Outlook builds. Current classic Outlook builds beginning with Version 2303, Build 16215.10000 use All Apps instead.

Why is My Templates missing from Outlook?

Check whether the add-in is installed, whether Outlook has an internet connection, and whether your organization allows Outlook add-ins. In classic Outlook, also set View > Reading Pane to Right or Bottom. A qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription is required.

Can My Templates save attachments and subject lines?

No. My Templates is designed for short reusable text snippets with basic styling. Use Mail Templates when you need to save a complete message, including recipients, subject, formatting, and attachments.

Can everyone with access to a shared mailbox use its My Templates entries?

Not automatically. Templates are normally saved to the creator’s primary mailbox. Shared access depends on how the mailbox is opened and, in new Outlook, whether it has been promoted to a full account.

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The Bottom Line

Use the message compose window to expose My Templates: Message > My Templates in new Outlook and Outlook on the web, or Message > View Templates in classic Outlook. If the command is missing, install it through Apps/More apps > Add apps or Home > All Apps, rather than trying to add it through Customize Ribbon.

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