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In classic Outlook, custom forms are managed by designing a form from a standard template, publishing it to a folder or forms library, and opening it again through the appropriate command. Microsoft’s documentation describes this workflow for Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, and Outlook 2016 in its publishing guidance. It does not establish that every Outlook client has a command literally called “Forms Manager,” or that these steps apply to new Outlook, Outlook on the web, or Outlook for Mac.
What “Forms Manager” means in classic Outlook
Microsoft’s documented classic Outlook workflow does not identify a universal command named “Forms Manager.” Instead, form management consists of designing or customizing a form, choosing where to publish it, and then opening or republishing it. If your Outlook interface displays a command specifically called Forms Manager, its location and behavior are not confirmed by the cited Microsoft guidance.
The publishing-location article covers Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, and Outlook 2016. The procedure below is for classic Outlook; do not assume that its ribbon tabs and menus are present in other Outlook clients.
Create and publish a custom form
- Choose a standard form. In classic Outlook, custom forms start from a standard Outlook form. Microsoft points to the standard mail-message form for an email sent to recipients and the standard post form for a form posted in a public folder. See Microsoft’s guidance on creating Outlook forms.
- Open the form designer. Go to Developer > Custom Forms > Design a Form, then select the standard form you want to customize.
- Customize the form. Add fields, controls, or code as needed, and set the form’s attributes. The exact design depends on the workflow the form is meant to support.
- Publish it to the right location. Choose a folder, Personal Forms Library, or Organizational Forms Library based on the audience and how the form will be used. The differences are outlined below.
- Open the published form. A folder form is available from that folder’s Actions menu. To open a form in a Personal or Organizational Forms Library, use Choose Form; Microsoft says the command can be exposed on the Developer tab.
Microsoft’s publishing instructions and location guidance are in How to determine where to publish a custom Outlook form.
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| Location | Best fit | Access and cautions |
|---|---|---|
| Folder Forms Library | A form mainly used with one folder, including common Contact, Post, Task, and Journal scenarios. | Available with the folder from its Actions menu. A form in a public folder is available to people who can access that folder. |
| Personal Forms Library | A form intended for one person’s use. | Stored as a hidden item in the root of the default mailbox or PST. Open it through Choose Form. |
| Organizational Forms Library | A form reused across folders or shared across an organization. | Stored on an Exchange Server-based computer. An administrator must grant the required access and publishing permission. Open it through Choose Form. |
Microsoft recommends weighing whether the solution is folder-based or message-based, how many people need it, how often it changes, whether it must be available offline, whether recipients are inside or outside the organization, and how users will open it. A folder is a natural choice when the form belongs to one shared workflow; a library is more appropriate when the same form needs to be reused more broadly.
Update a published form
For a form customized with form pages, Microsoft documents this classic Outlook sequence:
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- Go to Developer > Choose Form and select the customized form.
- Go to Developer > Publish > Publish Form to publish the updated version.
This form-page publishing route does not publish form regions to the server. Microsoft says form regions must instead be deployed through an add-in. See Microsoft’s guidance on publishing a form and its guidance on creating Outlook form regions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Storage choices and pitfalls
When a form is published to a forms library, Microsoft says Outlook typically stores one copy of the form. Items refer to it through a Message Class field, which can reduce resource and bandwidth use compared with storing the form in every item. Microsoft does not provide a numerical estimate for that reduction.
You can save a form as an Outlook Template (.oft) file, including for sending or backup, but Microsoft cautions against treating file-system or folder-item copies as the normal deployment method. These copies become one-off forms; saving a form as a folder item can also create version clutter, risk accidental deletion, and cause unwanted side effects. If you publish a centrally stored form to a folder as well for easier access, redeploy updates to avoid Outlook forms-cache problems.
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