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Outlook has more than one template feature, and they are stored and opened differently. If you are looking for a complete saved email, check Mail Templates. If you need a reusable sentence or paragraph, open My Templates. Classic Outlook for Windows also supports local .oft files.
The correct location depends on whether you use new Outlook, Outlook on the web, or classic Outlook.
Which Outlook template are you looking for?
| Template type | What it stores | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Mail Templates | A complete email, including recipients, subject, body, formatting, images, tables, and attachments | Settings > Mail > Templates, or Home > New > Mail from template |
| My Templates | Short reusable text snippets with basic formatting | Open a new message and select My Templates |
| Outlook Template (.oft) | A file-based message template used mainly by classic Outlook for Windows | New Items > More Items > Choose Form > User Templates in File System |
Mail Templates and My Templates are mailbox-based features. A classic .oft template is a file stored on the computer. Microsoft documents these features for qualifying Microsoft 365 accounts; availability can also depend on your organization’s administrator settings.
Find Mail Templates in new Outlook for Windows
To view the saved Mail Templates for an account:
- Open Settings.
- Select Mail > Templates.
- Review the templates listed under the relevant account.
There is also a quicker way to use one while composing:
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- On the Home ribbon, select New > Mail from template.
- Choose a template in the Templates dialog.
- Check or change the To, Cc, Bcc, subject, and message body.
- Select Send.
A Mail Template created in new Outlook is saved to the account used to compose the original draft. The same template is available from that account in Outlook on the web.
Create a Mail Template in new Outlook
- Select Home > New > Mail.
- Build the complete message. You can add recipients, a subject, body text, formatting, images, tables, and attachments.
- On the Message ribbon, select Mail template > Save email as template.
- Enter a name in Save email as template.
- Select Save.
When you open a template and edit it, those edits apply only to the new message. Selecting Save saves a draft; it does not update the stored template. To change the saved version, save a new template.
Find Mail Templates in Outlook on the web
In Outlook on the web, open the Settings page and select Mail > Templates. Templates are grouped by account, so check the account that was used when the template was created.
To use one in a message:
- Select New > Mail.
- On the Message ribbon, select Mail template > Save email as template if you are creating one, or open the template picker when starting a message.
- Select the required Mail Template.
- Review the recipients, subject, body, and attachments before sending.
Mail Templates created on the web are stored in the account used to compose the draft and can also be accessed from that account in new Outlook for Windows.
Find My Templates in Outlook
My Templates is not a library of complete emails. It is a task pane for inserting short pieces of reusable text, such as a sign-off, a support response, or a standard meeting instruction. It does not retain a complete message, recipients, or attachments.
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New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web
- Open a new message with Home > New > Mail in new Outlook, or select New > Mail on the web.
- On the Message tab or ribbon, select My Templates.
- In the task pane, select +Template.
- Enter a name in Title.
- Enter the reusable text in the field below the title.
- Select Save.
After saving, select a snippet in the My Templates pane to insert it into the message.
My Templates created in new Outlook or on the web are saved to the user’s primary mailbox. This may not be the mailbox currently selected in Outlook. They can be accessed from that primary mailbox in new Outlook, classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac.
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In classic Outlook, open New Email, then select View Templates on the Message tab. Select +Template, enter the title and text, and select Save.
If My Templates or View Templates is missing, your organization may have disabled the required add-in. That usually indicates an administrator setting rather than deleted templates.
Find .oft templates in classic Outlook
A classic Outlook .oft template is different from both Mail Templates and My Templates. It is a file, normally stored in this folder:
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C:Users<username>AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplatesThe AppData folder is hidden by default, so the easiest way to reach it is to copy the path into File Explorer and replace <username> with your Windows account name.
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Open an .oft file
- In classic Outlook, select New Items > More Items > Choose Form.
- In the Choose Form window, set Look In to User Templates in File System.
- Outlook opens the default Templates folder.
- Select the
.oftfile and choose Open.
If the file is stored somewhere else, select Browse in the Choose Form window and select its folder.
Create an .oft template
- Open a new message. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + M.
- Enter the message content.
- In the message window, select File > Save As.
- Set Save as type to Outlook Template.
- Enter a file name and select Save.
Editing a message created from an .oft file does not overwrite the original. Save creates a draft. To replace the template, save a new .oft file.
Why your Outlook templates appear to be missing
You are checking the wrong template system
For a complete email with attachments, do not look in My Templates. Open Settings > Mail > Templates for Mail Templates, or use Choose Form in classic Outlook for an .oft file.
You have multiple accounts configured
Mail Templates belong to the account used to create the draft. In contrast, My Templates belong to the primary mailbox. Check the account headings under Settings > Mail > Templates, and verify which mailbox is configured as primary when looking for My Templates.
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You are using a shared mailbox
Shared mailbox behavior is not the same as personal mailbox behavior.
- In new Outlook, My Templates created while using a shared mailbox are available only to the creator’s account if that mailbox has not been promoted to a full account.
- If the shared mailbox is promoted to a full account, users can share its templates only when they also open it as a promoted full account in new Outlook.
- Those templates are not available when the mailbox is opened as a non-promoted account or from other platforms.
- In Outlook on the web, opening a shared mailbox in the same browser tab or window as the primary mailbox makes templates available only to your account.
- To let users who open the mailbox separately view and edit its templates, use Open another mailbox in a separate tab or window. Users must open it in that same way.
Templates created in your primary mailbox are not available in a shared mailbox opened in a separate tab or window.
My Templates is not displayed
Your organization may have turned off the add-in that provides My Templates. Contact your Microsoft 365 administrator if the command is absent from the message window.
The .oft file is not listed
Make sure Look In is set to User Templates in File System. If the file is not in the default folder, choose Browse and navigate to the folder containing the .oft file.
Which feature should you use?
| Use case | Best choice |
|---|---|
| A standard email with fixed recipients, formatting, and attachments | Mail Templates |
| A sentence, paragraph, greeting, or sign-off | My Templates |
| A portable local template file in classic Outlook | Outlook Template (.oft) |
| A template that must be shared through a mailbox | Mail Templates or mailbox-based My Templates, with careful attention to the account and shared-mailbox rules |
For the least confusion, decide first whether you need a complete message or only reusable text. That choice determines whether you should open Mail Templates, My Templates, or the classic Outlook file system.
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Microsoft’s documentation: Create email templates in Outlook and Send an email message based on a template.
FAQ
Where are Mail Templates stored in Outlook?
In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, open Settings > Mail > Templates. Mail Templates are saved to the account used to compose the original draft and are listed by account.
Where are My Templates stored?
My Templates are saved to the user’s primary mailbox, not necessarily the mailbox currently selected in Outlook. Open a new message and select My Templates to use them.
Can My Templates save attachments?
No. My Templates stores short reusable text snippets. Use Mail Templates or a classic Outlook .oft file for a complete message with attachments.
Where are .oft templates stored?
The default classic Outlook folder is C:Users<username>AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplates. Open files through New Items > More Items > Choose Form > User Templates in File System.
Why did editing a template not update the original?
Opening a template creates a new message. Edits affect that message only, and Save creates a draft. To update the stored template, save a new Mail Template or replace the original .oft file.
Why is My Templates missing in Outlook?
Your organization may have disabled the add-in that provides My Templates. Ask your Microsoft 365 administrator to check the organization’s add-in settings.
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Mail Templates are the place for complete saved emails and are found under Settings > Mail > Templates. My Templates is a task pane for short text snippets and saves to your primary mailbox. If you use classic Outlook and have an .oft file, open it through New Items > More Items > Choose Form.
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