Create reuseable text blocks for email messages

The Quick Parts feature in Outlook provides building blocks, reusable pieces of content or other email message parts that are stored in galleries. You can access and reuse the building blocks at any time. You can also save building blocks and distribute them with templates so that other people can use the building blocks you created.

1. Select the content or email message part that you want to store as a reusable building block.

   To store paragraph formatting — including indentation, alignment, line spacing, and pagination — with the entry, include the paragraph mark () in the selection.

   Note:  To view paragraph marks, on the Format Text tab, click the Paragraph button.

2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts.

3. Click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.

4. Fill out the information in the Create New Building Block dialog box:

   • Name     Type a unique name for the building block.

   • Gallery     Select the gallery that you want the building block to show up in.

   • Category     Select a category, such as General or Built-In, or create a new category.

   • Description     Type a description of the building block.

   • Save in     Click the name of the template in the drop-down list.

     A template must be open to be displayed in the drop-down list of template names.

   • Options     Choose one of the following:

     • Select Insert in its own paragraph to make the content into its own paragraph, even if the user's cursor is in the middle of a paragraph.

     • Select Insert content in its own page to make the content into its own page.

     • Select Insert content only for all other content.

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You must have at least one building block saved to perform this task.

1. Click where you want to insert a building block in the email message.

2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts.

3. Right-click in the gallery pane. If you see the building block you want, select it. If you don't see the building block, on the shortcut menu, click Organize and Delete.

   If you know the name of the building block, click Name to sort by name.

4. Select the building block, and then click Insert.

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1. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts.

2. Right-click in the gallery pane, and on the shortcut menu, click Organize and Delete.

   If you know the name of the building block, click Name to sort by name.

3. Click the name of the building block that you want to rename, and then click Edit Properties.

4. In the Modify Building Block dialog box, type a new name for the entry, and then click OK.

5. When asked whether you want to redefine the building block entry, click Yes.

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You can access and reuse building blocks at any time. You can also distribute building blocks with templates. For example, you can create building blocks in a template and distribute the template to other users, who can save the template to the building blocks folder and use the building blocks you created.

1. Click New to create a blank email message.

2. Click File > Save as.

   Outlook 2007 only: Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Save As.

3. In the Save As dialog box, from the Save as Type list, click Outlook Template .

4. Type a name for the new template, click Outlook Template in the Save as type list, and then click Save.

   Outlook 2007 only: You can also save the template as a Word Macro-Enabled Template (.dotm file) or a Word 97-2003 Template (.dot file).

5. In the open template, create and save the building blocks that you want to provide to other users. When you fill out the information in the Create New Building Block dialog box, be sure to click the template name in the Save in list.

   Use the same category name for all of the choices that you want users to have for a particular building block.

   Note: After you save the building block to a gallery, you can delete the content from the template. The content will remain associated with the building block.

6. Distribute the template. If the recipients aren't familiar with using templates, guidance is available in Send an email message based on a template.

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1. Open the template that contains the building block that you want to delete.

2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts.

3. Right-click in the gallery pane, and on the shortcut menu, click Organize and Delete.

   If you know the name of the building block, click Name to sort by name.

4. Select the entry, and then click Delete.

5. Close the template, and then click Yes when you are prompted to save the template.

   The building block that you deleted is no longer available in galleries when you distribute the template, although the content might still appear in the template.

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