Short answer
In New Outlook, templates live under Mail Templates or the My Templates add-in, not in the same place many Classic Outlook users expect. Microsoft Support documents both paths for New Outlook and Outlook on the web, and also notes that My Templates can be missing in some Microsoft 365 environments.
If you need canned responses that work the same way every time, Outlook Power Tools adds its own template menu for New Outlook in Chrome. It is useful when the built-in add-in is hidden, disabled by policy, or too limited for support, sales, recruiting, and operations replies.
Good reusable replies have a name, a subject pattern, body text, and a clear use case. Treat them like small process documents, not just saved paragraphs.
Check the built-in Microsoft template locations first
Start with the official route. Microsoft Support lists template options for New Outlook and Outlook on the web in its email template guide. Open a new message, then check these places:
- The Message tab in the compose window.
- The Apps or Add-ins menu inside compose.
- The My Templates pane, if your account exposes it.
- The Mail Templates feature, if it is available for your mailbox.
Do this from Outlook Web as well as the New Outlook desktop app. They share much of the same web-based interface, but add-in visibility can differ by account, organization policy, and rollout state.
Why My Templates can go missing
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| My Templates is not in the ribbon | The add-in is hidden or not enabled | Check Apps/Add-ins, then ask the Microsoft 365 admin to enable it. |
| Templates show on one mailbox but not another | Templates are tied to a specific mailbox or account context | Compose from the correct account and test in Outlook Web. |
| Classic Outlook templates are not visible | Classic template workflows do not map cleanly to New Outlook | Recreate important replies in My Templates or a browser extension. |
| The button disappeared recently | Microsoft service incident, add-in issue, or tenant setting | Check Microsoft's My Templates missing article. |
When the built-in template tool is not enough
My Templates is fine for a few short snippets. It gets awkward when you need full email templates with subjects, repeated recipients, categories, or quick insertion from the toolbar. That is where a dedicated Outlook template extension fits better.
Outlook Power Tools email templates are built for repeated replies in New Outlook. The free version includes 15 built-in templates and lets you create 3 custom templates. Pro removes the custom template limit.
For support queues, client follow-ups, interview scheduling, invoices, refund replies, and vendor updates, a template library is faster than hunting through old sent emails and copying yesterday's reply.
Template setup that does not turn into clutter
- Name templates by job, not mood: "Refund approved", "Meeting reschedule", "Bug intake".
- Keep the first line specific so you can tell why the message exists.
- Use placeholders in brackets for names, dates, invoice numbers, and links.
- Delete templates you have not used in 60 days.
- Split long templates into one complete reply plus smaller snippets.
This keeps the template list useful after the first week. Most template systems fail because users save every paragraph they write and never prune the pile.
FAQ
Why did my Outlook email templates disappear?
Usually the template entry point moved, the My Templates add-in is disabled, or you are composing from a mailbox where the template library is not available.
Where are My Templates in New Outlook?
Open a compose window and check Message, Apps, or Add-ins. If it is not there, your Microsoft 365 admin may need to enable the add-in.
What should I use for canned responses in Outlook?
For a few snippets, My Templates may be enough. For reusable replies with a cleaner workflow in Outlook Web, use a dedicated template extension such as Outlook Power Tools.