New Outlook vs Classic Outlook Quick Parts: Where to Find It

Quick Parts is a feature in Microsoft Outlook that lets you save and reuse blocks of text, such as boilerplate paragraphs, signatures, or standard replies. In Classic Outlook, Quick Parts is built into the Insert tab and works with AutoText. In New Outlook, Microsoft removed the Quick Parts button, which forces users to find an alternative method. This article explains where to find Quick Parts in Classic Outlook, shows how to access similar functionality in New Outlook, and covers the key differences between the two versions.

Quick Parts in Classic Outlook: The Original Feature

Quick Parts debuted in Outlook 2007 and remained in every version of Classic Outlook through Outlook 2019, Outlook 2021, and the Classic version of Outlook for Microsoft 365. It lives in the Insert tab of the compose window, inside the Text group. When you click the Quick Parts button, a dropdown menu shows your saved entries, the AutoText gallery, and commands to save a new selection or organize the gallery.

Quick Parts stores entries in the NormalEmail.dotm template, which is tied to your local Windows user profile. This means Quick Parts entries are not synced across computers unless you manually copy the template file. The feature supports rich text formatting, images, tables, and even fields like page numbers or document properties.

How to Use Quick Parts in Classic Outlook

To save a block of text as a Quick Part, select the text in your email compose window, go to Insert > Quick Parts, and choose Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Give the entry a name and assign it to a category. To insert it later, place your cursor where you want the text, click Insert > Quick Parts, and pick the entry from the gallery.

You can also build a Quick Part from scratch using the AutoText feature. Press Ctrl+F3 to open the Create New Building Block dialog. Type a name, choose a category, and click OK. The entry appears in the Quick Parts gallery under the AutoText category.

Where to Find Quick Parts in New Outlook

New Outlook, also called the Outlook for Windows preview or the OneNote-style Outlook, does not include the Quick Parts button. Microsoft replaced Quick Parts with a feature called My Templates, which offers similar functionality but with a different interface. My Templates is available in the Insert tab of the compose window, but only when composing a new email or replying to one.

My Templates stores entries in the cloud, synced to your Microsoft 365 mailbox. This means your templates are available on any device where you sign in with the same account. However, My Templates does not support the full range of formatting that Quick Parts supports. You cannot include images, tables, or complex formatting in a My Templates entry. The feature is limited to plain text and basic formatting such as bold, italic, and hyperlinks.

How to Use My Templates in New Outlook

Open a new email or reply to a message. Click the Insert tab on the ribbon. Look for the My Templates button in the Include group. If you do not see it, the compose window may be too narrow; click the three-dot overflow menu at the end of the ribbon to reveal all buttons.

Click My Templates to open a pane on the right side of the compose window. To create a new template, click the plus sign or the + Template button. Type a name for the template and paste or type the text content. Click Save. To insert a template, click the template name in the pane, and the text appears at your cursor in the email body.

Key Differences Between Quick Parts and My Templates

The most important difference is storage location. Quick Parts entries are stored locally in the NormalEmail.dotm template file on your computer. My Templates entries are stored in your Microsoft 365 mailbox and sync across devices. This makes My Templates more portable but less powerful in terms of formatting.

Another difference is the user interface. Quick Parts uses a dropdown gallery that shows previews of each entry. My Templates uses a side pane that lists template names only. You cannot see a preview of the content before inserting it in My Templates, which can slow down selection if you have many entries.

Finally, Quick Parts supports AutoText, which is a separate gallery that can be accessed via the keyboard shortcut F3 after typing the AutoText name. My Templates does not have an equivalent keyboard shortcut. You must open the pane and click the template name to insert it.

Common Issues and Limitations in Both Versions

Quick Parts Entries Not Showing in Classic Outlook

If your saved Quick Parts entries disappear, the NormalEmail.dotm template may be corrupted or missing. Go to File > Options > Add-ins. At the bottom, next to Manage, select COM Add-ins and click Go. Make sure all add-ins are unchecked and click OK. This disables add-ins that might interfere. Then locate the template file in %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates and rename NormalEmail.dotm to NormalEmail.old. Restart Outlook, and a fresh template is created. You will need to recreate your Quick Parts entries.

My Templates Not Syncing in New Outlook

My Templates syncs to your mailbox, but the sync can fail if your mailbox is full or if there is a connectivity issue. Check your mailbox storage at Outlook on the web: click the gear icon, then View all Outlook settings > General > Storage. If storage is full, delete old items or upgrade your plan. Also ensure your Outlook client is connected to the internet. If the pane is empty, sign out of Outlook and sign back in.

Cannot Insert Images or Tables in My Templates

My Templates does not support images, tables, or complex formatting. If you need to reuse a block that contains an image or table, consider using a different method. One workaround is to create a draft email with the image or table saved in your Drafts folder. When you need it, open the draft, copy the content, and paste it into your current email. This method is manual but works in both Outlook versions.

Quick Parts vs My Templates: Side-by-Side Comparison

Item	Quick Parts (Classic Outlook)	My Templates (New Outlook)
Location	Insert > Quick Parts	Insert > My Templates
Storage	Local NormalEmail.dotm file	Microsoft 365 mailbox (cloud)
Formatting support	Rich text, images, tables, fields	Plain text, basic bold/italic, hyperlinks
Keyboard shortcut	Ctrl+F3 to create, F3 to insert AutoText	None
Sync across devices	No (manual copy required)	Yes (automatic via mailbox)
Preview	Thumbnail preview in gallery	No preview, only template name

In Classic Outlook, you can also access Quick Parts by right-clicking the ribbon and choosing Customize the Ribbon. In the Choose commands from dropdown, select All Commands, then find Quick Parts and add it to a custom group. This does not change the functionality but makes the button easier to reach if you hide the Insert tab.

If you use Classic Outlook and want to migrate your Quick Parts entries to New Outlook, you cannot do it automatically. You must manually copy each entry from the Quick Parts gallery and paste it into a new My Templates entry in New Outlook. This is time-consuming if you have many entries, but it is the only way to transfer them.

Conclusion

You now know where to find Quick Parts in Classic Outlook under Insert > Quick Parts and its replacement My Templates under Insert > My Templates in New Outlook. If you use Classic Outlook, you can continue using Quick Parts with its full formatting support and keyboard shortcuts. If you use New Outlook, My Templates provides a cloud-synced alternative that works across devices but lacks rich formatting. To work around the formatting limitation in New Outlook, consider storing complex blocks as draft emails in your Drafts folder. This method gives you access to images and tables without relying on a template feature.