Recommended Free Tools
Outlook has two separate template systems, and they do not store or display content the same way. Mail Templates save a complete reusable message—recipients, subject, formatting, and attachments—while My Templates is an add-in for short text snippets. A template can therefore appear to vanish when you open the other feature, switch Outlook clients, use a different mailbox, or lose access to the add-in. Microsoft documents the two systems separately in its Outlook template guidance.
Use the same mailbox in Outlook on the web and desktop to determine whether the data is missing or only the interface. If My Templates is absent everywhere, an organization add-in policy or an Exchange Online service/authentication problem is more likely than accidental deletion.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
First, identify which Outlook template system you used
The word “template” is misleading because Outlook exposes two different features. They have different capabilities, storage locations, and troubleshooting paths.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →| Feature | What it stores | Where it is normally available | Main dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mail Templates | A complete email, including recipients, subject, body formatting, and attachments | Mailbox-based in Outlook on the web and new Outlook for Windows; availability follows the account used to compose it | The mailbox and the client’s Mail Templates surface |
| My Templates | Short reusable text snippets inserted into a message | Saved to the primary mailbox and usable from other Outlook platforms connected to that mailbox | The My Templates add-in and your organization’s add-in policy |
| Classic Outlook file template | An .oft file representing a reusable message | Local classic Outlook installation through the file-system template picker | The Windows user profile and local Templates folder |
Microsoft’s feature descriptions and storage notes are in Create email templates in Outlook. If you remember attaching files or preserving a full message layout, you probably used Mail Templates or an .oft file. If you saved a few paragraphs or a sign-off, you probably used My Templates.
Why templates disappear
You opened the other feature
Mail Templates and My Templates can sit near each other in a new message, but they are not interchangeable. A Mail Template will not appear in the My Templates snippet list, and a snippet will not appear among full-message templates. In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, the buttons may also move into the Apps or Add apps menu instead of remaining visible on the ribbon.
The Outlook client changed
Classic Outlook, new Outlook for Windows, and Outlook on the web do not expose every template type identically. A mailbox-based template created on the web can be available in new Outlook for Windows when that same account is selected. A local .oft file created in classic Outlook does not automatically become a mailbox template merely because you install new Outlook.
The account or mailbox changed
Mailbox-based templates follow the mailbox used when the message or snippet was created. Signing in with a different Microsoft 365 account, switching profiles, or composing from another account can make a previously saved item look missing. Shared mailboxes require extra caution: Microsoft notes that behavior can differ when a shared mailbox has not been promoted to a full account. See the account and shared-mailbox notes in Microsoft’s template documentation.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #2
![Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 | Classic Desktop Apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote | One-Time Purchase for 1 PC/MAC | Instant Download [PC/Mac Online Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41H8B5iqO4L._SL160_.jpg)
- [Ideal for One Person] — With a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024, you can create, organize, and get things done.
- [Classic Office Apps] — Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.
- [Desktop Only & Customer Support] — To install and use on one PC or Mac, on desktop only. Microsoft 365 has your back with readily available technical support through chat or phone.
My Templates is disabled by policy
My Templates is an add-in, not simply a folder in your mailbox. Microsoft explicitly states: “If you don’t have My Templates listed, your organization may have add-ins turned off.” An administrator can restrict or remove the add-in, so reinstalling Outlook on your own computer may not restore the button.
An Exchange Online incident affected default add-ins
Microsoft documented an incident in which an Exchange Web Services deprecation update and an Exchange Online authentication change prevented users from accessing default add-ins, including My Templates. The bulletin marks the documented issue as fixed, but a tenant can still show symptoms during rollout or when its configuration has not been corrected. Check the current Microsoft 365 service health information through your administrator and review the guidance at Microsoft’s My Templates known-issues page.
Use this isolation sequence before recreating anything
Follow these checks in order. They separate a hidden button from missing data and a local file from a mailbox item.
Rank #3
- Identify the client. Note whether you are in classic Outlook for Windows, new Outlook for Windows, or Outlook on the web. The labels and menus differ.
- Open a new message. Look separately for Mail Templates and My Templates. Do not assume one button represents both systems.
- Check the app menus. In new Outlook or on the web, open Apps or Add apps, search for My Templates, and add or launch it if available. A button missing from the ribbon may still be installed.
- Confirm the mailbox. Check the From account and the account shown in the Outlook profile. Use the same primary mailbox that created the template; do not test from a different tenant, alias-only profile, or unrelated shared mailbox.
- Test Outlook on the web. Sign in with that same account and compose a message. If the mailbox-based templates appear there, the data is probably present and the desktop client, add-in surface, or local profile is the problem.
- Check classic file templates. If you used an .oft file, open classic Outlook’s Choose Form dialog and select User Templates in File System. You can also inspect the default local folder described below.
- Ask whether policy changed. If My Templates is absent from Apps/Add apps in every client, contact the Microsoft 365 administrator and ask whether add-ins are disabled or the add-in was removed from the organization.
- Escalate a cross-client failure. When the feature is missing in both desktop and web, have the administrator review Exchange Online service health, add-in deployment, and authentication. Those are the backend factors Microsoft identified for the documented incident.
Where each type of template is stored
Mail Templates in Outlook on the web and new Outlook
A Mail Template created while composing in Outlook on the web is saved to the account used for that draft. New Outlook for Windows can access it when you are working in that same account. If you switch accounts, the template does not move with you automatically; select the original mailbox before looking for it.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchMy Templates snippets
My Templates snippets created in new or classic Outlook are saved to the primary mailbox. Other Outlook platforms can use them when connected to that mailbox, but the My Templates add-in must also be available. A policy change can hide the interface even though mailbox data still exists.
Classic Outlook .oft files
Classic Outlook stores file-based templates by default in C:Users<username>AppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplates. These are local files, not mailbox records. They can disappear from view if you sign in on another Windows profile, use a different computer, clean the profile, or browse a different folder. In classic Outlook, use the Choose Form dialog and select User Templates in File System to open them. Microsoft’s step-by-step instructions are at Send an email message based on a template.
Shared mailboxes
Do not assume that a template saved while composing from a shared address is stored exactly like one created in your personal primary mailbox. Microsoft warns that shared-mailbox behavior can differ, particularly when the shared mailbox has not been promoted to a full account. Test with the mailbox that owns the template and ask an administrator how that shared mailbox is configured.
Client-specific recovery steps
New Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web
- Start a new message.
- Open Apps or Add apps if the template control is not visible.
- Launch Mail Templates for complete messages or My Templates for snippets.
- Verify the selected account before searching the list.
- Use Outlook on the web with the same account as a control test. A successful web result points to a desktop display, profile, or add-in issue rather than lost mailbox data.
Classic Outlook for Windows
For My Templates, open a new message and look for the add-in on the message ribbon or under the available add-ins area. If it is not listed, the organization may have disabled add-ins. For an .oft file, choose New Items, then More Items, then Choose Form; select User Templates in File System and browse the folder containing the file.
When only a shared address is affected
Repeat the test from your personal primary mailbox. If personal templates work but the shared address does not, the issue is likely mailbox configuration or permissions rather than a global Outlook failure. Give the administrator the exact mailbox, client, and template type that failed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What administrators should check
Individual users can search Apps/Add apps and test Outlook on the web, but a cross-client failure needs tenant-level investigation.
- Service health: Review Exchange Online incidents and advisories, including authentication or add-in-related events.
- Add-in deployment: Confirm that My Templates is allowed and deployed for the affected users. Organization-wide add-in restrictions can remove the control from every client.
- Authentication: Check whether recent Exchange Online authentication changes or token problems prevent default add-ins from loading.
- Mailbox scope: Verify that users are testing the primary mailbox that owns the snippets or Mail Templates.
- Shared-mailbox setup: Confirm whether the shared mailbox is configured as a full account when the workflow requires that behavior.
Microsoft’s known-issue bulletin connects the documented My Templates incident to Exchange Web Services deprecation changes and Exchange Online authentication. It also records that the incident was fixed; remaining tenant-specific failures should therefore be checked against current service health and local policy rather than treated as proof that every user’s templates were deleted.
Compare the likely fixes by template type
| Symptom | Most likely object | First fix to try | When administrator or service action is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full message is missing on one client | Mail Template | Open the same mailbox in Outlook on the web or new Outlook and select Mail Templates | When the item is absent across clients or the mailbox cannot be selected |
| Short snippets and the My Templates button are missing | My Templates add-in | Search Apps/Add apps and confirm the primary mailbox | When the add-in is absent everywhere or organization policy blocks add-ins |
| .oft files are not listed | Classic Outlook file template | Use Choose Form → User Templates in File System and check the local Templates folder | When the Windows profile, folder, or file permissions have changed |
| Personal mailbox works but shared mailbox does not | Mailbox-scope or shared-mailbox configuration | Test from the owning primary mailbox and document the exact shared address | When the shared mailbox is not promoted or permissions/configuration need changing |
| Feature missing in web and desktop | Add-in availability or Exchange Online service | Ask the administrator to check service health, deployment, and authentication | Usually required; this is not a normal local-cache symptom |
Prevent a repeat disappearance
- Record whether each important item is a Mail Template, My Templates snippet, or .oft file.
- Keep critical .oft files in a backed-up folder rather than relying on one Windows profile.
- When moving to a new Outlook client, test the original mailbox in Outlook on the web before deleting the old profile.
- For team workflows, document which primary mailbox owns shared snippets and whether the shared mailbox is configured as a full account.
- Ask administrators to communicate add-in policy changes and Exchange Online incidents so users do not recreate templates unnecessarily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will reinstalling Outlook restore missing My Templates snippets?
Not if the My Templates add-in is disabled by organization policy or unavailable because of a tenant service problem. Test the same primary mailbox in Outlook on the web first; if the snippets appear there, repair the desktop client or profile instead of recreating the data.
Can I use a classic .oft template in new Outlook automatically?
No. An .oft file is a local classic-Outlook file. Open it through classic Outlook’s User Templates in File System picker, or recreate the message as a mailbox-based Mail Template for use in a client that supports that feature.
Why do templates appear for my personal account but not a shared mailbox?
Template visibility follows mailbox scope, and Microsoft notes that shared-mailbox behavior can differ when the mailbox has not been promoted to a full account. Confirm which mailbox owns the template and have an administrator review the shared-mailbox configuration.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
