Text shortcuts in Outlook on the web
Two ways to reply to emails faster in Outlook on the web: its templates and text shortcuts that expand as you type.
Outlook on the web is the email tool for many companies, and the same messages get repeated every day: confirmations, refunds, proposals, signatures.
We explain the two ways to save time: Outlook's templates and text shortcuts with a browser extension.
Outlook templates
Outlook on the web includes a templates feature to save texts you use often and insert them while composing. To find it, open a new message and look for My Templates in the apps or more-options menu of the compose toolbar (its exact location may vary depending on your Outlook version).
It's useful to get started, but it has limits: inserting a template takes several clicks, it doesn't ask for the details that change in each email, and it only works inside Outlook.
Text shortcuts with NexoPad
With NexoPad you save each reply with a shortcut, like /refund, and insert it by typing it in the email body. If the reply has variable details, like the customer's name or order number, NexoPad asks for them before inserting.
If you don't remember a shortcut, press Ctrl+K inside the email and search for the reply by its name or a word in the text. The same replies also work in Gmail, your CRM or your support tool.
Outlook templates or text shortcuts
| Outlook templates | Shortcuts with NexoPad | |
|---|---|---|
| How they're inserted | From the menu while composing | By typing the shortcut, with // or with Ctrl+K |
| Variable data | No | Yes, asked when inserting |
| Work outside Outlook | No | Yes, on any website |
| Share with the team | Limited | Yes, with NexoPad Teams |
How to get started in Outlook on the web
Install NexoPad
Add it to Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera or Brave and sign in.
Create your first replies
In the popup's Snippets view, create the 5 replies you repeat most and give each one a short shortcut.
Use them in Outlook
Open Outlook on the web, type the shortcut in the email body and fill in the details it asks for. More text ideas in our sales follow-up templates.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work in the Outlook desktop app?
No. NexoPad is a browser extension, so it works in Outlook on the web, not in the desktop app.
Can I insert my signature with a shortcut?
Yes. Save your signature as a snippet, for example with the shortcut /sig, and type it at the end of the email.
Does it work with work accounts?
Yes. It works in any email you open in the browser, personal or work.
Published on October 11, 20265 min read
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