One of the great features in Microsoft Outlook is the ability to design custom forms.
Before you can design forms in Microsoft Outlook 2010 and up, you need to enable the Developer ribbon. Go to File, Options, Customize Ribbon and add a check to Developer
In Outlook 2007 you need to enable the Developer ribbon for Outlook items (mail, calendar, contact forms, etc) from the Office Icon, Editor options dialog. You can also open the Forms Designer as you would for all older versions: using Outlook's Tools, Forms menu.
Video Tutorial: Enable the Developer Ribbon
Open a form in the Forms Designer
Once you have the Developer ribbon enabled, you can open a new Outlook item (of the type you want to design) then choose Developer ribbon, Design this form and the form opens in design mode. Any content already in the Outlook item will be carried over into the form.
If you prefer, you choose Design a Form and browse for the form type you want to design.
In Outlook 2007 and older, you can open forms from the Tools | Forms menu, choosing Design a Form when in the main Outlook window.
In Outlook 2003 and older, you can also use the Tools | Forms | Design this form command in an opened item.
Creating different read and compose pages
Outlook supports separate read and compose pages. Check the settings under the Page options and if you are using a separate read layout, you'll need to Edit the Read Page too.
Save as a template or publish the from?
When you are finished editing your form, Publish the form or save it in Windows file system as a template (*.oft).
If the form contains VB Script, you'll definitely need to publish it.
The screenshot below is of the Contacts form in design mode. Note that the Contact form looks like the old Outlook 2002 (and older) forms. As long as you don't edit the first page, it will retain the look of Microsoft Outlook 2003 Contact forms and up when published.
Hi Diane,
I've created a custom Contact form in Outlook 365. Everything's great except I can't figure out how to set the height and width of the actual form so that the scroll bars aren't necessary.
I've look at the advanced properties and tried making changes there but it didn't work.
Can you help?
I don't think you can set the overall size. Create the form using a small size so you can see if there will be scroll bar.
Hi
I have extended the Outlook-appointment form with a new site. In this site I have inserted user-defined fields (checkboxes and textboxes). When I send the appointment the fields are correctly valued and the recipients see the value of the fields correctly. However, when I change the values of the fields and send the appointment again the recipients do not see the update and the value of the fields remains the value of the original appointment. Can you help me?
When you send a new copy of the form, the old values remain? Did you create it with default values in the fields? If so, the defaults may be sent.
Hi Diane,
I am trying to create a calendar with an appointment function where users can input a status from a combobox, however I keep getting the same error message when I click Save & Close: "You cannot change this field item. the property does not exist. the field you want to modify is not valid for this type of item."
Any idea why??
what field are you trying to modify? Can you share the form?
VERY HELPFUL resource/site and your training/tips are easily understandable. Question: I am using 2016 Outlook and have created a form with customized fields, published to Organizational Form Library, and emailed form. Users can open form, displays correctly and can email. Issue: the emailed form displays entirely different when receive. Note attachment.
When the form was created, it had content in the body. That is carried over to the new form. Always start with a new blank form.
Diane, have you ever seen and is there a way to have program outlook forms to automatically count/track the time that they remain open and cumulatively sum this number in a custom field?
This is difficult to do because Outlook doesn't have a time function. The journal form as a timer but i have not tired using it on other forms - that would be my first step though. (Sorry I missed this earlier.)
I am very familiar with using VBA in Word and creating user forms that once filled in I populate a Word document with info from the user form and even conditional text based on selections made on the user form. My question is, can I do that same process in Outlook? So present a user form, prefill the subject line, have some drop downs and/or radio buttons, validate like I would in Word with VBA then once a command button is clicked it would create an email with content based on the user form selections? That all seems very possible to me except for how to present the user form. Thanks so much for any direction you can provide.
Hello - thanks so much for your help! I have a custom form that we will be using to route recruiting requests for approval. My organization does not allow use of public folders in exchange so I am deploying it as an .oft and it works great. However, when 'replying' to the message the form contents are not included in the reply. When 'Forwarding' the message, the form contents are included just fine. Is there a way to have the custom form and form contents be included with 'Replies'? I am using Office 2016.
I have a developer form that i send to all staff in order for them to add certain events to their calendar. After making changes to the key after the sept update, it now allows me to generate & send that form. My problem is that it only seems to add the events for some individuals not everyone. I.T. can't seem to figure out the issue. any suggestions? Thank you.
Do they get any error messages? Was the key set on all computers?
This is a long shot based on your description of usage, but you can try it. In Trust Center, Email security, is scripts in shared and public folders enabled? if not, enable the options and test.
Thank you.
So I enabled the 2 options & tested & it still didn't work.
I'm not getting any error messages, but I'm not getting the Operation Complete notification either.
I.T. said the key didn't have to be set on all computers because I'm the only one generating & sending the form. if that has to be done, then we're looking at 80+ computers that would have to be updated.
They are right.... If the form doesn't have an macros that run for the recipient (typically only works if the form is published to the organization library and would only work internally with your coworkers). If they receive it as a normal Ipm.note form, only you need the key set. The way I read your earlier query was that they needed to do something in it - which means they'd need the key set. (Will re-read it again.)