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.
Hello! I am designing a new contact form based on the standard contact form. However, once I change anything on the form and choose to run the form, the Business Card is missing. Put another way, when I design a new form based on a standard form, the Business Card is not on the design page. What am I missing?
When you design the front page, you lose the "eye candy". You can add the card back from the toolbox (right-click and choose the option for more tools) or you can add your custom fields to p2.
Hi Diane,
I categorize all appointments received - Meeting to fix a problem, meeting for a new opportunity, meeting to meet a new person. I want a rule to attach a form template to all appointments received. I then run monthly reports with all that information
Love your instructions!
Hello! I created a form in Outlook Calendar to automatically appear when I open a meeting invitation. I now can't figure out how to remove it. Can you help?
I'm guessing it is a macro that runs when you open a meeting. Alt+F11 to open the VBA editor and look for it.
If not there, then it is a custom appointment form.
Marne, what is the code for that form. Its exactly what I need.:)
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.)