Outlook Email Template Inserter

WHAT IT DOES This script adds a "Templates" button to Outlook compose windows, allowing you to insert pre-written email templates with one click. When composing an email, click the Templates button to open a picker showing all your saved templates. Select a template, and its content is inserted into the email body—either replacing the current body or appending to it. Templates support variables like {{recipient}}, {{sender}}, {{date}}, and {{subject}} that auto-fill when inserted. You can create, edit, and delete templates from the settings panel, with a preview of each template shown in the list. A keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+T) opens the template picker without using the mouse. WHERE IT RUNS The script runs on Outlook Mail (outlook.office.com/mail and outlook.live.com/mail). It works on the compose window in both the main interface and the popup compose view. It supports both desktop and mobile views. HOW TO USE After installation, the settings panel appears on the left side of the screen with the gear emoji (⚙️). Open the panel to configure the script: - The "Enable template inserter" toggle enables or disables the script. - The "Templates" section shows all your saved templates. Use the ✎ button to edit a template, or the ✕ button to delete it. - Enter a template name and content in the input fields and click "+ Add Template" to create a new template. - Choose the insert mode from the dropdown: "Replace body" or "Append to body." - Click "Open template picker" to launch the picker manually. When composing an email, click the "Templates" button in the compose toolbar or press Ctrl+Shift+T to open the template picker. Click a template to insert it. TECHNICAL SECTION — REAL MECHANISM The script detects Outlook Mail pages by checking the URL for outlook.office.com/mail or outlook.live.com/mail. It finds compose windows using selectors like .compose-content, .msg-compose, .ms-Compose, and .compose-container. The email body is located using selectors like .compose-content .ms-TextField-field, [contenteditable="true"], and div[role="textbox"]. Templates are stored as an array of {name, content} objects via GM_setValue. When a template is inserted, the script processes template variables by using a regex to replace {{variable}} placeholders with values extracted from the page (recipient from the "To" field, sender from the account name, date from the current time, subject from the subject field). The insertion mode determines whether the template replaces the entire body content or appends to it. For plain text editors, the script sets the value property and dispatches "input" and "change" events. For rich text editors (contenteditable), it sets innerHTML with line breaks converted to
tags. The template picker is a modal overlay created using DOM methods. THE PANEL The settings panel is built with BotGentz's BGPanel component. It is draggable via its header, allowing you to reposition it anywhere on the screen. The panel snaps to the left edge by default but can be moved freely. Click the gear emoji to collapse the panel into a small bubble, and click the bubble to expand it again. The panel remembers its position per page session. Press the Escape key to quickly close or minimize the panel. The panel includes a status flash bar that provides visual feedback when settings are changed or actions are performed. All settings and templates save automatically via GM_setValue. PLEASE NOTE This script requires the free BotGentz browser extension to run. It does not function as a standalone Chrome extension and does not use chrome.* APIs. Outlook frequently updates its compose interface, which may affect the selectors used to find compose windows and the email body. If the Templates button stops appearing, please check for script updates. The script supports both plain text and HTML templates—HTML templates are inserted as HTML content into rich text editors. The script stores only your templates and preferences via GM_setValue. No data is sent externally—all data is stored locally in your browser. The script never reads or writes password fields, hidden inputs, or file inputs. All DOM operations use safe methods (style properties, textContent, appendChild) and never use innerHTML except when setting contenteditable content, which is safe for user-defined template content.