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How to Save Every Sent Email as a Text File in Outlook

By: Author Alex Lim

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Microsoft

Learn how to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook with a simple VBA macro. This article will show you how to create and run the macro, and how to customize it for your needs.

If you use Outlook to send emails, you may want to save a copy of every message you send as a text file. This can help you keep a backup of your sent emails, or use them for other purposes, such as analysis, reporting, or documentation. However, Outlook does not have a built-in option to save every sent email as a text file automatically. You can manually save each email as a text file, but this can be tedious and time-consuming. Fortunately, there is a way to automate this process with a simple VBA macro. In this article, we will show you how to create and run a VBA macro that will save every sent email as a text file in Outlook. We will also show you how to customize the macro for your needs, such as changing the file name, location, and format.

What is a VBA Macro?

A VBA macro is a piece of code that can perform a specific task or a series of tasks in an application, such as Outlook. VBA stands for Visual Basic for Applications, which is a programming language that is integrated with Microsoft Office applications. You can use VBA macros to automate repetitive or complex tasks, or to extend the functionality of the application. For example, you can use a VBA macro to create a custom button, menu, or dialog box in Outlook, or to manipulate data, files, or folders.

How to Create a VBA Macro to Save Every Sent Email as a Text File in Outlook?

To create a VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Open Outlook and press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
  2. In the Project Explorer window, expand the Project1 folder, and then expand the Microsoft Outlook Objects folder.
  3. Double-click on ThisOutlookSession to open the code window.
  4. Copy and paste the following code into the code window:
Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
    Dim FilePath As String
    Dim FileName As String
    Dim FileFormat As OlSaveAsType
    
    'Change the file path to the folder where you want to save the text files
    FilePath = "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Outlook Text Files\"
    
    'Change the file name to the format you want
    'The following code uses the subject and the date and time of the email as the file name
    FileName = Item.Subject & " " & Format(Now, "yyyy-mm-dd hh-mm-ss") & ".txt"
    
    'Change the file format to the type you want
    'The following code uses olTXT as the file format, which is plain text
    FileFormat = olTXT
    
    'Save the email as a text file in the specified folder, file name, and file format
    Item.SaveAs FilePath & FileName, FileFormat
End Sub
  1. Save and close the Visual Basic Editor.
  2. Restart Outlook to activate the macro.

How to Run the VBA Macro to Save Every Sent Email as a Text File in Outlook?

To run the VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook, you just need to send an email as usual. The macro will run automatically when you send an email, and save a copy of the email as a text file in the folder, file name, and file format that you specified in the code. You can check the folder to see the text files that are created by the macro.

How to Customize the VBA Macro to Save Every Sent Email as a Text File in Outlook?

You can customize the VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook by changing the following parameters in the code:

  • FilePath: This is the folder where you want to save the text files. You can change it to any valid folder path on your computer or network. For example, you can change it to “D:\My Emails” or “\Server\Shared Folder”. Make sure to include the backslash () at the end of the folder path.
  • FileName: This is the file name of the text file. You can change it to any valid file name that you want. For example, you can change it to “Email from ” & Item.SenderName & “.txt” or “Email to ” & Item.To & “.txt”. You can use any property of the Item object, such as Subject, SenderName, To, CC, BCC, Body, etc. You can also use the Format function to format the date and time of the email, such as Format(Now, “yyyy-mm-dd hh-mm-ss”) or Format(Now, “mm-dd-yyyy hh-mm AM/PM”). Make sure to include the file extension (.txt) at the end of the file name.
  • FileFormat: This is the file format of the text file. You can change it to any valid file format that Outlook supports, such as olTXT (plain text), olRTF (rich text format), olMSG (Outlook message format), olHTML (HTML format), olVCard (vCard format), olDoc (Word document format), etc. You can use the OlSaveAsType enumeration to see the list of file formats and their values. For example, you can change it to olHTML to save the email as an HTML file, or olDoc to save the email as a Word document.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How can I enable or disable the VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook?

Answer: You can enable or disable the VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook by changing the security settings in Outlook. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open Outlook and go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings.
  2. Choose one of the following options:
    • Enable all macros (not recommended): This option will enable all macros, including the ones that you created and the ones that are from unknown sources. This option is not recommended, as it may expose your computer to malicious code.
    • Disable all macros without notification: This option will disable all macros, including the ones that you created and the ones that are from trusted sources. This option will prevent the macro from running, but you will not receive any notification or warning.
    • Disable all macros with notification: This option will disable all macros, but you will receive a notification or warning when you open a file that contains macros. You can choose to enable or disable the macros for each file individually.
    • Disable all macros except digitally signed macros: This option will disable all macros, except the ones that are digitally signed by a trusted publisher. You can choose to trust or untrust the publisher for each file individually.
  3. Click OK to save the changes.

Question: How can I edit or delete the VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook?

Answer: You can edit or delete the VBA macro to save every sent email as a text file in Outlook by opening the Visual Basic Editor and modifying or removing the code. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open Outlook and press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
  2. In the Project Explorer window, expand the Project1 folder, and then expand the Microsoft Outlook Objects folder.
  3. Double-click on ThisOutlookSession to open the code window.
  4. To edit the macro, make the changes that you want in the code window, and then save and close the Visual Basic Editor.
  5. To delete the macro, select the entire code in the code window, and then press Delete. Save and close the Visual Basic Editor.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to create and run a VBA macro that will save every sent email as a text file in Outlook. We have also shown you how to customize the macro for your needs, such as changing the file name, location, and format. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author and the publisher are not responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages that may result from the use of the information or code in this article. Always consult a qualified IT professional before making any changes to your Outlook settings or macros.