How to Use Voting Buttons in Outlook with External Recipients

Learn how to use voting buttons in Outlook with external recipients, what are the possible causes of the issue, and how to fix it.

Voting buttons are a useful feature in Outlook that allows you to create polls and surveys in your emails. You can use voting buttons to get feedback, opinions, or decisions from your recipients. However, sometimes you may encounter a problem where the voting buttons are not showing for external recipients, even if you have enabled the Outlook Rich Text format in your message settings. In this article, we will explain why this happens and how to solve it.

What are the possible causes of voting buttons not showing for external recipients?

There are several possible reasons why voting buttons are not showing for external recipients, such as:

• The external recipients are using a different email client or webmail service that does not support voting buttons. Voting buttons are an Outlook-specific feature and may not be compatible with other email applications or platforms. For example, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Apple Mail do not support voting buttons.
• The external recipients have disabled the Outlook Rich Text format in their email settings. Outlook Rich Text format is required to display voting buttons, but some users may prefer to use HTML or plain text format for their emails. If the external recipients have changed their email format, they will not be able to see the voting buttons.
• The external recipients have a security policy or firewall that blocks the voting buttons. Some organizations or networks may have strict security settings that prevent certain types of email attachments or content from being displayed. Voting buttons are considered as a type of attachment and may be filtered out by some security software or devices.

How to fix the voting buttons not showing for external recipients issue?

If you want to use voting buttons with external recipients, you need to make sure that both you and the recipients have the Outlook Rich Text format enabled in your email settings. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook, click on File > Options > Mail.
2. Under Compose messages, make sure that the Compose messages in this format option is set to Outlook Rich Text format.
3. Under Message format, click on the Internet Format button.
4. Under Outlook Rich Text format, make sure that the When sending Outlook Rich Text messages to Internet recipients option is set to Convert to HTML format or Send using Outlook Rich Text format.
5. Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog boxes.

Alternatively, you can also change the email format for a specific message by following these steps:

1. In Outlook, create a new email message or reply to an existing one.
2. On the Message tab, click on the Format Text button.
3. In the Format group, click on the Rich Text button.
4. Add the voting buttons to your message by clicking on the Options tab and then clicking on the Use Voting Buttons button.
5. Choose one of the predefined voting options or type your own custom options separated by semicolons.
6. Send the message as usual.

Note: If you choose to convert the Outlook Rich Text format to HTML format, the voting buttons will be displayed as text links in the email. The recipients will need to click on the links to cast their votes. If you choose to send using Outlook Rich Text format, the voting buttons will be displayed as buttons in the email. However, this may increase the size of the email and cause compatibility issues with some email clients or platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How can I view the results of the voting buttons?

Answer: To view the results of the voting buttons, you need to open the original email message that you sent with the voting buttons. On the Message tab, click on the Tracking button. You will see a summary of the votes and the names of the voters. You can also double-click on the voters’ names to see their individual responses.

Question: How can I change or delete the voting buttons after sending the message?

Answer: To change or delete the voting buttons after sending the message, you need to recall the message and replace it with a new one. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook, go to the Sent Items folder and open the message that you want to recall.
2. On the Message tab, click on the Actions button and then click on Recall This Message.
3. Choose whether you want to delete the unread copies of the message or replace them with a new message.
4. If you choose to replace the message, make the changes that you want and then click on Send.

Note: This method only works if the recipients have not opened the message yet. If the recipients have already opened the message, you cannot recall or change it.

Question: How can I use voting buttons with other email clients or platforms?

Answer: If you want to use voting buttons with other email clients or platforms, you may need to use a third-party tool or service that allows you to create online polls and surveys. For example, you can use Microsoft Forms, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Doodle to create online polls and surveys and then share the link to the poll or survey in your email. The recipients will need to click on the link and fill out the poll or survey online.

Summary

Voting buttons are a handy feature in Outlook that lets you create polls and surveys in your emails. However, sometimes the voting buttons may not show for external recipients due to various reasons. To fix this issue, you need to make sure that both you and the recipients have the Outlook Rich Text format enabled in your email settings. Alternatively, you can also use a third-party tool or service to create online polls and surveys and share the link in your email.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Please consult your IT administrator or Microsoft support before making any changes to your email settings or using any third-party tools or services. We are not responsible for any damages or losses that may result from following the instructions or using the tools or services mentioned in this article.