Mass reply in Outlook?

January 28, 2004 6:26 AM

Is there a way to select all the emails in a folder in Outlook and reply to them all without opening each one? Or exporting into an address book?
posted by gleuschk to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

Hmmm, I don't think so. I recall trying something like this myself once, one the folder level, and just ended up pissed off.
posted by tr33hggr at 7:35 AM on January 28, 2004

Umm, on the folder level.
posted by tr33hggr at 7:36 AM on January 28, 2004

Not sure what you're trying to do, but you can forward all the emails in a folder as attachments in one email. So you could do that, change the "FW:" to "RE:" and put in the subject line of your choice.
posted by yerfatma at 8:53 AM on January 28, 2004

I assume you are trying to reply to all the messages with the same message -- otherwise you'd need to compose them individually anyway. You should be able to set up a rule, then run that rule on all messages in a particular folder.
posted by willnot at 9:16 AM on January 28, 2004

Response by poster: I assume you are trying to reply to all the messages with the same message

Yes, that's right. For example, I'd like to take all the emails I've gotten requesting information about my personal philosophy of life* and reply to them all with a single message about the benefits of reading weblogs and doing mathematics. It's starting to look like this isn't a widespread need, which surprises me a little.

^* Why are you laughing?
posted by gleuschk at 10:04 AM on January 28, 2004

Best answer: Here's how to do it in Outlook 2002 for the PC. It may be different for different versions, but generally the principal is sound.

Create a template that you want to respond with:
New Message > Type whatever text you want > Save As > Save as type is Outlook Template > Save

Create a rule to respond with that template:
Tools > Rules Wizard > New > Start from a blank rule > Check Messages When They Arrive > Next > Next > Yes - every message > reply using a specific template > Click the a specific template link > select the template you created earlier > Next > Next > Uncheck Run this rule now on messages already in "inbox" (if it is checked ) > Uncheck Turn on this rule (if it is checked) > Finish > Run Now... > Select the rule you just created > Run in folder - browse to the folder you want to replay to > run now
posted by willnot at 11:26 AM on January 28, 2004

Response by poster: Wow. Thanks tons, willnot.
posted by gleuschk at 12:42 PM on January 28, 2004