How to boilerplate frequent email replies
Is there a fast way in Mail.app for replying to frequent repetitive requests?
Hawk Wings reader Greg Bentz emails to ask:
I need to be able to save and email with information in it to be resent out repeatedly. I am in real estate and get the same questions over and over. I can do it outlook express but cannot figure out to do in Mail.
I know of two sensible ways to get this done fast and efficiently.
1. Use the MailTemplate plug-in
MailTemplate is a plug-in for Mail.app and Entourage that is designed to do this, and it does it well.
You can quickly access it from the Contextual menu in Mail.app.
It comes with a Template editor in which you can write your frequent replies. For example:
The fields enclosed with double carets (^^) are “smart fields”, that is, they pick up the information from the email to which you are replying.
So, when I get an email that needs one of these quick, repetitive replies, I just right-click on it, and select the right template from the Contextual menu:
And as if by magic, MailTemplate creates the reply:
One keystroke and the email is sent. All done. Productivity gurus like Merlin Mann of 43Folders 
swear by it.
MailTemplate is shareware (USD 14.95) and a demo is available from the developer’s web site
2. Use a text snippet manager like TextExpander
Snippet managers offer a different way to skin the same cat. There are loads of them around — here’s a list of some from MacUpdate. I prefer TextExpander (Shareware, USD 29.95—but see special offer for Hawk Wings readers in the comments) which, after Quicksilver, is the best thing in my time-saving toolbox.
Snippet Managers allow you to store text and images that you often use and to spit them out again with a few keystrokes. For example, if I type “hwnts” (Hawk Wings is Not Tech Support) into an email I am composing, I get the same text as the MailTempate reply.
Well, almost the same text. The downside here is that TextExpander doesn’t have smart fields. I need to reply to the message, type the person’s first name, and then type “hwnts” to get the same result.
But there are two upsides which make up for this. First, text snippets are available system-wide. If I want to use this boilerplate text in TextMate or in a Safari form or in some other app, it’s just the same few keystrokes away. MailTemplate isn’t. This is a bit plus for me.
Secondly, you will soon find that there are more things that frequent email replies that you want to store.
Typing “tss” produces my work signature with all the bells and whistles (and no mistakes) in Mail.app and anywhere else that I need it. All the HTML in this blog post, written in TextMate, was produced by the same time-saving, error-free text snippets.
I prefer Option 2 but either will do the job.
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Tags: Apple Mail, getting things done, mail.app, mailtemplate, plugins, Productivity, templates, text snippets, textexpander
July 8th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I heed something like a Flashpaste text manager (http://softvoile.com/ only windows:() with text tree but for Mac. Can you suggets anything?
July 8th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Doesn’t CopyPaste have something similar, IIRC?
http://www.scriptsoftware.com/copypaste/
July 9th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Though not as fancy as the paid apps, Mail.app can also do this. Just paste the whole email message into a new signature. Whenever you need it, you can choose the template from the signatures menu.
July 9th, 2008 at 2:06 am
If you don’t want to muck around with plugins, I’ve found that saving email boilerplates as signatures is a perfectly usable option.
I simply write out my boilerplate email (including signature), copy, and paste it into a new signature in the Mail preferences. I set the default to my standard signature, and mark all of these new boilerplates with an initial on the front of the name, so that I know it’s a full boilerplate. You need to delete the first (blank) line, but it’s handy to just select one from the signatures menu right below the Subject field.
Hope that helps someone!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:34 am
A simpler albeit less flexible option: if the language truly is boilerplate, why not create signature files for each response. It requires no third party software / plugins, and the option to select are a popup selection right in the message window.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:09 am
I tried doing this with “Save as Stationary” from a new mail message – it has the drawback that you can only use stationary from new messages, and not replies or forwards.
I think I’ll try out a few of these suggestions – quite handy.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Thanks for the mention of TextExpander. The retail price is $29.95, however, not $24.95.
To make it up, we set up a special discount of 20% for Hawk Wings readers–which brings the price down to $23.96. (The discount also applies to the Family Pack, for up to 5 users in one household, bringing the price down to $35.96 from $44.95.) To get the special, just go here: http://www.smileonmymac.com/hawkwings/ (Expires 7/31/08)
July 9th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Jean — Whoops! Apologies. Thanks for the discount for Hawk Wings readers. I hope very much that they take it up.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Thanks to all for the signature tip. That never occurred to me, although it has the disadvantage of not including MailTemplate’s smart fields and the disadvantage of not being system-wide like a snippet manager solution.
Still, a nice solution within the bounds of Mail’s default abilities!
July 12th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
If you’re looking at the abbreviation to text snippet tuype applications be sure to check out typeit4me which has been around on the Mac since 1989 (runs happily on Leopard). It’s a great time saver and flexible, one of my favourite apps. You can even trigger Applescripts with it! $27 or $14 academic pricing.
http://ettoresoftware.com/EttoreSoftware/About_TypeIt4Me.html
January 24th, 2010 at 3:15 am
just installed snow leopard and mail template plugin stopped working. so thanks a million for the signature tip – it works brilliantly. don’t know why i didn’t think of it myself!