In a scenario in which we want to prevent the Reply All option, the E-mail originator will use this custom Outlook Form and send the required E-mail to the destination recipients.

When the recipients get the E-mail message, the E-mail will look like any other standard E-mail apart from the difference – the Reply All button is deemed (not available).

Prevent to option of – Reply All using Outlook Forms

Phase 1#4 – adding the developer ribbon to Outlook interface

The creation of the Outlook Form is implemented via the developer ribbon.
By default, the developer ribbon doesn’t appear as a default ribbon.
We will need to add the developer ribbon to Outlook interface by using the following steps:

• Login to Outlook and select the File menu
• Select the Options menu

• Select – Customize Ribbon
• In the section – customize the Ribbon selects the toolbar – Developer

Phase 2#4 – Creating a custom Outlook Form

In this step, we will create the custom Outlook Form.

• In the new Developer ribbon that appears, Click on the Design a Form icon

In the window that appears, we can see a variety of “new Form template” that we can choose from. In our scenario, we will create a new Outlook Form that based on a standard E-mail message template.

• Select the Message option
• Select – Open

In the following screenshot, we can see that the Outlook Form interface enables us to create a very sophisticated Form that includes custom fields, additional “Tabs” and so on.

In our particular scenario, we will not use any of these options.

In our scenario, we want to remove the Reply All option in the custom Form that we are creating.

• Select the Actions tab (number 1).
• Select the Row – Reply to All (number 2).
• In the Action name: field, we can see that by default, to option of Reply to All is Enabled

In our scenario, we want to remove the option of “Reply All“.

• Uncheck the option box – Enabled

• Select the Properties tab
• Enable the option box – Send form definition with item
• Click OK

After we have finished creating the custom Outlook form, the next step is saving the Form.
Generally speaking, the custom Outlook Form can be saved “locally” on a particular recipient’s mailbox or saved in a “public share” which is available for other organization recipients.

In the current scenario, we will save the custom Outlook Form on the recipient mailbox that creates the Form.

When we relate to Outlook Form, instead of using the term – “Saving” the common term that we use is – “publishing” (instead of saying – save the Outlook Form, we say – publish the Outlook Form).

• Click on the Publish icon
• Select the menu –Publish Form

• In our example, we will save the Outlook Form in the local store
  named – Personal Forms library
• Write the name of the Outlook Form
• Click Publish

• Click Yes to save the Outlook Form

Phase 3#4 – Sending new E-mail based on the custom Form

In this phase, we create a new E-mail message that is based on the Outlook Form that was created in the previous step.

• Click on the icon – New items
• Select – More Items
• Select – Choose Form…

• From the Look in option box, select – Personal Forms Library

Select the Outlook custom Form that you want to open

In our example, we select a Form named – Template without reply to all option

Add the required recipient name to whom you want to send the E-mail message.

In our example, we will send the E-mail to a recipient named – Brad.

Phase 4#4 – verifying that the destination recipient cannot use the Reply All option

In this step, we would like to verify if the custom Outlook Form that we have created is functioning properly. Meaning, verify that the Reply All option is not available

• We will log into Brad Mailbox.
• Brad receives the E-mail message.

When Brad double-click on the E-mail message (the E-mail message that was created based on a custom template), we can see that the Reply All icon is “Dimmed” meaning, the option of Reply All cannot be used.

Prevent to option of Reply All| Article series index