Home Canned responses for Apple Mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Apple Mail + Typedesk
email templates you can reuse everywhere

If you send the same email in Apple Mail more than twice, you end up retyping it or copying from an old draft. Apple Mail has no built-in templates feature, and the old Stationery feature was removed in macOS Mojave. Typedesk lets you save each message once and drop it into Apple Mail by typing a short shortcut like /intro or /followup, and the full email appears instantly. This page shows how the Typedesk integration works in Apple Mail and what it does that Apple Mail cannot do on its own.

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How to create email templates in Apple Mail

Apple Mail has no templates feature, and the old Stationery feature was removed in macOS Mojave, so the usual workaround is saving a draft and copying from it. Here is that manual workaround, and the faster way with Typedesk.

Without Typedesk

For reference, here is the manual workaround. Apple Mail has no templates feature, so you save a draft and copy from it each time. It works, but Apple Mail itself provides no text-expansion shortcuts, fill-in fields, or shared template library.

With Typedesk

Typedesk runs through the Mac desktop app, so it works directly inside Apple Mail. No drafts to dig through, no copying and pasting.

1

Compose a new email and write the message you send often.

2

Instead of sending, save it as a draft so it stays in your Drafts mailbox.

3

When you need it, open the draft, copy the text into a new email, and update the details by hand.

4

Because Apple Mail has no built-in templates feature, you repeat this copy-and-edit step every single time.

1

Save your standard emails in Typedesk, each with a short shortcut like /intro or /followup.

2

Open a new email or reply in Apple Mail and type the shortcut in the body or subject line.

3

The full message expands instantly, formatting included.

typedesk + Apple Mail

Why Apple Mail users need reusable templates

Apple Mail is where intros, follow-ups, scheduling replies, and the same handful of answers get written over and over. Apple Mail has no built-in templates feature; the old Stationery feature was removed in macOS Mojave, so people keep a stash of old drafts and copy-paste from them, which is slow, easy to get wrong, and hard to keep consistent across a team.
What to save as an Apple Mail template:
  • Intro and follow-up emails for sales or partnerships.
  • Meeting scheduling and reschedule replies.
  • Standard answers to billing, onboarding, or support questions.
  • A formatted signature or a recurring disclaimer.

How it works

Set up Typedesk once and reuse your Apple Mail templates everywhere you type.

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
1

Install the Typedesk desktop app for Mac, plus the browser extension for your other tools.

2

Save your most-used Apple Mail emails as templates, each with a short shortcut like /intro or /followup.

3

In Apple Mail, type the shortcut in the body or subject line and the full message expands instantly.

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Keep one library across every tool

This is the part Apple Mail cannot do. The templates you build for Apple Mail are the same ones you use in Gmail, Outlook, your help desk, Slack, and any web form, because Typedesk keeps a single library that follows you everywhere. Update the wording once, and it updates in every app, and teams can share one approved library.

Your Apple Mail emails, with superpowers!

Typedesk text expander gives Apple Mail the templates it never had, with fill-in fields and easy sharing.

Customize every Apple Mail template with fill-in fields

Typedesk drops a name, date, or order number into your Apple Mail email as it expands, and prompts you for anything you fill in each time, so each message reads like you wrote it by hand.

Works out of the box in Apple Mail

Typedesk templates work in Apple Mail through the Mac desktop app, with nothing to set up inside Mail. Your shortcuts follow you across every other app too.

Share one Apple Mail template library with your team

Keep every reply in a single shared library so your whole team sends consistent, on-brand emails. Update the wording once and it changes for everyone, something Apple Mail cannot do at all.

Insert any Apple Mail template with a shortcut

Type a short shortcut like /intro and the full template expands right where your cursor is, with no drafts to open and nothing to copy and paste.

Give Apple Mail the templates it is missing

The most versatile way to create and reuse templates in Apple Mail

Features

typedesk how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Create templates with custom fill-in fields

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Share templates with teammates

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Insert templates with a text shortcut

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Search templates by keyword

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Organize templates into folders

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Reuse the same templates across apps

how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail
how to create email templates and canned responses in apple mail

Comparison covers the built-in reusable-message features available in each product's standard interface. Optional add-ins, mobile keyboards, developer APIs, and third-party tools are excluded.

Stop retyping in Apple Mail

Set up your most-used Apple Mail emails in Typedesk once, then use the same shortcuts everywhere you type.

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Pip Meecham

Tech Advisor & ClickUp Channel Partner

We use typedesk to ensure that communications remain aligned and uniform across all our channels as our company scales up.

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Michael Johnson

Senior Certification Specialist, HighLevel

This software is unreal. It's like having a ChatGPT writing assistant on every single app I use and having all the prompts I can create at my fingertips.

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This app is a phenomenal tool.

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David Shutler

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While our help desk does provide saved answers, I use typedesk to maintain a personal voice in my canned responses quickly and efficiently.

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Finance & People Operations, Customer Billing Specialist, Helpscout

Typedesk it’s truly a timesaver when it comes to writing. Whatever task you’re on, you know you have Typedesk’s backup. I wouldn’t know what I would do without it now!

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Natasha

HR Manager interested in upscaling orgs

Exceptional piece of software. I need to write a ton of E-Mails and created some templates for myself, which I just copied. The Problem was that I needed to manually change some elements like names and other information unique to every single mail. Every so often, it's easy to forget to fill out one of the blank spaces within my text template after copying, which is frustrating when you have sent an e-mail with "Hello _____". There may be some more or less complicated workarounds within some writing & Mail Software I use, but nothing has been as easy to use as typedesk. You can paste your precomposed text in typedesk as a new "canned response", replace your "_____ blank_____" with a variable, individualize how you want to be prompted when it's time to fill in the information in the blank fields. From now on, you just type "/" + "your pre-defined shortcut" and there you go. My personal Killerfeature: It lives outside your applications, so it can be used with every single piece of software where you need to enter text. Regardless if it's within a browser, Mail application, Word, Excel etc.

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I was a Textexpander user, but I like Typedesk more. The user experience is better and now that they have implemented a way to use Openai is just way better than their competitors.

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David Peter

@david_peter6

I had a couple of other tools that provided some similar functions to typedesk, but once I started to learn the additional capabilities, I dumped the others and settle on typedesk. I’ve still far from master everything that could be possible, simply down to the availability of my time, but I use it daily, I’ve been able to separate home and business uses into a clearly define set, and can call them from a single interface. Being able to return different data, in multiple ways depending on circumstance is brilliant, it simply prompts me to give it the right scenario, and it reformats to suit. I had a small issue with the Mac version on initial install, but support were responsive, helpful and resolve the issue in the next release, and gave me a temporary work around. Bugs are fine if support is there, so that was a positive experience too. I’m very happy with typedesk and look forward to expanding my use of it, and continue to share knowledge about it with friends and colleagues so they benefit too.

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Mike Foston

Hi

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@marcelo_bacchi1

typedesk is well crafted, practical, and time saving in so many ways! Michel is a passionate CEO who really cares about giving his clients the best! 💪

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@haleyderm

Oh mighty God, I pray for blessings upon Typedesk launching on Product Hunt today. This tool is of immense value to our team and we use it on a daily basis to streamline our work. I pray that it is well-received by the community and that it will be just as useful to others as it is to us. Please bless the developer and all those involved in bringing this great product to market. Amen.

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Frank Sellingsloh

@frank_sellingsloh2

This is exactly what I needed for my team to build better systems!

Nookie_at_Dating_Kinky

I love that you are available on both Chrome and Desktop. I can't wait for the Safari extension and the mobile app, then you're complete.

PhillipStemann

Typedesk is a great tool for those who want to save time.

Avinash.Katta

I am very impressed with how the team handled my 3 star review. They reached out directly to Malwarebytes, got them the info to get the product white listed, and then followed up with me. This is a much needed product, if you type the same thing multiple times. Don't let this get away from you. It's a great product with 5 star service.

Kathe

Typedesk is a great way to automate your email responses.

janawilliams

We are a niche service industry and we get a bunch of leads and let me just say that takes up a lot of time when we could be using canned responses like a pro with typedesk. The idea is to free up time in responding so we all could use help with that I imagine. It pays for itself.

kor44

Typedesk is one of the those tools you know has a bright future. This is due to its rock-solid focus on doing one thing well, and that's streamlining your team's replies in record times. The UX is simple and seamless. No longer worry about your team's communication being all over the place and get on the same page with Typedesk today.

FellowSumoling

I love automation, saving time and keystrokes, and minimizing typos - so I already had text expansion set up on my computer, but it didn't work in every app.

JimHohl

Yes Just What I Needed! this is great for the repetitive task, such a time saver , my work production has gone through the roof with this tool thank you!

Sumo-ling

I use TextBlaze and I was looking for an alternative. typedesk is the perfect solution for me. The interface is clean and modern. It is easy to use and it works :) I am very happy with my purchase. Thank you guys from AS and typedesk for bringing this amazing deal to us!

MBO

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Apple Mail templates and canned responses.

Visit learning center

Does Apple Mail have email templates?

No. Apple Mail has no built-in templates feature, and the old Stationery feature was removed in macOS Mojave. The common workaround is saving a draft and copying from it, which is where Typedesk helps by adding real templates with shortcuts, fill-in fields, and sharing.

How do I create a template in Apple Mail?

Natively you write the email once, save it as a draft, and copy it into new messages later. With Typedesk you save the email once, give it a shortcut, and it expands instantly in Apple Mail whenever you type that shortcut.

Does Typedesk work with Apple Mail?

Yes. The Typedesk Mac app works inside Apple Mail, so your shortcuts expand directly in the compose and reply windows.

Can I use my Apple Mail templates in other apps?

Yes. Typedesk keeps one library, so the same templates you use in Apple Mail also work in Gmail, Outlook, your help desk, chat tools, and any web form.

Is it free?

Apple Mail has no templates feature to begin with. Typedesk adds shortcuts, fill-in fields, and shared libraries, and you can sign up for free to get started.

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