How To Insert A Date Picker In Outlook Email?

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, Microsoft Outlook does not include a built-in “date picker” feature that can be used directly within the body of an email.

The term “date picker” typically refers to a graphical user interface widget that allows users to select a date from a calendar pop-up.

While this feature is widely used in many applications and websites for date selection, it’s not available for embedding within an Outlook email.

This Article Consist:

Why use a date picker in an email message in Outlook?

As of my last update in September 2021, it’s important to note that Microsoft Outlook does not offer the functionality to insert a date picker directly into the body of an email.

However, the concept of a date picker in an email context can be useful for several reasons:

Scheduling and planning: In professional correspondence, planning meetings, deadlines, and events often involves specifying dates. A date picker would hypothetically allow recipients to choose a date directly from your email, which could streamline the scheduling process.

Avoiding miscommunication: Different countries use different date formats (DD/MM/YYYY vs. MM/DD/YYYY, for example). A date picker could reduce the risk of misunderstanding due to these formatting differences.

Improving accuracy: Manual date entry can lead to errors. A date picker could ensure that the date is selected and communicated accurately.

Efficiency: Clicking on a date can be faster and more convenient than typing it out.

While Microsoft Outlook doesn’t currently offer a date picker for emails, there are workaround options.

For example, you can use Microsoft Forms to create a form with a date picker, then share the form link in your email.

This allows recipients to select a date, which could be particularly useful for scheduling meetings or events.

Always ensure you’re using the most recent version of your software, as updates may introduce new functionalities.

Insert a date picker in Outlook Emails with the VBA code

To insert a date picker in Emails in Outlook using VBA code, you can do the following steps:

First, understand that by default, Outlook does not support a date picker.

However, you can create a custom form or use a workaround involving a user form with the Microsoft Date and Time Picker control.

Note: The Microsoft Date and Time Picker control is not installed with Office by default.

To use it, you’ll need to ensure it’s installed on your system. It is typically available when you have Excel installed.

Here’s an example of how to create a user form with a date picker control:

Press ALT + F11 to open the VBA editor.
Go to Insert -> UserForm create a new form.
In the toolbox, right-click and then click on Additional Controls.
Scroll down until you see Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control and check it.
Now you should see the date picker control in your toolbox. Click it and then draw it on your form.
Add a button to your form that will insert the chosen date into your email. Here’s how you can do it:

Sub DatePicker()
  Dim xDoc As Document
  On Error Resume Next
  Set xDoc = Application.ActiveInspector.WordEditor
  With xDoc.Application.Selection
    .Range.ContentControls.Add (wdContentControlDate)
    .ParentContentControl.DateDisplayFormat = "MMMM d, yyyy"
    .InsertAfter Format(Now(), "MMMM d, yyyy")
    .MoveRight wdCharacter, 1
  End With
End Sub

This VBA code will create a new Date Picker content control in the body of an active email message and set its format to “MMMM d, yyyy” (e.g., “January 1, 2023”).

The code then inserts the current date in the selected format after the control.

Here is a walkthrough of the script:

Sub DatePicker() starts the definition of a macro named DatePicker.
Dim xDoc As Document declares a variable named xDoc as a Document object.
Set xDoc = Application.ActiveInspector.WordEditor sets the xDoc variable to the WordEditor object of the current active inspector (which is the currently active email message).
With xDoc.Application.Selection allows the code within this block to be executed on the current selection in the active email message.
.Range.ContentControls.Add (wdContentControlDate) adds a new Date Picker content control to the current selection.
.ParentContentControl.DateDisplayFormat = "MMMM d, yyyy" sets the display format of the Date Picker content control to “MMMM d, yyyy”.
.InsertAfter Format(Now(), "MMMM d, yyyy") inserts the current date in the “MMMM d, yyyy” format immediately after the Date Picker content control.
.MoveRight wdCharacter, 1 moves the cursor one character to the right.
End With ends the with block.
End Sub ends the definition of the DatePicker macro.

This macro can be run while composing an email to insert a Date Picker at the current cursor location.

However, please note that running VBA scripts involves potential security risks and should only be done if you understand the script and trust the source.

Finally, save your VBA project, and make sure your macro settings allow you to run this script.

You can check it in File -> Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center Settings -> Macro Settings.

Please be aware that allowing all macros can make your computer vulnerable to potentially malicious code.

It’s recommended to choose Notifications for all macros or enable all macros (not recommended; potentially dangerous code can run) if you know what you’re doing.

How to add Date Picker Macro Button in Quick Access Toolbar

In Microsoft Outlook, the Quick Access Toolbar is a customizable toolbar that contains a set of commands independent of the tab displayed.

Adding a Date Picker Macro Button to the Quick Access Toolbar can help streamline your email writing process by allowing you to easily insert dates.

While Outlook doesn’t natively support a date picker in the email composition window, this functionality can be achieved through VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) programming.

The macro button can then be added to the Quick Access Toolbar for ease of access.

Please note that this task requires some knowledge of VBA programming and the appropriate permissions to enable the Developer tab and create or run macros in your Outlook.

Create a new email, navigate to the Mail view, and select the “New Email” button located under the home tab.

To customize the Quick Access Toolbar in the Message window, click the button for “Customize Quick Access Toolbar“.
From the dropdown menu that appears, select “More Commands“. Refer to the provided screenshot for visual guidance.

Customize Quick Access Toolbar: Go to File >> Options >> Quick Access Toolbar.
Choose Commands From: In the drop-down list, choose “Macros”. You will see a list of available macros.
Add Macro to Toolbar: Select the macro you’ve created for the date picker and click “Add”. The macro will move to the right-hand side of the window, which means it’s now part of the Quick Access Toolbar.
Finalize: Click “OK” to close the Options window.
Please note that you would need to have the appropriate permissions to enable the Developer tab and to create or run macros in your Outlook. This information could have changed after my training data in September 2021, so please refer to the most recent Microsoft Office documentation for the latest information.

How to Use Date Picker in Outlook Email?

Once everything is set, you can use the date picker in Outlook email in just a click:

First Click on New Email to open the new email window,
Check out Quick Access Toolbar on the top left corner of your screen, Date Picker macros icon is available there and ready to use.

Click the icon where you need to insert the date using the date picker calendar.
Select the required date from the calendar and click on it, the date is inserted just like that.

Date Picker is used n times on the email message where you need to insert the date.

Conclusion

It would likely enhance the user experience by allowing consistent formatting, reducing input errors, and speeding up the process of entering dates.

However, this would only be possible if Microsoft has implemented this feature. Always refer to the latest Microsoft Office documentation for up-to-date information about Outlook’s features.

In this article, we have discussed how to insert a date picker in Outlook emails. This useful feature can help reduce errors when entering dates manually, making it an essential tool for professionals who often send out work schedules and other date-sensitive information.

By using a date picker, we can ensure the correct date format is used, minimizing misunderstandings and ensuring a smooth workflow for everyone involved.

There are several helpful resources available for learning how to implement a date picker in Outlook, such as this Microsoft Support guide.

It provides step-by-step instructions on how to insert a date picker into an email, ensuring that users can quickly and easily choose the desired date from a pop-up calendar.

While Outlook does not include a native date picker function, we can still find other sources to accomplish this goal, such as ExtendOffice’s guide for implementing a date picker in emails.

Incorporating a date picker into Outlook emails can help us save time and reduce the possibility of errors, demonstrating our professionalism and attention to detail.

By streamlining this aspect of our communications, we can focus on what matters most – getting the job done efficiently and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I add a date picker to an Outlook email?

To add a date picker to an Outlook email, you can follow the simple steps mentioned in this Microsoft Support guide.

By adding a date picker, users can easily select dates from a pop-up calendar instead of typing them in manually.

What is the process of incorporating a calendar in an email in Outlook 365?

In Outlook 365, you can insert a calendar in an email by using the built-in date picker feature.

Users can click the calendar icon to open a pop-up calendar, select the desired date, and it will be inserted into the email. For detailed instructions, refer to this ExtendOffice guide.

Is it possible to insert a date picker in Excel within Office 365?

Yes, you can insert a date picker in Excel within Office 365 by using data validation and the calendar feature.

This allows you to create a drop-down calendar on a specific cell, making it easy to choose dates. Unfortunately, Outlook’s date picker cannot be directly added to Excel as they function differently.

How do you include a drop-down calendar in Excel without using a date picker?

To include a drop-down calendar in Excel without using a date picker, you can follow this Ablebits guide for creating a calendar using data validation and the calendar feature. This method allows you to select dates from a drop-down menu in the cell.

What is the Microsoft date and time picker control, and how do I use it?

The Microsoft date and time picker control is a feature in Microsoft Office applications that allows you to insert date and time values through an interactive calendar.

It can be found in various Office applications like Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook. Users can insert dates by clicking on a calendar icon and selecting the desired date and time from a pop-up calendar.

Are there any shortcuts for inserting the current date in an Outlook email?

Unfortunately, there is no specific shortcut in Outlook to insert the current date directly into the email body.

However, you can manually insert the current date and time by clicking the Date & Time button in the Text group on the Insert tab, as mentioned in this Microsoft forum post.

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How to Insert a Date Picker in Outlook Email?