An email in Outlook is a message, usually containing text, images, tables, and other objects. If you need to share a document, you can insert it into the message.
When inserting tables, you should first create the table in Excel. Then, you can copy the table to Word (for pasting) or to Outlook. You can insert a table from the Insert menu, or you can add a table from the Insert Table dialog box.
Draft an Email in Microsoft Outlook using predesigned templates or creating your own in a professional manner is a meaningful change.
If you’ve ever tried to make your data line up in an Outlook email message, most of the time data in tabular form without a table misaligns the format.
In this article, you will learn step by step process to “How do I insert a table into the body of an email”?
Where is Insert Tab in Outlook?
Most of the users are unable to find the insert tab, the actual problem is, Insert Tab is visible only when you create a new mail/Reply or forward.
How do I insert a table into Outlook email?
Organizing data in Outlook in tabular form both in the Outlook application and Outlook web application is a smart choice, you can use the internal option as well as an excel-based table to inset from outside.
Insert Table (Option A)
You can insert these into your emails using the Table button on the Insert tab, here is the complete tutorial:
- Open Outlook >> Click on New mail from your desired email address in case you are using multiple accounts in Outlook.
- Go to insert Tab >> Find table icon and click.
- Starting there are a bunch of boxes at the top, you can easily drag your mouse over the rows and columns until you get your required number of rows and columns. The below image indicates (7×5 Table) inserted into the body of the message.
- Outlook insert the table into the body section, you can easily drag the table on the screen according to your requirements using the four-direction icon on the top left corner of the table [ref: Image below], and the design dialog box helps you to modify and adjust the table accordingly.
Insert Table (Option B)
You can insert a table using the insert table option just below the bunch of boxes.
Click insert table, it will open up the insert table dialog box.
Select the number of rows and columns to adjust the table size. By default, Outlook provides five columns and two rows, which you can modify according to your requirement.
Select your preferences in the AutoFit behavior section. You can set a fit column width, make the width of the cells and table fit to the content, or make the table size fit the window. Click OK to complete.
Draw Table
In case you are unable to regulate the size of the table (columns and rows), you can draw your own table. Click on the draw Table icon.
Using your mouse, you can simply draw the table and draw cells within cells. Use a mouse pencil, as you are drawing a painting without releasing the mouse button.
Convert text to table
Many users are in hurry to draft the email and send it and are unable to design the text, which requires a tabular form, Microsoft Outlook allows the user to simply convert the text to a table or vice versa just for some special purpose within a few seconds.
Here are a few simple steps to achieve this:
Let’s begin with the sample data created manually, using Convert text to table the data looks tabular form.
- Select the text you need to convert into a table >> Click Insert Tab >> Table icon >> Convert text to table from the drop-down list.
- It will open a (convert to text) dialog box.
- Table Size: After selecting the text, outlook by default adjusts the number of columns and rows, you can easily modify it by entering the required figure.
- Autofit behavior: all three options (Fixed column width, Autofit to contents & Autofit to the window), align your table accordingly.
- Separate text in Paragraphs, commas, Tabs & others is a few options separate.
After all, you can click on the Layout tab to design your table.
Convert table to text
- Select the table you want to convert to text.
- Click on the Layout tab, >> Hit Convert to Text from the Data section.
- Convert Table to Text dialog pops up, you can select any options given in (separate text with), or you can use your own mark to separate text under Others.
- Click OK and the converted result reflects on your screen.
Excel Spreadsheet
Excel Spreadsheet is another option, to add a spreadsheet to your message. It’s like a mini version of Excel in your message that you can use to add formulas and perform calculations. you can resize the table by dragging the bottom and right edges of the speed sheet.
After creating an excel table you can hit the tab key to close the spreadsheet and the result on your screen, Double Click in case you need to edit the table.
Quick Tables
The quick table is designed to save your existing table as a template for further purposes, you can simply insert the table into the Outlook email body with a single click, I personally use those formats as templates for future purposes.
Let’s understand how it works:
I like to share my personal experience here: In the Project line, the requirement of data in the prescribed format from different site locations on a regular interval is required, which I use to save the Format template and send it to the site in charge on regular basis.
- Create a layout/Table, Select the table
- Click on Table Tab >> Quick Tables from the dropdown list >> Click on Save selection to Quick Tables Gallery.
- Create New Building Block dialog box, there are a few options, fill up all the criteria and click OK.
Once you save the table in Outlook, you can use the table in the future.
We have covered every corner of “How to Insert Table in Outlook” in this article, mostly this future helps the user to complete the task within the period.
Trick to Shift Row UP and DOWN in Outlook Table [Keyboard Shortcut]
Sometime after finalizing the table in the Outlook body, there are some changes required, for instance, you like to move or shift rows up and down within the table.
Select the row you like to move up or down, Click Alt + Shift + up arrow to move the row up and Click Alt + Shift + down arrow to move the row down.
How to Add Row in Outlook Table?
Adding a Row or Column in a Table is not a big task, there are a few methods to do that:
- If you want to add a row on the bottom of the table, go to the last row entry and hit TAB Key from the keyboard, which will insert an additional row with the table.
- Adding a row in the middle of the table, there are two easy options, first, select the row and click the mouse right button, you can select insert row above or insert row below:
- Use the Keyboard shortcut, Press Alt+J, L to open the Layout tab of the Table Tools. To add a row above the selected point, press A. To add a row below the selected point, press B.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How To Center a Table in Outlook Email?
Once your table inserts with content in Outlook email aligning table converts the email into professional, to align the Tables to the center of the email body, you must change the Indent from left to center from the Table properties.
Follow the steps to execute that:
- Select the Table by clicking the symbol from the top left corner of the table
, click the right mouse button, and hit Table properties.
, click the right mouse button, and hit 
- Outlook Table Properties dialog box appears, select table and change the Indent from let under alignment to center and then click OK.
How To Fit a Table in Outlook Email?
Some users are required to align table width from the left and right of the content in the email body of outlook, Follow the step to fit a table in Outlook Email:
- Select the Table by clicking the symbol from the top left corner of the table , and clicking the right mouse button.
- Click on Autofit >> Autofit to Window.
Once you click on it, the whole table automatically expands and aligns with the whole sheet.
Final Words
In conclusion, you can insert a table in Outlook by simply using the Insert tab of the Ribbon. Click on the Table icon, and then select the Table option in the Insert option.
Alternatively, you can also open the Table option in the Insert section (Home tab) of the Ribbon.
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