Workflow that creates a new Outlook email with preconfigured cc: field, Subject, body, and attachments?

[CincyTriGuy]

I create sales related content that I need to email to various sales reps that I support. I'm looking to automate this. Ideally I'd like a workflow that allows me to:

 

1. Select multiple files in Finder
2. Execute the workflow and create a new Outlook email with those files attached
3. Pre-populate the cc: field with 1 specific email address that won't change, but leave the to: field blank (I'll populate the to: line based on whoever I'm sending it to, but we have a shared mailbox that needs to be copied on this particular message)
4. Pre-populate the Subject with pre-defined text
5. Pre-populate the body with pre-defined text

 

The actual email may still need a bit of tweaking based on the situation, but if I'm able to accomplish the above steps it would automate 90% of the task. But I'm new to Alfred and am struggling to figure out how to get started with this. Does anyone think this is possible, and if so, can you recommend how I'd get started?

 

[deanishe]

Hi @CincyTriGuy. Welcome to the forum. 

 

I'm afraid you're probably asking in the wrong place. This is 95% an Outlook question, not an Alfred one. That is to say, what you're talking about is automating Outlook, not Alfred. 

 

Alfred can certainly pass the selected files in Finder to your script that does all the Outlook stuff, but it can't help you with any of the Outlook stuff…

 

The same is likely true of the forum members.

 

You'd probably do much better to ask on Think Different or a forum dedicated to Outlook/Office.

 

It's possible there's an Outlook automation expert lurking on this forum, but it's not their natural habitat.

[GuiB]

I don't have Outlook installed on my computer at the moment since I'm not using it, but there should be an Applescript dictionary that you could have a look to create a Workflow for your specific use.

 

However, if you don't want to go this way, you should be able to get to pretty much near what you are after with the default Alfred 'Email' action and a text expansion snippet (so in 2 actions instead of 1)

 

First, make sure Outlook is set as the default email application: Open Mail.app and go into the preferences and set Outlook as the default email application if it's not already set.

 

Then create a snippet workflow that populate the different fields in your email. See here for an example: https://nofile.io/f/65Xk9G2ppu4/Example-TextExpansionWithKeypress.alfredworkflow

(I did it blindly from your description, so you may need to changed some of the Tab keypresses and maybe change some of the delay object to better suit your system)

 

Then, select the file(s) that you want to send in your email in Finder and activate Alfred Action Window with your defined hotkey and select 'Email' in the action list. This should pop Outlook with a new email and with the selected files as attachment.

 

Put your cursor in the first field that you are writing into with your snippet (the CC field in this case) and write your defined snippet expansion keyword

 

Again, I did it blindly and don't know if everything works for Outlook, but this should give you a good idea

Edited September 9, 2017 by GuiB

[deanishe]

33 minutes ago, GuiB said:

Then, select the file(s) that you want to send in your email in Finder and activate Alfred Action Window with your defined hotkey and select 'Email' in the action list. This should pop Outlook with a new email and with the selected files as attachment.

 

Attaching files isn't a "standard" feature like addressing emails is. It requires an AppleScript plugin for the specific email program you're using. There was a plugin for Outlook, but I've no idea if it's still available or works with current versions.

[GuiB]

@deanishe, thanks for correcting me, I had the feeling their was something that wouldn't work exactly with Outlook... So I've searched inside Alfred for a place about the Email feature, but couldn't find anywhere to modify it.

 

Out of curiosity, where is this Applescript plugin supposed to be installed in order that Alfred uses it for the Email action ? Or you mean that we need to create a specific Workflow using an applescript that interact with Outlook (so another file action) ?

Edited September 9, 2017 by GuiB

[deanishe]

They go in ~/Library/Application Support/Alfred 3/Plugins/Email

 

I don't know anything about writing one, though.

[GuiB]

@deanishe, ok, thanks for the info! I don't plan on writing one either, but it's nice to see how things are working.

 

@CincyTriGuy, it may be easier to create an Automator service like this one: http://www.officeformachelp.com/2010/11/create-a-service-to-attach-files-to-a-new-outlook-for-mac-mail-message/

[CincyTriGuy]

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the ideas. I'll see what I can do.