Send Word Document As Email

When writing in Word, you may sometimes want to send the contents in an email. While you could send it from Word as an attachment File-> Share menu or simply copy/paste the contents in a new email there are some more sophisticated means as well.

For instance, you could add the Send to Mail Recipient command to the Ribbon or Quick Access Toolbar.

However, you’d still be in the Word environment. The drawback of this, is that you are missing some Outlook features such as;

• choosing the Sent Items folder
• convenient access to your signatures if you only have 1 mail account
• inserting Business Cards
• inserting Quick Parts you saved in Outlook
• custom VBA code
• some add-ins that you have installed for Outlook won’t function properly

This guide will explain how you can mimic the “Send to Mail Recipient” feature by using VBA code and allow you to work in an Outlook environment, giving you access to the features you need.

• SendDocAsMail VBA Macro
• Quick Install
• Macro Code

SendDocAsMail VBA Macro

The SendDocAsMail macro allows you to send the current document as an email. The contents of the documents will become the body of the email. You’ll get prompted to (optionally) write a short intro.

When you press OK the short intro will be placed above your default mail signature (if you have one). The document itself is placed below your signature divided by a horizontal line.

When you press Cancel or OK without writing a short intro the current document will show up in the message body without your signature nor a horizontal line.

Quick Install

Use the following instructions to configure the macro in Word;

1. Download this code-file (senddocasmail.zip) or copy the code below.
2. Open Word.
3. Open the VBA Editor (keyboard shortcut ALT+F11).
4. Extract the zip-file and import the SendDocAsMail.bas file via File-> Import…
   If you copied the code, paste it into a new module.
5. Add a reference to: Microsoft Outlook <version> Object Library.
   Tools-> References…
   • Note: The word “<version>” stands for your version number of Outlook.
     • Outlook 2010 = 14.0
     • Outlook 2013 = 15.0
     • Outlook 2016, 2019 and Microsoft 365 = 16.0
6. Sign your code so you won’t get any security prompts and the macro won’t get disabled.
7. Add a button for easy access to the macro.

Add a button of the macro to the QAT for quick access to it.

Macro Code

The following code is contained in the zip-file referenced in the Quick Install. You can use the code below for review or manual installation.

Sub SendDocAsMail() '================================================================= 'Description: The SendDocAsMail macro allows you to send the ' current document as an email. The contents of the ' documents will become the body of the email. You'll ' get prompted to (optionally) write a short intro. ' 'Important! This macro requires a reference added to the ' Microsoft Outlook <version> Object Library ' In VBA Editor: Tools-> References... ' 'author : Robert Sparnaaij 'version: 1.0 'website: https://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/senddocasmail.htm '================================================================= Dim oOutlookApp As Outlook.Application Dim oItem As Outlook.MailItem On Error Resume Next 'Start Outlook if it isn't running Set oOutlookApp = GetObject(, "Outlook.Application") If Err <> 0 Then Set oOutlookApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application") End If 'Create a new message Set oItem = oOutlookApp.CreateItem(olMailItem) 'Allow the user to write a short intro and put it at the top of the body Dim msgIntro As String msgIntro = InputBox("Write a short intro to put above your default " & _ "signature and current document." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & _ "Press Cancel to create the mail without intro and " & _ "signature.", "Intro") 'Copy the open document Selection.WholeStory Selection.Copy Selection.End = True 'Set the WordEditor Dim objInsp As Outlook.Inspector Dim wdEditor As Word.Document Set objInsp = oItem.GetInspector Set wdEditor = objInsp.WordEditor 'Write the intro if specified Dim i As Integer If msgIntro = IsNothing Then i = 1 'Comment the next line to leave your default signature below the document wdEditor.Content.Delete Else 'Write the intro above the signature wdEditor.Characters(1).InsertBefore (msgIntro) i = wdEditor.Characters.Count wdEditor.Characters(i).InlineShapes.AddHorizontalLineStandard wdEditor.Characters(i + 1).InsertParagraph i = i + 2 End If 'Place the current document under the intro and signature wdEditor.Characters(i).PasteAndFormat (wdFormatOriginalFormatting) 'Display the message oItem.Display 'Clean up Set oItem = Nothing Set oOutlookApp = Nothing Set objInsp = Nothing Set wdEditor = Nothing End Sub
Click in the area above and press CTR+A to select all. Press CTRL+C to copy the code