How to automatically add divider/separator line in between each reply in Outlook

Hi @Lisa,  

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you for reaching out to us and for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We truly appreciate your effort in explaining the issue and providing examples. 

Currently, Outlook does not have a built-in option to automatically insert horizontal lines between emails in a conversation. When you reply or forward an email, Outlook simply retains the previous content without adding separators. 

However, aside from manually inserting the horizontal line as you mentioned, here are some possible solutions you can consider: 

1/ Use Quick Parts or Email Templates 

Option 1: Create a Quick Part with Divider Line 

Quick Parts allow you to save formatted content (including horizontal lines) and reuse it easily. 

• Open a new email in Outlook. 
• In the message body, go to Insert → Horizontal Line. 
• Add any text you want to reuse (e.g., “--- Divider ---” or standard reply text). 
• Select the entire content (line + text). 
• Go to Insert → Quick Parts → Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. 
• 
• Give it a name (e.g., “Divider Line”) and click OK. 
• To use it later: When replying or composing an email, go to Insert → Quick Parts and select your saved item. 

Option 2: Create an Email Template 

Email templates let you reuse a full email layout with divider lines. 

• Open a new email in Outlook. 
• Add your desired content and insert horizontal lines where needed. 
• Click File → Save As. 
• In the Save as type dropdown, select Outlook Template (*.oft). 
• 
• Name the template and save it. 
• To use the template: 
  • Go to Home → New Items → More Items → Choose Form. 
  • 
  • Select User Templates in File System and open your template. 

For more insights, please consult the Microsoft resources provided: 

• Use Quick Parts and AutoText in Word and Outlook - Microsoft Support 
• Create reuseable text blocks for email messages - Microsoft Support 
• Create an email message template - Microsoft Support 

2/ Customize with VBA Macro (Advanced solution) 

• You can write a VBA macro in Outlook to automatically insert a horizontal line into the email body when you click Reply or Forward. 
• This requires permission to run macros and may need assistance from your IT team. 
• You can find more details in the link provided: vba - Insert text automatically at the beginning of new email and replies - Stack Overflow 

Note: Microsoft is providing the above information as a convenience to you. Some of the websites are not under Microsoft's control. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link    

3/ Submit Feedback to Microsoft  

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Outlook · Community portal. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.  

Additionally, since many other users have expressed similar concerns but may not know where to submit feedback, if my response has helped you better understand the situation and guided you toward a possible next step, please mark it as the “Accepted Answer.” Your action will help pin this post to the top, making it easier for others in the community who are experiencing the same issue to find your feedback and support it.  

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. 

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

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