Setting up Custom Compose Fields for the Outlook Add-in

Overview

Custom Compose Fields let admins add user-facing inputs to the Outlook Add-in pane: dropdowns, checkboxes, and free-text fields. Users fill them in while they compose an email, and the values populate specific fields in the signature template. Common uses include opt-ins, salutations, out-of-office messages, and role-based preferences.

You configure Custom Compose Fields in the Opensense portal, and code them into the HTML signature template. They don’t store data in the user’s core Opensense profile.

Requirements and behavior

• Custom Compose Fields must be turned on in Domain Settings before you use them.
• They need the Outlook Add-in with Plain Text Block or Visual Preview turned on.

Not compatible with Stamping

Custom Compose Fields don’t work with the Stamping deployment method. See Comparing Outlook Add-in deployment methods.

Field labels and values

Each Custom Compose Field has two parts:

Part	What it is	Format	Example
Field Label	What the user sees in the add-in pane	Can include capitals and spaces	Salutations
Field Value	The variable name used in the HTML template	All lowercase, with underscores in place of spaces	salutation_custom

Use unique field values

Don’t use default field names that already exist in user profiles, such as name or title. Use custom names, like title_custom or title_1, to avoid conflicts.

Padlock behavior

Unlocked

The field resets to blank on each new compose.

Locked

The user's selection persists across future compose sessions on that device. Locking a field doesn't sync the selection to other devices.

Selections don’t sync between devices

Checkbox, dropdown, and text selections are stored locally on each device. A user who composes email on both a desktop and a mobile device must set their preferences separately on each. Selections made on one device don’t appear on another.

Assignment and priority

You can configure Custom Compose Fields at the domain level or the group level. When both apply to a user, this priority order decides which value is used:

1. User profile
2. Group level
3. Domain settings level

Group level

Fields apply only to members of the group, once the group is assigned to a signature in Routing. To add them, go to Manage > Groups, open the group, and use the Add-in Custom Fields section.

Domain settings level

Fields apply to all users scoped to the add-in. To add them, go to Manage > Domain Settings, and use Custom Compose Fields Configuration under User & Signature Fields.

Field types

There are three field types: dropdown, text, and checkbox.

Dropdown

A dropdown gives users a preset list of options. The first line sets the Field Label and the Field Value to reference in the HTML template. Each option then has its own label and value:

• Label: what appears in the add-in dropdown
• Value: what the HTML signature template uses

Use it for a region, a salutation, or a title variant.

This example shows the salutation only when the user picks one:

{% if salutation_custom != blank %}
<tr>
  <td valign="bottom" style="color:#379190;font-size:13px;font-family:Aptos, Arial;line-height:19px;white-space:nowrap">
    {{ salutation_custom }}
  </td>
</tr>
{% endif %}

Text

A text field gives users a free-text input. The value is inserted wherever the field variable is coded in the HTML template. The Field Label names the text box in the add-in pane, and the Field Value is the variable, {{field_value}}, coded into the template. You can enforce a character limit in the HTML.

Use it for out-of-office messages or special instructions.

This example limits the text to 50 characters:

<td valign="bottom" style="white-space:nowrap;max-width:50ch;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;">
  {{ custom_text | slice: 0,50 }}
</td>

Checkbox

A checkbox gives users a true or false toggle. When it is checked, the field value is true, and the signature element renders. When it is unchecked, the value is false, and the element is hidden. The Field Label names the checkbox in the add-in pane, and the Field Value is the variable, {{field_value}}, used in the template.

Checkbox values are booleans, not strings, so you don’t need to check for “true” or “false” in the HTML. If the checkbox is off, nothing renders.

Use it for a pronoun, headshot, or disclaimer opt-in.

This example shows the user’s pronouns only when the box is checked:

{% if show_pronouns %}
<tr>
  <td style="color:#010101;font-size:12.5px;font-family:Lato, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif;white-space:nowrap">
    {{ pronouns }}
  </td>
</tr>
{% endif %}

Best practices

• Always use unique field values, to avoid conflicts with existing user and group fields.
• Lock fields only when the selection must persist across compose sessions.
• When you assign custom field values at the group level, add an identifier to the group name to show that the group holds custom values. For example: sales_custom_compose_fields.

What’s next

• Outlook Add-in overview
• Configuring the Outlook Add-in in Domain Settings
• Expected behaviors in routed Outlook Add-in deployments