# Outlook recipes

> Get your texts in Outlook, and text yourself when an email from a client arrives.

Two recipes for Outlook. Each names its trigger and the BlueBot step, lists the fields to map and says how to test it with your own number before anyone else gets a text.

## How Outlook connects

- **[Zapier](https://usebluebot.com/docs/zapier)**: BlueBot’s Zapier app has a Send Text action and instant triggers for incoming texts and every change of state.

## Get your texts in Outlook

| Part             | What it is                                                                    |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trigger          | BlueBot’s New Incoming Text trigger in Zapier                                 |
| Action           | BlueBot’s **New Incoming Text** trigger starts it, and Outlook takes the text |
| Connects through | [Zapier](https://usebluebot.com/docs/zapier)                                                        |

### Steps

1. Start a Zap with BlueBot’s New Incoming Text trigger.
2. Add Microsoft Outlook’s Send Email action to your own address, with the sender and the text in the body.

### Map the fields

| From BlueBot    | Into Outlook                                                                                                                                           |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **From**        | The phone number to find the person by in Outlook. It’s in E.164 (`+15555550123`); search by the last 10 digits if Outlook stores numbers another way. |
| **Text**        | The words, for a note, a row or a message. Null when the person sent only a picture.                                                                   |
| **Received At** | When it came in, in UTC.                                                                                                                               |
| **Files**       | Pictures and voice memos. Each `url` works for an hour, so copy a file you want to keep.                                                               |
| **Chat ID**     | Set when the text came in a group chat; null for a one-to-one text.                                                                                    |

### Test it

Text your BlueBot number from another phone, one you’ve texted through BlueBot before, then press **Test trigger** in Zapier. It loads that text with its fields, ready to map. BlueBot copies texts from people you’ve texted through it, unless you set **Which chats to copy** to **Everything**.

## Text yourself when a client emails

| Part             | What it is                                      |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Trigger          | Microsoft Outlook’s New Email trigger in Zapier |
| Action           | BlueBot’s **Send Text** action                  |
| Connects through | [Zapier](https://usebluebot.com/docs/zapier)                          |

### Steps

1. Start a Zap with Microsoft Outlook’s New Email trigger.
2. Add a Filter by Zapier step so it goes on only for mail from the client.
3. Add BlueBot’s Send Text action with your own number in To and the subject in Text.

### Map the fields

| BlueBot field               | Map it to                                                                                                                                    |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| To                          | The person’s mobile number from Outlook. US numbers can leave off the +1.                                                                    |
| Text                        | Email from {{from_name}}: {{subject}}                                                                                                    |
| `{{from_name}}` in the text | Outlook’s from name field.                                                                                                                   |
| `{{subject}}` in the text   | Outlook’s subject field.                                                                                                                     |
| Metadata                    | `source` set to `outlook`, and `record_id` set to the record’s id, so the status and reply webhooks for this text can find the record again. |
| Service                     | Auto, the default: iMessage when the person uses it, otherwise SMS through your iPhone.                                                      |

### Test it

Put your own number in **To** and press **Test step**. A text arrives on your phone from your own number, and Zapier shows the message BlueBot returned with `state: "queued"`. Then map Outlook’s field back into **To** and turn the Zap on.

## Before you turn it on

- Text only people who asked to hear from you. Anyone who replies STOP goes on your stop list, and BlueBot cancels texts to them. [Stop words](https://usebluebot.com/docs/concepts/stop-words)
- A text that can’t go yet waits with a hold rather than failing: quiet hours, your Mac away, a daily limit. [Holds](https://usebluebot.com/docs/concepts/holds)
- [Outlook with BlueBot](https://usebluebot.com/integrations/outlook) on the integrations page says what else the two do together.