Office for Mac Issues

How to Fix Word for Mac Email Button Not Sending Messages

John Wilson Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are unable to send emails directly using the email button inside Microsoft Word for Mac, despite manual sharing through Outlook working fine.

How to Fix Word for Mac Email Button Not Sending Messages

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Attempting to share a Word document via email directly from the application's interface.
Observed behavior: Word for Mac throws an error stating that the message cannot be sent when the email button is clicked.

Before you start

Ensure that you have both the Apple Mail app and Microsoft Outlook installed on your Mac, and that you are signed into your active email account in Outlook.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Outlook as the Default Email Reader in Apple Mail

macOS manages the system's default email client through the built-in Apple Mail app. Changing this setting to Outlook ensures Word correctly routes your email requests.

Even if you primarily use Microsoft Outlook for your emails, macOS frequently defaults to Apple Mail for system-wide sharing requests. When you click the email button in Word, the system attempts to hand the document off to the default client. If Apple Mail is the default but isn't configured, the action will fail.

Open Apple Mail

Locate and launch the default 'Mail' app on your Mac from the Dock or the Applications folder.

Access Mail Settings

Click on 'Mail' in the top left menu bar of your screen, then select 'Settings' (or 'Preferences' if you are on an older version of macOS).

Change Default Email Reader

Navigate to the 'General' tab within the Settings window. Locate the 'Default email reader' dropdown menu and change it from Mail to 'Microsoft Outlook'.

Apply and Test the Change

Close the Mail settings window. Restart Microsoft Word for Mac, open your document, and click the email button again to confirm the message opens in Outlook successfully.

Set Outlook as the Default Email Reader in Apple Mail

Configuration Applied: All share-via-email requests across your Mac will now default to launching Microsoft Outlook to compose your messages.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word for Mac report that a message cannot be sent?

This typically happens when macOS has Apple Mail set as the default email reader, but the Mail app hasn't been configured with an active email account. The handoff from Word fails because the default client cannot send the message.

Can I set the default email client directly in Microsoft Word settings?

No, Microsoft Word relies on the system-level macOS settings to determine which email application to open. You must change this setting via the Apple Mail app's General preferences.

What should I do if Outlook is already selected but the button still doesn't work?

Try toggling the 'Default email reader' to Apple Mail, closing the settings, and then switching it back to Microsoft Outlook. This forces the system to refresh its routing preferences. Also, ensure both Outlook and Word are updated to their latest versions.

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