How do I create a workflow that presents user with a 'Draft Email' that can be edited and sent?

Question

Is it possible to create an e-mail workflow that doesn't directly send the email, but instead presents the user with a draft of the message (perhaps via their default email client), thus allowing them to add comments and attachments?

In addition, I'd like the email to show who the sender (or person triggering the workflow was), either in the 'From' field, or simply in the body of the message. Attempts to access the 'User Profiles' and set a variable have been unsuccessful, as 'User Profiles aren't appearing in the pick list of Data Sources for some reason. Thanks!

Answer 1

I've answered your initial question with a way to open an email they can edit.

As for showing the person who triggered the workflow, your lookup would be Workflow Context and Initiator (as display name or email). Or you can use Created By or Modified By if those values work better for you.

Answer 2

Yes, but without attachments (at least not easily). You can do this quite easily in SharePoint Designer workflows. Just draft a new workflow and create an initiation form variable that is of type string, and you can use that variable in your workflow.The workflow should have something easy in it like "Send an Email", which you will use the variable as the body.

This also seems like something you should develop in a small form/html page, where you fill out who you you want to send an email to, what you want it to say and you click a link and it will open up Outlook with whatever you put, then allowing you to add attachments. In the codebehind you could track who clicked the link and save that in another list or repository. You would use the "mailto" protocol here.