[Python] Getting the default Outlook signature in Python when generating email from a shared...

The ask is to get the default signature from Outlook when generating an email from the code below. While the VBA code works effortlessly, the Python code is picking up the signature from the primary mailbox, even though it is specified to consider the shared mailbox. Additionally, the requirement is to save the sent email in the Sent Items folder of the shared mailbox, which is also not working as expected.

The goal is to use the shared mailbox as the base in Outlook to compose and send an email with any content, like "Hi all," to a specified address, and to automatically apply the default signature. I have two mailboxes in Outlook: my personal account and a shared mailbox. The automation works perfectly with the personal account but not with the shared mailbox. While VBA can do this successfully, Python cannot. Python fails to set the shared mailbox as the sender and defaults to the personal mailbox, applying its signature instead.

Sub DraftEmailFromSpecificMailbox111()
Dim olApp As Outlook.Application
Dim olNS As Outlook.Namespace
Dim olAccount As Outlook.Account
Dim olMail As Outlook.MailItem
Dim olSignature As String
Dim acc As Outlook.Account
Dim targetEmail As String
targetEmail = "sharedmailbox.india@xyz.com"

' Initialize Outlook application and namespace
Set olApp = New Outlook.Application
Set olNS = olApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")

' Assign the specified mailbox to the olAccount variable
For Each acc In olNS.Accounts
If LCase(acc.SmtpAddress) = LCase(targetEmail) Then
Set olAccount = acc
Exit For
End If
Next acc

If olAccount Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "Account not found: " & targetEmail
Exit Sub
End If

' Create new mail item
Set olMail = olApp.CreateItem(0) ' olMailItem

' Assign the account (no Set)
olMail.SendUsingAccount = olAccount

' Display the email to load signature
olMail.Display

' Capture the signature after display
olSignature = olMail.HTMLBody

' Set subject, recipients, and body
olMail.Subject = "Hi All"
olMail.To = "abc.abc@abc.com;"
olMail.HTMLBody = "Hi All,<br><br>" & olSignature

' Uncomment to send
' olMail.Send

' Cleanup
Set olMail = Nothing
Set olAccount = Nothing
Set olNS = Nothing
Set olApp = Nothing
End Sub



import win32com.client as win32

def send_email(to_email, subject, body):
outlook = win32.Dispatch('Outlook.Application')
namespace = outlook.GetNamespace("MAPI")
accounts = namespace.Accounts

shared_mailbox_email = "sharedmailbox.india@xyz.com"
send_account = None

# Find the account matching the shared mailbox email
for account in accounts:
if account.SmtpAddress.lower() == shared_mailbox_email.lower():
send_account = account
break

if send_account is None:
print(f"Shared mailbox account {shared_mailbox_email} not found.")
return False

try:
# Create the email item
mail = outlook.CreateItem(0) # olMailItem

# Assign the account BEFORE displaying
mail.SendUsingAccount = send_account
mail.SentOnBehalfOfName = send_account

# Display the email to load the signature
mail.Display()

# Capture the signature (which is part of the HTMLBody after display)
signature_html = mail.HTMLBody

# Set the email subject and recipients
mail.Subject = subject
mail.To = to_email

# Compose the message with your body plus the signature
mail.HTMLBody = body + "<br><br>" + signature_html

# Optionally, set the sent folder if needed
# Find the shared mailbox folder
shared_folder = None
for folder in namespace.Folders:
if folder.Name.lower() == shared_mailbox_email.lower():
# Access the Sent Items folder inside the shared mailbox
shared_folder = folder.Folders['Sent Items']
break
if shared_folder:
mail.SentOnBehalfOfName = shared_mailbox_email
mail.SaveSentMessageFolder = shared_folder

# Send the email
# mail.Send()
return True

except Exception as e:
print(f"Error sending email: {e}")
return False

# Example usage
send_email("abc.abc@abc.com", "Testing", "Hi All")

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