How to Set Up Automatic Reply in Microsoft 365 Admin Center | Out of Office (OOO) Tutorial, by AD & M365 TECH SUPPORT on YouTube. 1 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Sign in at admin.microsoft.com with your admin account. If you only see the basic view, open the app launcher and pick Admin to reach the full admin center.
In the left menu, open Users, then choose Active users. A list of everyone in your tenant appears.
Find the person who is going away. Type their name or email in the search box, then click their name to open the user panel.
Open the Mail tab in that panel and look for Automatic replies, sometimes shown as Manage automatic replies.
Turn the automatic reply on. Set the start date and time and the end date and time so it switches off by itself when the person returns.
Type the message. Keep it short: say when they are back and who to contact in the meantime.
Choose whether replies go to people inside your organisation only, or to external senders too. Tick the external option only if you want outside contacts to get an answer.
Click Save, then reopen the Mail tab to confirm the reply is on and the dates are right. Send a test email from another account to check the wording.
Tips and common mistakes
Check the time zone on the start and end dates, or the reply may switch on hours late.
Write a separate, shorter message for external senders so you do not share internal names or phone numbers.
Always send a test email after saving, because some tenants block automatic replies to outside addresses.
Delete or turn off the rule when the person is back so senders do not get stale replies.
Questions
Can I set this up for my own mailbox?
Yes, but the admin center is built for other users. For yourself it is quicker to use Outlook on the web, Settings, then Automatic replies.
Why do people outside my company not get a reply?
Your tenant may block automatic replies to external addresses, or the external option was left unticked. Ask your Exchange admin to check the remote domain settings.
Does the person need to be signed out for this to work?
No. The reply is stored on the server, so it works whether their Outlook is open or closed.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
