How to Set Up Automatic Replies in Outlook (Out of Office), by Teach Tech Tools: AI & Productivity for Educators on YouTube. 2 min 15 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 15 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open Outlook on the web and sign in, or launch the Outlook desktop app on your computer.
In Outlook on the web, click the Settings gear at the top right, then choose Mail and Automatic replies.
In the desktop app, go to File, then Info, then click Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
Select Turn on automatic replies or Send automatic replies to switch the feature on.
Type your subject line and message. Keep it short: dates away, who to contact, and when you will reply.
Tick the date range box and set a start and end time so replies stop on their own when you return.
If the option appears, write a separate, simpler message for people outside your organisation.
Click Save or OK. Send yourself a test email from another account to confirm the reply arrives.
Tips and common mistakes
Outside senders may only see the outside message, so put key contact details in both versions.
Use the date range instead of switching replies on and off by hand, so nothing is left running by mistake.
Automatic replies often skip newsletters and bulk mail, so do not rely on them as your only notice.
Turn replies off as soon as you are back, or senders keep getting the away message.
Questions
Will the reply go to everyone who emails me?
Each sender usually gets one reply, and it is not sent again from the same person for several days. Some bulk senders and mailing lists are skipped.
Can I schedule it before I leave?
Yes. Set a future start date and time in the date range and Outlook turns the reply on automatically at that moment.
What is the difference between the inside and outside message?
The inside message goes to colleagues in your organisation. The outside message goes to everyone else and is often safer to keep short on detail.
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.
