How to Set Up and Manage Out of Office Auto-Replies in Outlook

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to Set Up and Manage Out of Office Auto-Replies in Outlook. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Setting up an "Out of Office" (OOO) or automatic reply is essential for maintaining professional communication when you are on leave, attending a conference, or away from your desk for an extended period. This guide will walk you through configuring these replies in Microsoft Outlook to ensure your clients and colleagues are kept informed.

Setting Up Automatic Replies in Outlook

For Microsoft 365 and Exchange Accounts

If your email is hosted via Microsoft 365, the automatic reply is handled on the server, meaning it will continue to send even if your computer is turned off.

1. Open Outlook and click on the File tab in the top-left corner.
2. Select Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
3. Select the radio button for Send automatic replies.
4. (Optional) Tick the box Only send during this time range to schedule your start and end dates. This prevents you from forgetting to turn the feature off upon your return.
5. Inside My Organisation: Type the message you wish your colleagues within your company to see.
6. Outside My Organisation: Click this tab to set a message for external clients. You can choose to send this to My Contacts only or Anyone outside my organisation.
7. Click OK to save your settings.

For POP or IMAP Accounts

Accounts using POP or IMAP do not have a built-in server-side "Automatic Replies" button. To achieve this, you must create a template and a rule. Note: Your computer must remain powered on and Outlook must be running for these replies to send.

1. Create a new email, type your away message, and go to File > Save As.
2. In the Save as type dropdown, select Outlook Template (.oft) and name it "Out of Office". Save it and close the email.
3. Go to the Home tab, click Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.
4. Click New Rule.
5. Under "Start from a blank rule", select Apply rule on messages I receive and click Next.
6. Click Next again (leaving all conditions blank) to apply the rule to every message received. Click Yes when asked if you want to apply the rule to all messages.
7. In the actions list, tick reply using a specific template.
8. In the bottom pane, click the underlined phrase a specific template.
9. Change the "Look In" dropdown to User Templates in File System, select your "Out of Office" template, and click Open.
10. Click Finish and then OK.

Managing and Customising Your Replies

Updating Your Signature

Your automatic reply does not automatically include your standard email signature. It is recommended to manually copy and paste your signature into the auto-reply text box to ensure your contact details are present. For more tips on this, see Managing Email Signatures in Outlook.

Combining with Other Tools

To ensure your workflow remains organised while you are away, we recommend the following:

• Calendar Blocking: Use Outlook Calendar and Scheduling Meetings to mark yourself as "Out of Office" so colleagues cannot book meetings during your absence.
• Email Filtering: Use Organizing Emails with Rules and Alerts in Outlook to automatically move incoming emails into a "To Process" folder so you can analyse them efficiently upon your return.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Replies are not sending

• Check Connection: Ensure your Outlook is not in Work Offline mode.
• Account Type: If you used the "Template" method for POP/IMAP, ensure your PC has not gone to sleep or hibernated.
• Send/Receive Errors: If you see errors in the bottom status bar, consult our guide on Troubleshooting Outlook Send/Receive Errors.

Replies are sending to the wrong people

Review your Outside My Organisation settings. If you have selected "Anyone outside my organisation", every single external email (including spam) will receive your auto-reply. We recommend selecting "My Contacts only" to maintain better security and privacy.

Still Having Issues?