How to set up and use automatic replies and out-of-office messages in Microsoft Outlook for Australian public holidays

Public holidays are a busy time for Australian small businesses and home offices. Setting up an automatic out-of-office reply in Microsoft Outlook ensures that clients, suppliers, and colleagues receive a clear, professional message while you are away. This guide covers both the classic Outlook desktop application and Outlook on the web (Microsoft 365), with steps tailored for Australian public holiday periods such as Australia Day, Easter, Anzac Day, the King's Birthday, and the Christmas/New Year break.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Info (desktop) or Settings > Mail > Automatic replies (web).
2. Select Send automatic replies.
3. Set a date range covering the public holiday period.
4. Type a clear message for internal and external senders.
5. Click OK or Save.

Detailed Instructions

Setting up automatic replies in Outlook for Windows or Mac

1. Open the Outlook desktop application.
2. Click File in the top-left corner (Windows) or Outlook > Settings (Mac).
3. Select Info (Windows) or Accounts (Mac).
4. Click Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
5. In the dialog box, select Send automatic replies.
6. Check Only send during this time range.
7. Set the Start time and End time. For example, for the Easter long weekend, set the start to the Thursday before Good Friday and the end to the Tuesday after Easter Monday.
8. On the Inside My Organisation tab, type a message for colleagues within your company or Microsoft 365 tenancy.
9. On the Outside My Organisation tab, type a message for external clients and suppliers. Tick Auto-reply to people outside my organisation if it is not already selected.
10. Click OK to save.

Setting up automatic replies in Outlook on the web (Microsoft 365)

1. Sign in to Outlook on the web at outlook.office.com.
2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Mail > Automatic replies.
4. Turn on the Send automatic replies toggle.
5. Optional: Tick Send replies only during this time period and set the start and end dates and times.
6. Enter your message in the Inside your organisation box.
7. If you want external senders to receive a reply, tick Send automatic reply messages to senders outside your organisation and enter a message in the Outside your organisation box.
8. Click Save.

Setting up automatic replies in the new Outlook for Windows

1. Open the new Outlook for Windows.
2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Go to Accounts > Automatic replies.
4. Select the account you want to configure if you have multiple accounts.
5. Turn on the Send automatic replies toggle.
6. Set the date range and type your messages as described above.
7. Click Save.

Adding Australian public holidays to your Outlook calendar

To help you plan your out-of-office dates, you can add Australian public holiday calendars directly to Outlook.

1. In Outlook, click File > Options > Calendar (Windows) or Outlook > Settings > Calendar (Mac).
2. Under Calendar options, click Add Holidays.
3. Tick Australia and click OK.
4. The public holidays will appear as all-day events on your calendar. You can then set your automatic reply date range to match.

Creating a reusable out-of-office template

If you regularly close for public holidays, save a template to speed up future setup.

1. Open a new email in Outlook.
2. Type your standard out-of-office message, leaving placeholders for dates.
3. Click File > Save As.
4. Choose Outlook Template (*.oft) as the file type and save it to a memorable location.
5. When setting up automatic replies, copy the text from the template into the automatic reply dialog and update the dates.

Troubleshooting

Automatic replies are not being sent

• Confirm the Send automatic replies option is selected, not just the message text filled in.
• Check that the date range is correct. If the current date falls outside the range, replies will not be sent.
• For external replies, ensure the Outside My Organisation option is ticked and a message is entered.
• If you use a shared mailbox, automatic replies must be configured by an administrator or via Outlook on the web with delegate permissions.

Automatic replies are sent more than once to the same sender

• Outlook typically sends one automatic reply per sender per session. If a sender emails you again after several days, they may receive a second reply. This is expected behaviour.
• If you receive complaints about repeated replies, shorten the date range or ask senders to avoid multiple follow-ups.

Automatic replies are still active after the public holiday

• Open the automatic replies settings and verify the end date and time. If no end date was set, turn off the Send automatic replies toggle immediately.
• In Outlook on the web, check that the Send replies only during this time period box is ticked and the end date is in the past.

Cannot find the Automatic Replies option

• If you are using a POP or IMAP account in Outlook, the automatic replies feature may not be available locally. Use your email provider's webmail interface or contact your administrator.
• In some Microsoft 365 configurations, the automatic replies option is disabled by policy. Contact your IT administrator or Open a Ticket for assistance.

Best practice for Australian public holiday messages

• Mention the specific public holiday and dates in Australian format (e.g., Monday 26 January 2026).
• Include a return date and time in your local time zone (AEST, AEDT, ACST, or AWST).
• Provide an alternative contact for urgent matters, such as a colleague or a shared inbox.
• Keep the message brief and professional; avoid sharing personal details or travel plans.