Outlook & Email
Setting Up Automatic Replies (Out of Office)
This guide shows you how to set up an automatic reply so anyone who emails you while you are away receives an instant response explaining you are out of the office.
Time needed
5 minutes
Platform
Microsoft 365
Guide steps
2 clear sections
Before you begin
You are signed in to Outlook. Decide in advance what your message will say and the exact dates you will be away.
Follow along
Step-by-step guide
Set up automatic replies in Outlook on the web
- Instruction 1: Go to portal.office.com and open Outlook.
- Instruction 2: Click the Settings cog in the top-right corner.
- Instruction 3: Click View all Outlook settings > Mail > Automatic replies.
- Instruction 4: Toggle Turn on automatic replies to On.
- Instruction 5: Tick Send replies only during a time period and enter your start and end date and time. This ensures the reply turns off automatically when you return.
- Instruction 6: In the Send automatic replies inside my organisation text box, type your message. Include your return date and who to contact in your absence.
- Instruction 7: If you want external senders to receive a reply as well, tick Send replies outside my organisation and write a message in that box. Keep external messages brief — do not include internal contacts or confidential information.
- Instruction 8: Click Save.
Action map
Set up automatic replies in Outlook on the web
- 01
Go to portal.office.com and open Outlook.
- 02
Click the Settings cog in the top-right corner.
- 03
Click View all Outlook settings > Mail > Automatic replies.
Visual guide
Use this visual action map alongside the written instructions above.
Open Outlook help & learning for Setting Up Automatic Replies (Out of Office)Set up automatic replies in Outlook desktop (Windows or Mac)
- Instruction 1: Open the Outlook desktop app.
- Instruction 2: Click File (Windows) or Tools (Mac) in the menu.
- Instruction 3: Click Automatic Replies (or Out of Office Assistant on older versions).
- Instruction 4: Select Send automatic replies.
- Instruction 5: Tick Only send during this time range and set your start and end date and time.
- Instruction 6: Type your internal reply in the Inside My Organization tab.
- Instruction 7: Click the Outside My Organization tab if you want external senders to receive a reply too.
- Instruction 8: Click OK to save.
Quick fixes
Troubleshooting
The automatic reply did not turn off when I returned
If you forgot to set an end date, you will need to go back into the settings and turn it off manually. Open Automatic Replies settings and toggle it to Off or remove the end date and click Save.
I cannot find the Automatic Replies option in Outlook desktop
This feature is only available when Outlook is connected to a Microsoft 365 or Exchange account. If you see only Gmail or IMAP accounts listed, use Outlook on the web (portal.office.com) instead, or contact the helpdesk.
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