Setting Up Out of Office in Outlook Print

Outlook's automatic replies notify people who email you that you're away.

Outlook on the Web

1. Open Outlook at outlook.office.com
2. Click the gear icon in the top right
3. Click View all Outlook settings at the bottom
4. Go to Mail → Automatic replies
5. Toggle Turn on automatic replies
6. Optionally check Send replies only during a time period and set your dates
7. Enter your out of office message in the text box
8. Click Save

Outlook Desktop (Windows)

1. Go to File → Automatic Replies (Out of Office)
2. Select Send automatic replies
3. Optionally check Only send during this time range and set your dates
4. Enter your message in the Inside My Organization tab
5. Click the Outside My Organization tab to set a different message for external contacts
6. Click OK

Outlook Desktop (Mac)

1. Go to Tools → Automatic Replies
2. Check Send automatic replies for account
3. Optionally set a time range
4. Enter your message for internal and external recipients
5. Click OK

Inside vs. Outside My Organization

Outlook lets you set different messages:

• Inside My Organization – For coworkers in your company
• Outside My Organization – For external contacts (you can choose to send to contacts only or to anyone)

Internal messages might include more detail, while external messages can be more general.

What to Include

• Dates you're unavailable
• When you'll respond
• Alternative contact for urgent matters

Example:

I'm currently out of the office from January 10-17. I'll have limited access to email and will respond when I return.

For urgent matters, please contact Jane Smith at jane@company.com or 555-123-4567.

Turning It Off

Automatic replies turn off automatically if you set an end date. Otherwise:

• Web: Return to Settings → Automatic replies and toggle off
• Desktop: Go to File → Automatic Replies and select "Do not send automatic replies"