How to Set Up Out of Office Replies in Microsoft Outlook

PDF download Download Article
Easy steps to send automatic email replies while you're away
PDF download Download Article

If you have to leave the office for a while or are planning on going away on vacation, you may want to let the people who send you email know you’re away. Fortunately, it's easy to turn on Automatic Replies (or the Out of Office Assistant in older versions of Outlook) to automatically respond to the emails you receive while you're away. When you're back in the office, you can easily turn off Out of Office in your settings. This wikiHow guide will teach you how to turn Out of Office replies on and off any version of Outlook on your PC or Mac.

Enable Out of Office in Outlook: Quick Steps

Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

Using New Outlook (Windows)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Click the View tab at the top of Outlook.
    If you're using New Outlook for Windows (you'll know you're in New Outlook if you see a toggle switch next to "New Outlook" at the upper-right set to the On position), you'll see this tab at the top of the window.[1]
  2. Step 2 Click View settings in the upper-left corner.
    It's the option with a gear icon.
    Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Click the Accounts tab and select Automatic Replies.
    The Accounts tab should open automatically, and you'll find Automatic Replies in the center panel.
  4. Step 4 Toggle on "Automatic replies."
    To do so, just click the switch next to "Turn on automatic replies."
  5. Step 5 Customize your replies and click Save.
    Here, you can enter a message that will be sent to anyone who tries to contact you while you're Out of Office. You'll also have the option to send automatic replies to contacts only or to everyone who emails you.
    • If you want your Out of Office replies to begin and end on certain dates, select those dates from the menus. Otherwise, your Out of Office status will start now and not end until you manually turn off Automatic Replies.
    • If you are using Outlook for work or school, you may also have the option to choose whether to send automatic replies to just those in your organization or to everyone.[2]
    6. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Using Outlook Classic for Windows

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Click the File menu and select Automatic Replies.
    If you're using the classic version of Outlook 365, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, Outlook for Business, or Outlook 2010 for Windows, you'll see the "Automatic Replies" option in the file menu if you're using an Exchange account or an Outlook.com email address.[3]
    • If you don’t see the "Automatic Replies" option in one of these versions of Outlook, you'll need to use the Out of Office Rule method instead.
  2. Step 2 Turn Automatic Replies on or off.
    Use the radio buttons at the top of the window to turn Out of Office replies on or off.[4]
    • To turn off Out of Office messages, select "Do not send automatic replies," then click OK to save your changes. Now that you've turned off the autoresponder, people will no longer receive out-of-office messages from you.
    • To enable Out of Office replies, select "Send automatic replies" instead.
  3. Step 3 Choose when to send your Out of Office messages.
    • If you want to turn on your Out of Office autoresponder now, don't select a start and end date.
    • To automatically enable your Out of Office, choose the start and end dates for when you'll be out of the office.
  4. Step 4 Create your Out of Office automatic response.
    For emails sent from within your company or organization's Exchange server, use the Inside My Organization tab. For responses to emails received from anyone else, use the Outside My Organization tab. Type the message you'd like Outlook to send automatically while the autoresponder is turned on.[5]
  5. Step 5 Click OK to save your changes.
    If you didn't enter a date and time for your Out of Office replies, the feature will activate immediately. If you chose a date, the autoresponder will send your custom Out of Office message at the selected date and time.
    • If you set a date range for your automatic replies, Out of Office will turn off automatically when the date range ends.
    • If you didn’t set a date range, the Out of Office feature will remain enabled until you return to File > Automatic Replies and select "Do not send automatic replies."
    6. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Using Outlook for Mac

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Open Outlook and click the Mail icon in the navigation pane.
    If you want to set up Out of Office in Outlook for Mac, it's pretty easy. In the Outlook app, click the mail icon in the left-side menu bar if it doesn't open to the mail view by default. This icon looks like a white envelope against a blue background.
    • This method will work if you're using an Outlook.com email account, your work or school's Exchange server, or if you have Office 365. However, it will not work if you're using Gmail, Yahoo, or other POP or IMAP mail services.[6]
    • If you have multiple email accounts connected to Outlook, select the one where you’d like to enable Out of Office.
  2. Step 2 Click the Tools menu and select Automatic Replies.
    Tools is located in the menu bar at the top of the screen. This is where you can customize when and how to send your automatic Out of Office messages.
    • If you don’t have an email account that supports Out of Office, the Automatic Replies option will be greyed out.
  3. Step 3 Select "Send automatic replies for account (your account)."
    Additional options will appear.[7]
    • Depending on your version of Outlook, you might see slightly different wording here.
  4. Step 4 Customize your Out of Office message.
    Now you can enter the details of your automatic reply message and choose who will receive the messages (depending on your organization's settings). If you want to turn on your Out of Office status automatically on a certain date, and back off again when you're due to return, select the desired dates from the menus.
  5. Step 5 Click Save to save your changes.
    If you didn't specify start and end dates, your Out of Office status begins now. Otherwise, it will activate automatically on the selected dates.
    6. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Using Outlook on the Web

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Click the gear icon at the top-right.
    If you're using Outlook on the Web, you can easily turn on Out of Office from your settings.
  2. Step 2 Click Account.
    It's in the left panel of your settings.
  3. Step 3 Click Automatic replies.
    This option is in the center panel.
  4. Step 4 Toggle on "Automatic replies."
    To do so, just click the switch next to "Turn on automatic replies."
  5. Step 5 Customize your replies and click Save.
    Enter a message that will be sent to anyone who tries to contact you while you're out of the office.
    • You can opt to send automatic replies to just your contacts, to everyone who emails you, or (if you're using Outlook for work or school), to people inside or outside your organization.
    • If you want your Out of Office replies to begin and end on certain dates, select those dates from the menus. Otherwise, your Out of Office status will start now and will not end until you turn off Automatic Replies manually.
    6. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Creating a Rule (Outlook Classic for Windows)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Click New Email in Outlook to create a blank email message.
    If you don't have an Exchange account, you won't be able to use the Automatic Replies feature found in newer versions of Outlook, or the Out of Office Assistant in Outlook 2007. It is still possible to set up an automated response using a template and a few rules. Start by creating a new email message. This will be the template for your automatic response.[8]
    • If you've already set up an Out of Office reply using an automatic rule and want to turn it off, click the File menu, select Manage Rules & Alerts, remove the checkmark next to your Out of Office reply, and click OK to save your changes.
  2. Step 2 Create your Out of Office message.
    This new message will be used as your automatic Out of Office autoreply.
    • Choose a Subject that succinctly explains the situation. For example, “Out of the office until <date>”. You could also add "auto-reply" to the Subject to let the recipient know immediately that the response is automated.
    • In the body of the email, write a brief message that can apply to anyone who receives it. Let the recipient know how to reach you while you're away, or who else to contact.
  3. Step 3 Save your template.
    Once you are happy with the message:
    • Click File and select Save As…
    • In the “Save as type” dropdown menu, select Outlook Template (*.oft).
    • Click Save to save the file as a template that loads into Outlook.
  4. Step 4 Open the Rules and Alerts panel.
    To get the auto-response working correctly, you will need to define some rules to automate the process.
    • In Outlook 2010 and later (including Microsoft 365's version of Outlook), click the File tab and select Manage Rules & Alerts.
    • In Office 2007, click the Tools menu and select Rules and Alerts.[9]
  5. Step 5 Click the New Rule button.
    You'll see it at the top-left corner of the Rules and Alerts panel.
  6. Step 6 Select "Apply rule on messages I receive" and click Next.
    You'll see this option under "Start from a blank rule" near the bottom of the panel.[10]
  7. Step 7 Choose which messages will get automatic replies and click Next.
    If you want to send your Out of Office reply to all messages you receive, don't check any boxes in the "Step 1" section. Alternatively, you can choose to send Out of Office replies based on any of the listed criteria, such as "sent only to me," "marked as important," or "flagged for action."[11]
    • If you only want to send the reply to specific people or groups within your organization, check the box next to "from people or public group." Then, click from people or public group in the bottom panel to select which users and groups should receive the automatic response.
  8. Step 8 Load your template.
    Select the "reply using a specific template" box in the next window to load the message you created earlier. Click the link in the "Step 2" box that says a specific template, and select the template you created earlier.[12]
  9. Step 9 Set exceptions and click Next.
    Once the template is loaded, you can define instances when you don’t want the reply to be sent, such as to a specific recipient or for specific types of messages. Click Next after making your selections.[13]
    • If you don't want to create exceptions, don't check any boxes, and just click Next.
  10. Step 10 Name and enable the rule.
    Type a name for your Out of Office rule into the "Step 1" field. Use something easy to remember so you can disable the rule quickly in the future. Check the box next to "Turn on this rule," then click Finish to turn on the Out of Office responder.[14]
    • When you return to the office, disable the rule by reopening the Rules and Alerts menu. Select the Out of Office rule you created from your list of active rules, and then click the Delete button.
    11. Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Using Out of Office Assistant (Outlook 2007)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Click the Tools menu and select Out of Office Assistant.
    You'll see the Tools menu at the top of Outlook 2007.
  2. Step 2 Turn Out of Office Assistant on or off.
    Choose whether you want to enable or disable the Assistant:
    • To disable Out of Office replies, select Do not send Out of Office auto-replies, then click OK to save your changes.
    • To turn Out of Office Assistant on, select Send Out of Office auto-replies at the top. Optionally, you can automatically send Out of Office replies within two specific dates by selecting the "Only send during this time range" box.
      • If you want to start Out of Office auto-replies as soon as you set them up, don't check the box or select a date.
  3. Step 3 Write your automatic response and click OK.
    For emails sent from within your Exchange server, use the Inside My Organization tab. For responses to emails received from anyone else, use the Outside My Organization tab. Type the message you want the people who email you to receive while you're out of the office.
    • Once you click OK, Out of Office Assistant will begin sending automatic Out of Office replies to anyone who emails you.
    • If you set a date range for your automatic replies, the assistant will end automatically when the date range is over.
    • If you didn’t set a range, Out of Office Assistant will stay enabled until you return to Tools > Out of Office Assistant and select Do not send Out of Office auto-replies.
    4. Advertisement
Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

Using Out of Office Assistant (Outlook 2003)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Click the Tools menu and select Out of Office Assistant.
    You'll see the Tools menu at the top of Outlook 2003.
  2. Step 2 Turn Out of Office Assistant on or off.
    • To turn off Out of Office Assistant and stop automatic responses, select I am currently in the Office and click OK to save your changes.
  3. Step 3 Write your reply and click OK.
    In the box labeled "AutoReply only once to each sender with the following text," type the reply you want to respond with while you're away from the office.
  4. Step 4 Add rules (optional).
    You can add rules to the Assistant, such as forwarding messages from certain senders to another recipient. Click the Add Rule… button to configure a custom rule. For example, you could create a rule to forward mail from a specific client to your associate so that the important emails aren’t missed while you’re away.
  5. Step 5 Disable Out of Office Assistant.
    Out of Office Assistant will continue until you open the Automatic Replies menu and select “Do not send Out of Office auto-replies.”
    6. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Submit
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

1
How to

Set Up Out of Office in Outlook: The Complete Guide
Expert
2

4 Easy Ways to Set Your Out of Office Status in Teams
3
How to

Schedule an Email Message in Microsoft Outlook
4

Easy Ways to Turn Off "Work Offline" in Outlook + Troubleshooting
5
How to

Automatically Redirect Incoming Messages to Another E Mail Account in Outlook
6
How to

Add a Signature in Microsoft Outlook
7
How to

Mark Messages as Read When Open in Outlook
8

Hilarious & Clever Out-of-Office Messages for Work
9

Save Emails from Outlook: An Easy & Quick Guide
10

Unsend a Message in Outlook: Easily Recall & Replace Email
11
How to

Change the Time Zone in Outlook
12
How to

Block a Contact on Outlook Mail
13

3 Quick Ways to Block Someone on Hotmail
14
How to

Reply to an Email
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-replies-out-of-office-from-outlook-9742f476-5348-4f9f-997f-5e208513bd67
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-replies-out-of-office-from-outlook-9742f476-5348-4f9f-997f-5e208513bd67
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-replies-out-of-office-from-outlook-9742f476-5348-4f9f-997f-5e208513bd67#OfficeVersion=Classic_Outlook
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-replies-out-of-office-from-outlook-9742f476-5348-4f9f-997f-5e208513bd67#OfficeVersion=Classic_Outlook
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-replies-out-of-office-from-outlook-9742f476-5348-4f9f-997f-5e208513bd67#OfficeVersion=Classic_Outlook
  6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-out-of-office-replies-from-outlook-for-mac-4e07ab75-beda-4f9e-bcdc-44471ebacdee
  7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-out-of-office-replies-from-outlook-for-mac-4e07ab75-beda-4f9e-bcdc-44471ebacdee#id0ebf=legacy_outlook_for_mac
  8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403
  9. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403#ID0EBBD=Office_2007
  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-rules-to-create-an-out-of-office-message-9f124e4a-749e-4288-a266-2d009686b403
  6. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/25922

About This Article

Luigi Oppido
Reviewed by:
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
This article was reviewed by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 389,655 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 10
Updated: July 23, 2025
Views: 389,655
Categories: Outlook
In other languages
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 389,655 times.

Is this article up to date?

Advertisement