How to Set Up Automatic Replies (Out of Office) in Microsoft Outlook on Windows 11
Posted on 17th June 2023
If you’re going to be away from your computer for an extended period of time, you can set up automatic replies (sometimes called an “out of office” message) in Microsoft Outlook. People who email you will automatically receive a message letting them know that you’re away and when you’ll be back. You can also set up automatic replies if you’re going to be working on a project for an extended period of time and want people to know that you may not be able to respond to their emails right away.
Before You Begin
Before you can set up automatic replies in Microsoft Outlook, you’ll need to make sure that your Microsoft Outlook account is set up and that you’re able to send and receive email messages. If you’re not sure how to do this, please see How to Set Up Microsoft Outlook for instructions.
How to Set Up Automatic Replies in Microsoft Outlook
- Open Microsoft Outlook. If you’re not already signed in, sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Click the File tab.
- Click Info.
- Click Automatic Replies.
- Click Send Automatic Replies.
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In the “Send automatic replies” section, select the Send automatic replies check box.
Note: If you don’t see the “Send automatic replies” section, it means that your email account doesn’t support this feature. You can still set up an out of office message in Microsoft Outlook, but you’ll need to do it manually (see the next section for instructions).
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In the “Inside My Organization” tab, type the message that you want to send to people who email you while you’re away. If you want, you can also click the Select Dates button and then choose the dates that you want your automatic replies to be sent.
Note: If you’re going to be away for an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to set up your out of office message a few days before you leave so that people don’t think you’re ignoring their emails.
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In the “Outside My Organization” tab, type the message that you want to send to people who email you while you’re away. If you want, you can also click the Select Dates button and then choose the dates that you want your automatic replies to be sent.
Note: If you’re going to be away for an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to set up your out of office message a few days before you leave so that people don’t think you’re ignoring their emails.
- Click OK.
How to Set Up an Out of Office Message Manually in Microsoft Outlook
If your email account doesn’t support automatic replies, you can still set up an out of office message in Microsoft Outlook. You’ll just need to do it manually.
- Open Microsoft Outlook. If you’re not already signed in, sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Click the File tab.
- Click Info.
- Click Manage Rules & Alerts.
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In the “Rules and Alerts” dialog box, click New Rule.
Note: If you don’t see the “Rules and Alerts” dialog box, it means that your email account doesn’t support this feature. You can still set up an out of office message in Microsoft Outlook, but you’ll need to do it manually (see the next section for instructions).
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In the “Rules Wizard” dialog box, select the Apply rule on messages I receive check box and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, select the people or public group check box and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to choose an email address from your contacts list. Once you’ve typed the email address, click Add and then click Next.
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In the “Rule address” dialog box, type the email address of the person or group that you want to send your out of office message to. If you want, you can also click the Select from Contacts button to
