Microsoft 365 Help / Staff guides
Outlook Web

Set an out-of-office reply

Tell people when you are away and who can help while you are unavailable.

About 7 minutes Follow at your own pace

Before you start

  • Your absence dates, return date and an approved contact for urgent enquiries.
  • You are signed in to the mailbox whose reply you want to change.

Follow these steps

0 of 8 steps done

  1. Open Automatic replies

    Select the Settings cog at the top. Choose Accounts (sometimes Account), then Automatic replies. If your layout differs, search settings for “automatic replies”; some older layouts put it under Mail.

  2. Choose the correct mailbox

    If an account selector appears, choose your own work address. A reply set for your account does not automatically cover a shared mailbox.

  3. Switch replies on

    Turn on Automatic replies. This tells Outlook to send an absence message when people email you.

  4. Set a start and finish

    Tick Send replies only during a time period. Enter the first and last date and time. Check the time zone, especially if you are travelling; use Perth time for your normal local schedule.

  5. Write the internal reply

    In the message box for people inside your organisation, give your return date and the approved alternative contact. Example: “Thank you for your email. I am away until [return date]. For urgent matters, please contact [approved person and contact details]. I will respond when I return.” Replace every bracketed item before saving.

  6. Decide who outside the business receives a reply

    Enable replies outside your organisation only if needed. Select Send replies only to contacts to limit external replies to people in your contacts. Replying to everyone outside the organisation can also send your message to newsletters, advertisers and junk senders. Use a message suitable for external recipients.

  7. Save and review

    Select Save. Reopen Automatic replies to check the dates, account and text. The reply continues on the mail server after you close Outlook.

  8. Turn it off early if needed

    If you return sooner, reopen the same page, switch Automatic replies off and save. With a scheduled finish, the reply stops automatically at the selected time.

You have finished when…

  • The correct mailbox shows the intended reply and scheduled dates.

Helpful tips

  • An automatic reply is normally sent once to each sender during an absence period, so repeated test emails from one person may not each get a reply.
  • Automatic replies do not by themselves cancel meetings or tell the team you are away. Update your calendar and notify the office as needed.

Something looks different?

Automatic replies is missing

Check that you are using your Initech Microsoft 365 work account. Try Outlook on the web and contact the office if the option is still unavailable.

A shared mailbox still sends no reply

Your personal absence message does not apply to Projects or another shared mailbox. Ask the mailbox owner or administrator to set the shared-mailbox reply.

Microsoft help & further guidance

Menu names can change as Microsoft updates the apps. These official pages include further instructions.

Next guide in this sectionCreate a mail rule