Set Up Out of Office Auto-Replies

If you are not going to have access to you e-mail for a length of time, you can set up Out of Office replies to automatically send a message to anyone who e-mails you letting them know that you are gone and give them the dates which you will return

1.   In the Navigation Bar, click on the e-mail account you wish to send Out of Office messages from

 

2.   From the Ribbon, go to Tools tab > click on the Out of Office button

 

3.   In the Out of Office Assistant dialog box, do the following:

  • Choose Send Out of Office Messages option
  • Type your desired reply in the box 
  • Under More Options section, select I am out of the Office between check box > enter the dates you will be gone
    • In the Start date textbox, select the dates you will be gone
    • In the End date textbox, enter the date you wish the Out of Office Auto Reply to end.
    • If you do not set these dates, you will have to manually turn on and off the Out of Office Assistant
  • To create a separate Out of Office message to send to people outside your company who contact you while you are gone, select Send replies outside my company to check box > select a desired option to send this message:
    • Address Book contacts only 
    • Anyone outside my company
  • Click OK

4. The next time you open Outlook (after turning on the Out of Office Assistant, and before the return date you specified)  you will get a message box asking you if you want to turn off Out of Office Assistant because Outlook assumes you have returned to your Office