Setting an Out-of-Office Message in Microsoft Outlook: A Step-by-Step Guide

An out-of-office message, also known as an automatic reply, is a helpful feature in Microsoft Outlook that automatically sends a pre-defined response to people who email you while you are away from the office. This helps inform senders that you are currently unavailable and when they can expect a response. Follow these steps to set an out-of-office message in Microsoft Outlook:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook: Open Microsoft Outlook and make sure you are signed in with your email account.

2. Access the "File" Tab:

   • In newer versions of Outlook, click on the "File" tab at the top-left corner of the Outlook window.
   • In older versions of Outlook, go to the "File" menu at the top-left corner.

3. Access Automatic Replies (Out of Office):

   • In newer versions of Outlook (Outlook 2016 and later), click on "Automatic Replies" in the navigation pane on the left side of the screen.
   • In older versions of Outlook (Outlook 2013 and earlier), click on "Automatic Replies" or "Out of Office Assistant" in the "Info" or "Tools" menu.

4. Turn on Automatic Replies:

   • In the "Automatic Replies" or "Out of Office Assistant" window, check the box next to "Send automatic replies."
   • Note: In some versions of Outlook, you may need to select the option "Send automatic replies" and choose "Send replies only during this time range" to set specific dates and times for your automatic replies.

5. Set the Time Range (If Applicable):

   • If you want to set specific dates and times for your automatic replies, choose the start and end dates under "During this time range."

6. Compose Your Out-of-Office Message:

   • In the "Inside My Organization" tab, type the message you want to send to colleagues or people within your organization.
   • In the "Outside My Organization" tab, type the message you want to send to external senders (people outside your organization).

7. Choose Additional Options (Optional):

   • If you want to set different out-of-office messages for different groups of people, you can choose additional options such as "My Contacts only" or "Anyone outside my organization" under "Outside My Organization."

8. Save the Settings:

   • After composing your out-of-office messages and setting the desired options, click on the "OK" or "Apply" button to save your settings.
   • Outlook will now send automatic replies to people who email you during the specified time range.

9. Turn off Automatic Replies:

   • Once you return to the office and no longer need the out-of-office message, repeat steps 2-4, but uncheck the box next to "Send automatic replies."

Conclusion:

Setting an out-of-office message in Microsoft Outlook is a useful way to inform people that you are currently unavailable and when they can expect a response. By accessing the "Automatic Replies" or "Out of Office Assistant" feature in Outlook, you can easily configure the out-of-office messages for internal and external senders, as well as set specific dates and times for the automatic replies. This ensures that your contacts are aware of your absence and helps manage their expectations regarding your response time.