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Posted on Author Carden IT Services Categories IT Support

The Many Ways to Set Your Out of Office Reply on Outlook 

We’ve all been there—you’re about to head off on holiday, step away for an important meeting, or just need some uninterrupted focus time, but you don’t want emails piling up with no response. That’s where Outlook’s Out of Office (OOO) reply comes in. 

An Out of Office (OOO) reply in Outlook is an automatic email response that notifies senders you are away and unable to respond to emails immediately. Outlook allows you to set start and end dates, customise different messages for internal and external contacts, and even provide alternative contact details if needed. This ensures clear communication and helps manage expectations while you’re away. 

What many people don’t realise is that there are multiple ways to set an Out of Office message in Outlook, and it’s something you can easily do yourself—without having to contact IT for help! Here’s a quick guide on how to set your automatic replies using different methods.

Setting an Out of Office Reply in Outlook (Windows/Mac)

If you’re using the Outlook desktop app, setting up an Out of Office reply is straightforward: 

  1. Open Outlook and go to File. 
  2. Click on Automatic Replies (Out of Office). 
  3. Select Send automatic replies and set the date range (if applicable). 
  4. You will see two tabs. “Inside My Organisation” and “Outside My Organisation”. You can click on these and type messages for both internal and external senders. 
  5. In the “Outside My Organisation” tab, there is a tick box to chose whether to send automatic replies to all email or only those which come from your existing contacts. Choose whichever you feel is most appropriate. 
  6. Click OK to save your settings. 

📌 Tip: If you’re using an older version of Outlook, you may see “Out of Office Assistant” instead of “Automatic Replies.” 

Setting an Out of Office Reply in Outlook Web (OWA)

Not at your work computer? No problem! You can set your Out of Office reply from any web browser: 

  1. Log in to Outlook Web Access. 
  2. Click the Settings (⚙️) icon and select View all Outlook settings. 
  3. Navigate to Mail > Automatic Replies. 
  4. Toggle on Automatic replies and enter your message. 
  5. Set a start and end time, then click Save.

Setting an Out of Office Reply on Mobile (iPhone/Android)

Need to set your OOO reply while on the move? You can do it right from the Outlook mobile app: 

  1. Open the Outlook app on your phone. 
  2. Tap your profile icon, then select Settings. 
  3. Choose your email account and tap Automatic Replies. 
  4. Toggle on automatic replies, type your message, and save.

Using Outlook Rules to Customise Your Auto-Replies

Want more control? If your Outlook doesn’t support automatic replies (such as on POP or IMAP accounts), you can create a rule instead: 

  1. Open Outlook and go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts. 
  2. Click New Rule and select Apply rule on messages I receive. 
  3. Choose conditions (e.g., received during a certain date range). 
  4. Select Reply using a specific template 
  5. In the box labelled Step 2. click on the underlined text that says a specific template and create your message. 
  6. Save and activate the rule.

Final Thoughts

There you have it—four different ways to set up your Out of Office reply in Outlook. Whether you’re at your desk or on the go, there’s a solution for everyone. 

So next time you need an Out of Office message, give one of these methods a try—no need to ask IT (unless you really need us)! 😉 

Need more Outlook tips? Contact Carden IT Services—we’re always happy to help!