© Absodels/Getty Images Outlook's out of office replies automatically respond to emailers while you're away. Absodels/Getty Images
- You can set the out of office reply feature in Microsoft Outlook when you'll be away from your email and want to alert people to your absence.
- Outlook allows you to write a custom out of office message in addition to other reply settings.
- You can set the out of office feature through your Outlook settings under 'Automatic Replies.'
If you use Microsoft Outlook for work on your computer or even the mobile app but are going to be out of the office for some time, setting up automatic email replies is an option. These allow you to notify people who try to contact you when, why, and even for how long you'll be out.
If you want to make it easier on those emailing you to know communication will be delayed and who to contact while you're away, setting up automatic replies is the way to go. Automated responses will remain on until the end of your specified 'out of office' period. If you chose not to determine a period, automatic replies would be on indefinitely until you turn them off.
Collaborate for free with online versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Save documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online, in OneDrive. Start quickly with the most recent versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive —combining the familiarity of Office and the unique Mac features you love. Work online or offline, on your own or with others in real time—whatever works for what you’re doing. Apple's native Mail application in macOS lacks a specific option for enabling out-of-office replies, but there is another way you can set them up on a Mac, and that's with Rules. Office 365 ProPlus, the subscription version of Office that comes with most Office 365 enterprise plans Office 2019, which is sold as a one-time purchase For more information about recommended upgrade paths, see the Office 2010 end of support roadmap, End of Support for Office 2016 for Mac, and the Deployment guide for Office for Mac. After years of treating the Mac as an also-ran, Microsoft has changed its tune: Microsoft formally released Office 2016 for the Mac on Thursday morning, even before it released it for Windows.
Here's how to set up your out of office reply in Outlook.
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How to set an out of office reply in Outlook
1. Click on the gear icon located in the upper right corner of your Outlook inbox.
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2. Select 'View all Outlook settings.'
© Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider This will be a link separate from the scrollable settings. Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider3. Choose 'Automatic replies.'
4. Click on the black and white slider next to 'Turn on automatic replies.'
© Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider When you toggle this on, the slider will turn blue. Chrissy Montelli/Business InsiderDownload Office For Mac
5. Select the boxes next to the settings you want to enable for your automatic replies.
6. Type an 'out of office' message of your choice.
© Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider Checking boxes will help you narrow when and how your out of office messages appear. Chrissy Montelli/Business InsiderOffice For Mac Out Of Office 365
7. Click 'Save.'