How to Set an Out of Office in Outlook

Setting an out of office reply in Outlook takes less than a minute and saves you from colleagues and clients wondering why you have gone quiet. Whether you are heading off on holiday, attending a conference, or just taking a day away from your inbox, a well-written automatic reply sets expectations clearly and ensures anyone who needs a response knows where to turn. This guide covers every version of Outlook — classic desktop, Outlook on the web, and the new Outlook app on Windows 11 — so you can get it set up no matter how you access your email.

How to Set an Out of Office in Classic Outlook (Microsoft 365 / Exchange)

If you use the classic Outlook desktop application connected to a Microsoft 365 or Exchange account, automatic replies are built right in and take only a few steps to configure. This is the most common setup for business users.

1. Open Outlook and click File in the top-left corner.
2. Select Automatic Replies (Out of Office). If you do not see this option, scroll down to the troubleshooting section — your account type may not support it.
3. In the Automatic Replies window, select Send automatic replies.
4. Tick Only send during this time range if you want the replies to start and stop automatically. Set your start date and time and your end date and time. If you leave this unticked, you will need to turn the automatic reply off manually when you return.
5. In the Inside My Organisation tab, type the message you want colleagues to receive.
6. Click the Outside My Organisation tab and write a separate message for anyone emailing you from outside your company. You can also choose to send this only to people in your contacts, or to anyone who emails you.
7. Click OK to save and activate your out of office.

The reason Outlook separates internal and external replies is that what you tell a colleague and what you tell a client may be quite different. An internal reply might mention who is covering your workload and include their direct extension. An external reply is better kept generic — confirming you are away, when you will be back, and who to contact for urgent matters without exposing internal team details to unknown senders.

How to Turn Off Your Out of Office

If you set a date range when configuring your automatic reply, Outlook will disable it automatically once the end date and time passes. Even so, it is worth checking manually when you return — it takes only a few seconds and avoids the embarrassment of auto-replying to someone long after you are back at your desk.

1. Click File in classic Outlook.
2. Select Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
3. Select Do not send automatic replies.
4. Click OK.

Outlook also shows a yellow banner at the top of the screen whenever automatic replies are active, so you will know at a glance if yours is still running when you open the app.

How to Set Out of Office in Outlook on the Web (OWA)

If you access your work email through a browser rather than the desktop app, you can still configure automatic replies from Outlook on the Web. The important thing to know here is that because automatic replies are a server-side Exchange setting, setting them in OWA applies them everywhere — the desktop app, mobile, and web all share the same configuration.

1. Log in to outlook.office.com with your Microsoft 365 account.
2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the settings panel.
4. Go to Mail then Automatic replies.
5. Toggle Turn on automatic replies.
6. Optionally tick Send replies only during a time period and set your start and end dates.
7. Write your reply for people inside your organisation, then write a separate message for people outside your organisation if needed.
8. Click Save.

Because OWA shares the same Exchange setting as the desktop app, you do not need to configure it twice. Setting it in one place updates all versions of Outlook connected to that account.

How to Set Out of Office in New Outlook (Windows 11)

The new Outlook app that ships with Windows 11 has a redesigned interface, so the steps are slightly different from classic Outlook. If you have switched to the new app and cannot find the Automatic Replies option under File, this is where to look.

1. Open the new Outlook app and click the Settings gear icon near the top-right.
2. Select Accounts in the left panel.
3. Choose the email account you want to set the out of office for.
4. Select Automatic replies.
5. Toggle automatic replies on.
6. Set your date range if needed, then write your internal and external messages.
7. Click Save.

As with OWA, the new Outlook syncs with Exchange on the server side, so your automatic reply will be active regardless of whether Outlook is open or your PC is switched on.

What to Write in Your Out of Office Message

A good out of office message does not need to be long. One short paragraph is usually enough. The key is to give the recipient everything they need to decide whether to wait for you or contact someone else. Here is what to include.

• The dates you are away, stated clearly — for example, “I am out of the office from Monday 30 June and will return on Monday 7 July.”
• When the sender can expect a reply — “I will respond to all emails on my return.”
• An alternative contact for urgent matters, including their name, role, and a way to reach them.
• A brief sign-off — keep it professional and friendly.

Avoid including overly personal details such as where you are travelling to. A simple internal template might read: “I am out of the office from 30 June to 4 July. For urgent matters, please contact Sarah Jones at sarah.jones@company.com or on 01234 567890. I will reply to all other emails on my return on 7 July.” An external version can be almost identical but should omit internal contact details unless you want clients reaching out to your colleague directly.

While you are reviewing your Outlook setup, it is also worth checking that your email signature in Outlook is professional and up to date — it appears on every email you send, including when you reply after returning from leave.

Setting Different Messages for Internal and External Contacts

Outlook gives you two separate message boxes — one for people inside your organisation and one for those outside it — and it is worth taking a moment to think about what goes in each.

Your internal message can be more detailed. Colleagues may need to know who is covering your responsibilities while you are away, what projects are in progress, and how to escalate something if they cannot reach your cover. You can include internal contact details freely here since the audience is limited to people within your organisation’s email domain.

Your external message should be more guarded. Clients and partners need to know you are away and when you will be back, but they do not necessarily need your colleague’s direct line. One option worth considering is to not send an external auto-reply at all. Sending automatic replies to everyone who emails you confirms to unknown senders — including spammers — that your address is active and monitored. If your role does not typically receive email from unknown external parties, leaving the external reply unticked is a reasonable choice.

Out of Office Not Working — Common Reasons and Quick Fixes

• You are on an IMAP or POP account. Automatic replies in Outlook only work with Exchange and Microsoft 365 accounts. If your email is set up as IMAP or POP, the Automatic Replies option will not appear. You will need a rule-based workaround instead (covered in the next section).
• Your date range has already expired. If you set a time range and the end date has passed, automatic replies will have stopped automatically. Go back into the settings and check the dates.
• The recipient has auto-reply blocking enabled. Some organisations configure their mail servers to block automatic replies to prevent reply loops. If a specific contact reports not receiving your out of office, this may be why.
• Outlook rules are interfering. If you have rules that move or delete incoming messages before they are processed, this can sometimes interfere with automatic replies. Our guide to Outlook rules not working covers the most common culprits in detail.

Using Outlook Rules as an Out of Office Workaround (IMAP/POP)

If your Outlook account is connected via IMAP or POP rather than Exchange, you can create a rule that sends an automatic reply using a saved email template. The important caveat is that this approach only works while Outlook is open on your PC — unlike a server-side Exchange reply, it cannot fire when your computer is off.

1. Compose a new email and write your out of office message in the body. Leave the To, Subject, and From fields blank.
2. Click File then Save As. Change the file type to Outlook Template (.oft) and save it somewhere you will find it.
3. Go to Home, click Rules, then Manage Rules & Alerts.
4. Click New Rule and choose Apply rule on messages I receive.
5. Click through the conditions — if you want to reply to all incoming mail, do not add any conditions.
6. In the actions step, tick reply using a specific template and browse to the .oft file you saved.
7. Finish the rule wizard and click Finish.

Remember to delete or disable this rule when you return, otherwise Outlook will keep auto-replying to every incoming message indefinitely. It is also useful to read up on setting up Outlook on a new PC if you are configuring a fresh machine before going away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the out of office send a reply to every email or just the first one from each sender?

By default, Outlook’s Exchange-based automatic reply sends only once per sender during the period your out of office is active. If the same person emails you ten times while you are away, they will receive only one auto-reply. This prevents reply loops and avoids flooding people’s inboxes. When you deactivate and reactivate your out of office, the counter resets and each sender may receive a reply again.

Can I set different out of office messages for different email addresses in Outlook?

Yes, if you have multiple accounts configured in Outlook. When you open Automatic Replies in classic Outlook, it applies to whichever account is currently selected. In the new Outlook, you choose the account explicitly from the Accounts settings panel. You can set a different message — or no message at all — for each account independently.

Does out of office work with shared mailboxes?

Yes, but you cannot set it from within Outlook directly. To configure automatic replies on a shared mailbox, you need to log into Outlook on the Web using the shared mailbox address, or ask your IT administrator to set it via the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre or PowerShell. The steps in OWA are the same as for a personal mailbox once you are logged in as the shared account.

Will my out of office reply go to mailing lists and newsletters?

It depends on how those messages are sent. Exchange is generally smart enough to suppress automatic replies to messages sent to distribution lists, messages flagged as bulk or marketing email, and messages where the Reply-To address is a no-reply address. However, it is not foolproof — some senders will still receive your reply. If you are concerned, limiting your external automatic reply to contacts only is a safer option.