Set your out of office message in three steps
An out of office message tells people who email you that you are away and when you will respond. In Outlook on Windows or Mac, you reach this through the File menu, then select Automatic Replies. On Outlook on the web (the browser version), it lives under Settings. The message goes out automatically to anyone who emails you while it is active, and you can set it to turn off on a specific date so you do not have to remember to disable it manually.
The exact steps depend on which version of Outlook you use, but the principle is the same across all of them: you write the message once, set when it starts and stops, and Outlook handles the rest.
Key Takeaways
- Outlook's Automatic Replies feature sends the same message to everyone who emails you while you are away, without you having to respond individually.
- You can set a specific end date so the message stops sending automatically — you do not have to turn it off manually when you return.
- The steps differ between Outlook on Windows or Mac, Outlook on the web, and Outlook on mobile, so check which version you use.
- Your out of office message can be plain text or formatted with bold, italics, and line breaks, but keep it short so it displays fully on mobile phones.
How to set up Automatic Replies in Outlook on Windows or Mac
Open Outlook and click the File menu at the top left. Select Automatic Replies (or Auto Reply on some older versions). A dialog box will open with fields for your message.
Check the box next to "Send automatic replies" to turn the feature on. Then type your message in the text field. Keep it brief — something like "I am out of the office until January 15 and will respond to your email when I return. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [email address]." This tells people when you will be back and gives them an alternative contact if they cannot wait.
Set the start and end dates and times. Outlook defaults to starting immediately, but you can change this if you want the message to begin at a future time. Set the end date to the day you return or the day after, depending on when you want replies to stop going out. When you click OK, the message is active.
How to set up Automatic Replies in Outlook on the web
Sign into Outlook on the web in your browser. Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select "View all Outlook settings." In the left sidebar, click Mail, then Automatic Replies.
Toggle "Automatic replies" to the on position. Type your message in the text field below. You can also set different messages for people inside and outside your organization if you want — for example, a brief message to external contacts and a longer one to colleagues. Set your start and end dates, then click Save.
How to set up Automatic Replies on Outlook mobile
The Outlook mobile app (for iPhone or Android) does not have a built-in out of office feature. If you need to set an automatic reply while away, use Outlook on the web through your phone's browser instead. Open a browser, go to outlook.office.com, sign in, and follow the steps for Outlook on the web above.
Alternatively, if your work email is through Microsoft 365, you can set the automatic reply before you leave using a computer, and it will stay active on your phone while you are away.
What happens when your out of office message is active
When Automatic Replies is turned on, Outlook sends your message to everyone who emails you — once per person, not once per email. If someone sends you three emails in one day, they receive your out of office message only on the first one. This prevents your inbox from becoming a conversation with your automatic reply.
Your out of office message does not affect emails you receive — they still arrive in your inbox normally. The message is just a notification sent back to the sender. You can read and respond to emails while the automatic reply is active; the reply simply goes out in addition to any personal response you send.
Tips for writing an effective out of office message
Be specific about when you will return. "I am out of the office until January 15" is clearer than "I am away for a few days." People know whether they can wait that long or need to contact someone else.
Provide an alternative contact for urgent matters. Include the name and email address of a colleague who can help while you are gone. If no one is covering for you, say so — "I will respond to all emails when I return" is honest and sets expectations.
Keep the message short. Mobile phones display only the first few lines of an email, so a long out of office message may be cut off. Two or three sentences is usually enough.
Do not include sensitive information. Your out of office message goes to anyone who emails you, including people outside your organization. Do not mention specific projects, client names, or anything you would not want a stranger to know.
Turning off your out of office message
If you set an end date when you created the message, Outlook turns it off automatically at that time — you do not have to do anything. If you want to turn it off before the end date arrives, go back to Automatic Replies and uncheck the "Send automatic replies" box (on Windows or Mac) or toggle it off (on the web). The message stops sending immediately.
If you forget to turn off your automatic reply after you return, emails will keep going out until you disable it manually or the end date passes. Setting a specific end date when you create the message prevents this from happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send different out of office messages to different people?
Yes, in Outlook on the web and in Outlook on Windows or Mac. When you open Automatic Replies, you can set one message for people inside your organization and a different one for external contacts. This is useful if you want to give colleagues more detail while keeping external messages brief.
What if I do not know my end date yet?
You can set the message to start now and leave the end date blank, then turn it off manually when you return. However, setting a specific end date is safer because you might forget to disable it. If you are unsure of your return date, estimate conservatively — you can always turn it off early if you come back sooner.
Does my out of office message send to people I have blocked or muted?
Yes. Automatic Replies sends to anyone who emails you, regardless of whether you have blocked them or marked them as junk. If you do not want someone to receive your out of office message, you would need to manually delete their email rather than relying on the automatic reply.
Can I format my out of office message with bold text or line breaks?
In Outlook on the web, yes — you can use the formatting toolbar to add bold, italics, underline, and bullet points. On Outlook for Windows or Mac, the formatting options are more limited, but you can usually add line breaks by pressing Enter. Keep formatting simple so the message displays correctly on all devices.
What if someone replies to my out of office message?
Their reply goes into your inbox like any other email. The automatic reply is a one-way notification, not a conversation. When you return and read your emails, you will see both the original message and their reply in your inbox.