Overview
Automatic replies (out of office) tell people you're away and who to contact instead. You can schedule them in advance so they switch on and off by themselves.
This works from Outlook on Windows, Outlook on the web, and the Outlook mobile app — the setting lives on the mailbox, so turning it on in one place turns it on everywhere.
Before you begin
- Decide your return date and who covers for you.
- Write two versions: one for colleagues, one for people outside the company.
- Never include personal details such as your home address or full travel plans in the external reply.
Set it up in Outlook for Windows
Step 1 — Open the Automatic Replies dialog
Go to File → Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
Step 2 — Turn replies on
Select Send automatic replies.
Step 3 — Schedule the date range
Tick Only send during this time range, then set the start and end times. Outlook switches replies off automatically at the end time.
Step 4 — Write the internal message
On the Inside My Organization tab, keep it short: dates away, who to contact, and when you'll respond.
I'm out of the office until Monday, March 10 and will reply when I return.
For anything urgent, please contact Jane Smith (jane@example.com).Step 5 — Write the external message
On the Outside My Organization tab, tick Auto-reply to people outside my organization. Choose My Contacts only if you'd rather not reply to unknown senders.
Thank you for your email. I'm currently out of the office and will respond after March 10.
For immediate assistance, please contact our team at experts@cyber904.com or (904) 577-8324.Step 6 — Save and verify
Click OK. A yellow banner appears at the top of Outlook confirming automatic replies are on. Send yourself a test message from a personal account to confirm the external version looks right.
Outlook on the web and mobile
| Where | Path |
|---|---|
| Outlook on the web | Settings gear → Mail → Automatic replies |
| Outlook mobile (iOS/Android) | Account icon → Settings → tap your account → Automatic Replies |
| Shared mailbox | Outlook on the web → open the shared mailbox → Settings → Automatic replies |
Turning it on anywhere turns it on everywhere.
Automatic replies are a mailbox setting, not an app setting — you don't need to repeat this on each device.
Expected result
Anyone who emails you gets one reply per sender for the duration of your absence, and replies stop automatically at the end time you set.
Troubleshooting
Still stuck?
If you'd rather not work through this yourself, CYBER904 can take it from here. Reach the team directly during business hours and we'll get it sorted.