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Quick Answer

Open Outlook, click File → Automatic Replies (or Info → Automatic Replies). Select Send automatic replies, set your start and end dates, type your message for internal and external senders, then click OK.

How to Set Up an Out-of-Office Reply in Outlook ​

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Outlook desktop, New Outlook, Outlook on the Web)
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-03-09

Summary ​

An out-of-office (automatic reply) lets people know you are unavailable and when you will return. This article explains how to configure automatic replies in Outlook, including scheduling start and end dates and setting different messages for internal and external contacts.

Prerequisites ​

  • A Microsoft 365 mailbox.

Instructions ​

1. Set Up Automatic Replies in Classic Outlook (Desktop) ​

Configure out-of-office messages through the Info backstage.

  1. Open Outlook and click File > Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
  2. Select Send automatic replies.
  3. Check Only send during this time range and set the Start time and End time for your absence.
  4. In the Inside My Organization tab, type the message colleagues will see (e.g., "I am out of the office and will return on Monday, March 16.").
  5. Click the Outside My Organization tab and type a message for external senders.
    • Check Auto-reply to people outside my organization to enable it.
    • Choose whether to reply to My Contacts only or Anyone outside my organization.
  6. Click OK. Automatic replies are now active.

Tip: If you set an end date, automatic replies turn off automatically — no need to remember to disable them when you return.

2. Set Up Automatic Replies in New Outlook or Outlook on the Web ​

New Outlook and OWA use the Settings panel.

  1. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
  2. Go to Mail > Automatic replies.
  3. Toggle Automatic replies on.
  4. Check Send replies only during a time period and set your Start date/time and End date/time.
  5. Type your internal auto-reply message in the text box.
  6. Check Send replies outside your organization if needed, and type a separate external message.
  7. Click Save.

3. Turn Off Automatic Replies Early ​

Disable your out-of-office before the scheduled end date.

Classic Outlook:

  1. Open Outlook. A yellow bar at the top says "Automatic Replies are being sent." Click Turn off.
    • Alternatively, go to File > Automatic Replies and select Do not send automatic replies, then click OK.

New Outlook / Web:

  1. Go to Settings > Mail > Automatic replies.
  2. Toggle Automatic replies off.
  3. Click Save.

Troubleshooting ​

INFO

Automatic replies are sent once per sender per session. If the same person emails you multiple times, they receive the auto-reply only on the first message. This prevents your reply from flooding their inbox.

Configured everything above and still hearing that nobody received your reply? Work through How to Fix Out-of-Office Replies Not Sending, which covers expired date ranges, the contacts-only setting that silently drops external senders, competing rules, and shared mailboxes.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Auto-reply not being sentFeature is off or time range expiredVerify the toggle is on and the date range covers the current date.
External contacts not receiving replyExternal replies disabledEdit auto-reply settings and check Send replies outside your organization.
Automatic Replies option missingNon-Exchange account (POP/IMAP)Automatic replies require a Microsoft 365 or Exchange mailbox. POP/IMAP accounts do not support this feature.