What an automated response does and when to use it

An automated response in Outlook is a message that sends automatically to anyone who emails you while you're away or unable to reply. Outlook calls this feature "Out of Office" or "Automatic Replies". When someone sends you an email, they get your preset message back when ready, so they know you've received their message and when you might reply.

Use this when you're on vacation, at a conference, out sick for several days, or taking a planned break from email. It's useful because it stops people from wondering if their message got lost, and it sets expectations about when they'll hear back. You can also use it during normal work hours if you're in back-to-back meetings and want people to know you'll respond later that day.

The automated response goes only to people outside your organization by default in Outlook, though you can change that. It sends once per person per session, so someone won't get fifty copies if they send you five emails in an hour.

Key Takeaways

  • Automated responses in Outlook are turned on through File > Info > Automatic Replies, and you set a start and end time so they stop automatically.
  • Your message should say when you'll be back and provide an alternative contact if something urgent comes up.
  • By default, only people outside your organization get the automated response; internal senders see nothing unless you change the settings.
  • You can set different messages for people inside and outside your organization, which is useful if you want to give your team a different contact than external clients.

Turning on Automatic Replies in Outlook desktop

Open Outlook on your computer. Click the File tab in the top left corner. From the menu that opens, click Info. You'll see a button labeled Automatic Replies — click it.

A dialog box opens. Check the box next to Send automatic replies. This turns the feature on. Below that, you'll see two time fields: Start time and End time. Click in the Start time field and enter today's date and the time you want replies to begin. Click in the End time field and enter the date and time you want them to stop. Outlook will automatically turn off the replies at that end time, so you don't have to remember to do it manually.

In the large text box below, type your message. Keep it short — one or two sentences is enough. Say when you'll return and what people should do if it's urgent. For example: "I'm out of the office until March 15 and will reply to your email then. For urgent matters, contact Sarah at sarah.kim@company.com."

Setting different messages for internal and external senders

In the same Automatic Replies dialog, you'll see two tabs: Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization. By default, only the Outside tab is active, which means only people from outside your company see a reply.

If you want people inside your organization to see a different message, click the Inside My Organization tab and check the box to send replies to them too. You might tell internal colleagues who to contact instead of you, while telling external clients something more formal. Type a different message in this box if you want, or leave it blank if you don't want internal senders to get a reply.

Click OK when you're done. Your replies are now active and will send until the end time you set.

Setting up automated responses in Outlook on the web

If you use Outlook through a web browser instead of the desktop app, the process is slightly different. Log into your Outlook account at outlook.com or through your organization's email portal. Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner, then click View all Outlook settings.

In the settings menu, click Mail on the left side, then scroll down to find Automatic replies. Click that option. Check the box next to Turn on automatic replies. Enter your start and end dates and times in the fields provided.

Type your message in the text box. If you want to send different messages to people inside and outside your organization, look for the option to add a separate reply for internal senders and fill that in too. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

What to include in your message

Your automated response should answer three things: that you received their email, when you'll be back, and what to do if it's urgent. A good message is brief and professional. Here's an example: "Thank you for your email. I'm out of the office until April 2 and will respond when I return. If you need when ready information, please contact my colleague James at james.rodriguez@company.com."

Don't include your full schedule, personal details, or information about where you're going. Keep it to one or two sentences. If nothing is truly urgent, you can skip the alternative contact line — just say when you'll reply.

If you're using this for a short break during the workday rather than time away, you might write: "I'm in meetings until 3 PM today and will reply to your email this afternoon." This sets a realistic expectation without making it sound like you're unavailable.

Turning off automated replies before the end date

If you need to stop the automated replies before the end time you set, go back to File > Info > Automatic Replies (on desktop) or Settings > Automatic Replies (on the web). Uncheck the box next to Send automatic replies. Click OK or Save. The replies stop when ready.

You don't lose your message text when you turn it off, so if you use the same message again later, you can turn the feature back on and your text will still be there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people inside my company see the automated response?

Not unless you turn it on for them. By default, only people outside your organization get the automatic reply. If you want colleagues to see a message too, click the Inside My Organization tab and check that box.

Can I send different messages to different people?

You can send one message to people inside your organization and a different one to people outside it. You cannot send individual messages to specific people. If you need to contact certain people personally, send them an email before you set up the automated response.

What happens if someone emails me multiple times while I'm away?

They'll get the automated response the first time they email you in a session, but not on every subsequent email. This prevents them from receiving dozens of identical replies. Each person gets one reply per email session.

Can I use an automated response for just a few hours?

Yes. Set the start time to now and the end time to a few hours from now. Outlook will turn off the replies automatically at that time. This works well if you're in all-day meetings or need a few hours of uninterrupted focus.

What if I forget to turn off the automated replies?

It won't matter — Outlook turns them off automatically at the end time you set. If you did forget to set an end time, you can turn them off manually by unchecking the Send automatic replies box in the same dialog where you turned them on.