Outlook automatic reply: how to set it up step by step (2026)

Which version of Outlook do you use?

Where to find the setting depends on it. The quickest way to tell:

How to set up an automatic reply in new Outlook (Windows)

1. On the View tab, select View settings (the gear icon).
2. Go to Accounts → Automatic replies and turn on the toggle.
3. Select Send replies only during a time period and enter the start and end date and time.
4. Enter the text for colleagues (inside your organization).
5. If you also want to reply to customers, select Send replies outside your organization and enter a separate text. Microsoft recommends choosing Send replies only to contacts so the replies don't go to newsletters and ads.
6. Click Save.

How to set up an automatic reply in classic Outlook (Windows)

1. Click File. If you see the Automatic Replies button, click it. If not, skip to the section about the rule.
2. Select Send automatic replies.
3. Select Only send during this time range and set the start and end, so the replies turn off on their own.
4. On the Inside My Organization tab, enter the text for colleagues.
5. On the Outside My Organization tab, select Auto-reply to people outside my organization, choose My Contacts only or Anyone outside my organization and enter the text.
6. Click OK.

12

1. 1 Account (Microsoft Exchange): the button is shown for Exchange / Microsoft 365 accounts, not IMAP/POP
2. 2 Automatic Replies

While automatic replies are on, you will see a yellow notice below the ribbon. To turn them off earlier, click Turn off in it.

How to set up an automatic reply in Outlook on the web and Outlook.com

1. At the top right, click Settings (the gear) → Account → Automatic replies.
2. Turn on the Automatic replies toggle.
3. Select Send replies only during a time period and enter the times. Here you can also block your calendar and automatically decline new invitations for that period.
4. Enter the text in the box below. If needed, select Send replies only to contacts.
5. Click Save.

The setting is stored on the server, so it works even when your computer is off. Once you turn it on in the browser, it also applies on your phone and in the desktop app.

Automatic reply in Outlook on your phone and Mac

iOS and Android: in the Outlook app, tap the profile icon at the top left → Settings (the gear) → choose the mail account → Automatic replies. Turn it on, choose whether to reply to everyone or only your organization, set the time and enter the text. Works for Microsoft 365, Exchange and Outlook.com accounts.

Mac: in Outlook for Mac, choose Tools → Automatic Replies in the menu bar, select the account and turn on the replies. If the menu looks a little different, you can always do the same thing in Outlook on the web.

No “Automatic Replies” button? Use a rule with a template

Microsoft states that automatic replies are not supported for Gmail, Yahoo and other IMAP/POP accounts. The workaround is a classic Outlook rule that replies from a prepared template. Important: Outlook has to stay open while you are away, and the same sender gets a reply once per Outlook session.

1. Create the template

1. Create a new email and enter the subject and reply text.
2. File → Save As, file type Outlook Template (*.oft). Keep the default location and save.

2. Create the rule

1. File → Manage Rules & Alerts → New Rule.
2. Choose Apply rule on messages I receive → Next. If you only want to reply to emails addressed to you, select the condition sent only to me.
3. Under actions, select reply using a specific template, click the underlined link and in the “Look In” box choose User Templates in File System. Select your .oft file.
4. Under exceptions, I recommend selecting except if it is an automatic reply: this way you avoid reply “ping-pong”.
5. Name the rule (e.g. “Vacation”) and click Finish. When you are back, simply turn the rule off.

If your mail is on Google Workspace or Gmail, it is easier to use Gmail's vacation responder: Settings → See all settings → General → Vacation responder. It runs on the server and does not need your computer to be on.

8 out of office reply templates

Copy them and replace the details in square brackets.

1. Vacation

Hello, thank you for your email. I am on vacation until [date] and am not checking email. For urgent matters, please contact [full name], [email], phone [number]. I will reply to your message when I am back.

2. Business trip or event

Hello, I am on a business trip until [date], so my reply may be delayed by up to one business day. If your question is urgent, please write to [email] and my colleagues will help.

3. Outside working hours

We have received your email. We work Monday to Friday, 8:00–17:00, so we will reply by noon on the next business day. If your enquiry is about an order, please include the order number to help us respond faster.

4. Shared info@ address (always on)

Thank you, we have received your enquiry. We reply within 4 business hours. You can find prices and answers to common questions at [link]. If it is urgent, please call [number].

5. Employee no longer with the company

Hello, [full name] no longer works at [company]. We have forwarded your email to a colleague; in the future, please write to [email]. Thank you!

6. Holidays

Hello, the company is closed for the holidays from [date] to [date]. We will start handling emails on [date]. Happy holidays!

7. Sick leave or unexpected absence

Hello, I am currently out of the office and not checking email. [Name], [email], can help with your question.

8. Bilingual (Lithuanian / English)

Ačiū už laišką. Iki [data] nedirbu, skubiais klausimais rašykite [el. paštas]. / Thank you for your email. I am out of office until [date]. For urgent matters please contact [email].

Common automatic reply mistakes

• Replying to all external senders. Newsletters and spam then get the reply, and the sender learns that the address is active. Choose “contacts only” unless you work with new customers.
• No time period set. After you return, replies keep going out until someone notices. Always set an end date.
• No contact for urgent questions. “I'll be back in two weeks” with no alternative simply sends the customer to a competitor.
• Too much information. Don't include your personal phone number or where you are traveling: anyone can receive the reply.
• An IMAP rule, but the computer is off. The rule only works while Outlook is open.

From “we have received your email” to AI replies

An automatic reply only confirms that the email arrived. If dozens of enquiries reach info@ every day, the time goes not on confirmations but on the same answers over and over: prices, timelines, order status. In those cases, an AI email agent is used. It:

• reads the email and assigns a category (enquiry, invoice, complaint, spam);
• drafts a reply based on your prices and rules, so a person only reviews and sends it;
• records the new enquiry in the CRM or Google Sheets and notifies the person responsible;
• works with Outlook (Microsoft 365) and Gmail, with no extra app for employees.

I build a solution like this in 1–2 weeks; a first solution starts at €450. More details: email automation, enquiry and lead automation, pricing. You will find practical scenarios in the article email automation for business.

Frequently asked questions