Mar 27, 2026

How to Set Out of Office in Outlook (Every Platform, 2026)

Outlook Out of Office Automatic Replies Microsoft 365 How-to Email

Outlook’s automatic replies feature (also called Out of Office or OOO) sends a preset message to anyone who emails you while you’re away. You can schedule it in advance with a date range so it turns itself on and off, and you can write different messages for coworkers versus external contacts. The steps depend on which version of Outlook you’re using. Here’s how to set it up in each one.

1. Outlook on the Web (Microsoft 365 / Outlook.com)

Go to outlook.office.com and sign in.
Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
Select Accounts → Automatic replies.
Toggle Turn on automatic replies to on.
To limit your out-of-office to a specific window, check Send replies only during a time period and set your start date/time and end date/time. If you skip this, replies stay on until you manually turn them off.
Type your away message in the text box. Use the formatting toolbar to add bold text, links, or bullet points.
To send a different reply to people outside your organization, check Send replies outside your organization. Choose between Send to all external senders or Send only to contacts (recommended to avoid replying to spam). Type your external message in the second text box.
Click Save.

Calendar options: Outlook on the web also lets you check Block my calendar for this period, Automatically decline new invitations for events that occur during this period, and Decline and cancel my meetings during this period. These are useful for clearing your schedule while you’re away.

To turn it off: If you set a time period, replies stop automatically at the end date. Otherwise, go back to Settings → Accounts → Automatic replies and toggle automatic replies off. You’ll also see a banner at the top of your inbox reminding you that automatic replies are on — click Turn off from there.

2. New Outlook Desktop App (Windows & Mac)

The new Outlook app — the version Microsoft is rolling out to replace classic Outlook — uses nearly the same interface as Outlook on the web.

Open the new Outlook desktop app.
Go to the View tab in the ribbon and click View settings.
Select Accounts → Automatic Replies.
Toggle Turn on automatic replies to on.
Check Send replies only during a time period and set your start and end dates if you want it to auto-disable. Otherwise, leave it unchecked.
Type your internal message in the text box under Send automatic replies inside your organization.
To reply to external senders, check Send replies outside your organization. Choose between replying to all external senders or only your contacts, then type a separate message.
Click Save.

To turn it off: Return to View → View settings → Accounts → Automatic Replies and toggle off. Or click the Turn off link in the banner that appears beneath the ribbon.

3. Classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook uses a dialog-based approach. If you still see the traditional ribbon with File, Home, Send/Receive, etc., you’re on classic Outlook.

Open classic Outlook.
Click File in the top-left corner.
Click Automatic Replies (Out of Office). If you don’t see this button, your account type doesn’t support automatic replies — see the troubleshooting section below.
Select Send automatic replies.
To schedule a date range, check Only send during this time range and set your Start time and End time. Automatic replies will turn off automatically at the end time.
On the Inside My Organization tab, type the message your coworkers will see.
Click the Outside My Organization tab. Check Auto-reply to people outside my organization and choose between My Contacts only or Anyone outside my organization. Type your external message.
Click OK.

To turn it off: Click File → Automatic Replies and select Do not send automatic replies. You’ll also see a yellow banner below the ribbon — click Turn off there.

4. Classic Outlook for Mac

If you’re running classic Outlook on a Mac (rather than the new Outlook app), the steps are slightly different.

Open Outlook for Mac.
In the menu bar, go to Tools → Automatic Replies.
If you have multiple accounts, select the correct one from the dropdown menu.
Toggle Send Automatic Replies to on.
To set a date range, check Send replies only during this time period and enter your start and end dates and times.
Type your internal reply under Message for inside your organization.
To send a different message to external senders, check Message for outside your organization. Choose Send only to my contacts or Send to everyone, then type the message.
Close the dialog window.

To turn it off: Go to Tools → Automatic Replies and toggle Send Automatic Replies off.

5. Outlook Mobile App (iOS & Android)

Open the Outlook app on your phone.
Tap your profile icon (or initials) in the top-left corner.
Tap the Settings gear icon in the bottom-left.
Under your email accounts, tap the account you want to set up.
Tap Automatic Replies.
Toggle automatic replies on.
To limit your reply to a specific window, enable Reply during a time period and set your start and end times.
Type your away message. You can also choose whether to Reply to everyone or Reply only to my organization.
Tap the checkmark (top-right corner) to save.

Calendar options on mobile: You can enable Block my calendar to create an out-of-office calendar event, or Clear my calendar to decline meetings during your away period.

To turn it off: Go back to Settings → your account → Automatic Replies and toggle off.

Quick Reference

Version	How to access	Date range support	Internal vs. external messages	Calendar integration
Outlook on the web	Settings → Accounts → Automatic replies	Yes	Yes — separate messages	Block calendar, decline invites, cancel meetings
New Outlook desktop	View → View settings → Accounts → Automatic Replies	Yes	Yes — separate messages	Block calendar, decline invites, cancel meetings
Classic Outlook (Windows)	File → Automatic Replies	Yes	Yes — separate messages via tabs	No built-in calendar options
Classic Outlook (Mac)	Tools → Automatic Replies	Yes	Yes — separate messages	No built-in calendar options
Outlook mobile (iOS/Android)	Settings → Account → Automatic Replies	Yes	Organization vs. everyone	Block calendar, clear calendar

Writing a Good Out-of-Office Message

A few tips for crafting an effective away message:

State the dates you’re unavailable. Even if Outlook sends the reply only during your set window, the recipient sees a static message with no dates unless you include them.
Name an alternative contact. If something urgent comes up, people need to know who to reach. Include a name and email address.
Keep it short. Two to four sentences is enough. People just need to know you’re out, when you’re back, and who to contact in the meantime.
Tailor your external message. Your internal reply can be casual (“I’m on PTO, back Monday”), but your external reply should be more professional and include your return date and an alternate contact.

Troubleshooting

“I don’t see the Automatic Replies button.” Automatic replies require a Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, or Outlook.com account. If you’re using a Gmail, Yahoo, or other IMAP/POP account in Outlook, the feature isn’t available. You can work around this by creating an Outlook rule that auto-replies to incoming messages, though it’s less elegant than the built-in feature.

“My automatic replies aren’t sending.” Make sure you actually toggled the feature on and clicked Save. If you set a date range, confirm the start date has passed and the end date hasn’t. Also verify you’re connected to the internet — Outlook needs to sync with the Exchange server for automatic replies to work.

“People outside my organization aren’t getting my reply.” Check that you enabled Send replies outside your organization and selected the right audience (contacts only vs. all external senders). Outlook sends each external sender only one automatic reply per absence period, so if someone emails you multiple times, they’ll only get the auto-reply once.

“My out-of-office is stuck on.” If you didn’t set an end date, you need to manually turn it off. Look for the banner at the top of your inbox in Outlook on the web or the new Outlook app and click Turn off. In classic Outlook, go to File → Automatic Replies and select Do not send automatic replies.

If you’re setting your out of office before a vacation or busy stretch, Carly is an AI assistant that can manage your inbox, handle scheduling, and keep things running across 200+ integrations while you’re away.

More on Outlook: How to add a signature in Outlook · How to schedule an email in Outlook · How to share your Outlook calendar · How to set up recurring meetings · How to set up email forwarding in Outlook