How to Set a Daily Out of Office Schedule in Outlook

To set a daily Out of Office block in Outlook, create a calendar event, mark it as Out of Office, and make it repeat on the days and at the times you are away. This blocks your calendar, but it does not send automatic email replies. Outlook’s automatic-reply schedule is separate and does not offer a daily recurring schedule, so you will need to turn replies on and off each day if you need them only during those hours.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Outlook calendar where colleagues can see your availability.
Your usual away days and start and end times, plus the date the repeating schedule should begin and finish.
If you want email replies as well, an Outlook account that supports Automatic Replies. Work or school Microsoft 365 and Exchange accounts usually do; personal accounts and app versions can differ.

Step-by-Step

Open your Outlook calendar. In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, select Calendar from the navigation pane. In classic Outlook for Windows, select the Calendar icon. In Outlook for Mac, open Calendar from the navigation bar. Use the calendar that coworkers normally check for your availability; a personal calendar that is not shared may not update their view.
Start a new calendar event. In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, select New event. In classic Outlook for Windows, select New Appointment from the Home tab. In Outlook for Mac, choose New Event. Give it a clear title, such as “Away every weekday” or “Daily appointment.” You can leave the attendee field empty: this is a calendar block, not a meeting invitation.
Set the hours and first date. Choose the start date for the first day you will be away, then enter the start and end times. For example, if you are unavailable every weekday from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., use those times rather than making the event all day. Check the time zone shown in the event, especially if you travel or work with people in another time zone. An incorrect time zone can make the block appear at the wrong hour to you or your colleagues.
Set the event to repeat daily. In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, select the Repeat or recurrence control in the event form, then choose Daily for every calendar day or Every weekday if you mean Monday through Friday. If you see a custom recurrence option, use it to specify the repeat pattern you need. In classic Outlook for Windows, select Recurrence on the Appointment tab and choose Daily or the weekday pattern in the Recurrence dialog. In Outlook for Mac, open the recurrence setting in the event editor and choose the daily pattern or weekdays. The exact layout can vary by Outlook version.
Choose when the series ends. Set the recurrence range to end on the last date you expect this routine to apply. If the pattern has no known end date, use the available no-end option, if your Outlook version offers one, and review the series periodically. Adding an end date prevents an old schedule from blocking your calendar after your routine changes. Do not choose an end date before the final day you need covered.
Mark the event as Out of Office. In the event form, find the availability or Show as setting and select Out of Office. In classic Outlook for Windows, this is the Show As menu on the Appointment tab. In new Outlook, the web app, and Mac, look for Show as or an availability setting in the event details. This is the setting that makes the time unavailable in your calendar; naming the event “Out of Office” by itself does not block the time.
Save the series and verify it. Select Save or Save & Close. Go to a later date included in the repeat pattern and confirm the event appears at the right time with Out of Office availability. If Outlook asks whether to save changes to one occurrence or the entire series, choose the entire series when you are setting up or changing the repeating schedule. Choose only one occurrence for a one-day exception.
Set up automatic replies separately if needed. If people emailing you should receive a message, open Automatic Replies in Outlook and turn the feature on. In classic Outlook for Windows, use File > Automatic Replies. In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, open Settings and look for Automatic replies under account settings. In Outlook for Mac, use the Automatic Replies control available for your account; its location varies by version. Set a suitable message and, if offered, a start and end date. That date range is not a repeating daily timetable. If you only want replies during your daily away hours, you must enable and disable them each day, or use an approved organization tool that supports scheduled automation.

Common Mistakes

Confusing a calendar block with an email reply. An event marked Out of Office changes calendar availability; it does not answer incoming messages. Automatic Replies sends a response to eligible email senders but does not create a recurring calendar block. Set up both if you need both results.

Choosing Busy instead of Out of Office. Busy blocks time, but it does not identify the calendar status as an absence. Select Out of Office when you want your availability to show that you are away. Conversely, do not mark an ordinary focus period Out of Office if you only intend to show yourself as busy.

Using the wrong repeat pattern or time range. Daily can include weekends; Every weekday typically means Monday through Friday. Confirm the pattern in the recurrence preview or by checking dates. Also check that the event ends at the correct time and is not accidentally set to all day.

Forgetting the series end date or changing just one instance. A recurring block can continue beyond the period you intended. When editing, pay attention to Outlook’s prompt about one occurrence versus the series. A change to one occurrence will not fix every day in the schedule.

Tips

Use a title that explains the pattern without putting private details in a shared calendar. “Away, weekdays 3–4 p.m.” is more useful to colleagues than “Appointment.”
If your absence is only on working days, choose weekdays rather than daily, then inspect a Saturday and Sunday to confirm no block appears. For a schedule that skips particular weekdays, a daily pattern may not fit; create separate repeating events or add exceptions.
For holidays, appointments, or other exceptions, edit or delete only the affected occurrence if Outlook offers that choice. Avoid changing the whole series just to handle one date.
Keep automatic-reply wording precise. State when you expect to respond, and include an alternate contact only if your workplace permits it. Avoid promising a reply time you may not meet.
If your calendar is shared, check its sharing permissions and ask a colleague to confirm they can see your availability. A correctly marked event in a private or unshared calendar may not help people scheduling with you.

Troubleshooting

The event appears, but people still see me as available. Open an occurrence and check its Show as setting. It may be set to Free or Busy instead of Out of Office. Also confirm you created the block in the calendar others use and that the calendar is shared with them. Some scheduling systems or external contacts may not display your Outlook status in the same way.

The block is showing on weekends or missing weekdays. Edit the recurrence pattern for the series. Select Daily only if you want all calendar days; select Every weekday for a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule. Verify the first date, end date, and time zone, then inspect several dates in the calendar. If you need an irregular pattern, separate series may be easier to check than one complicated repeat rule.

Automatic replies are not being sent. Check that Automatic Replies are actually turned on for the correct mailbox, and review the start and end times if you scheduled a date range. Some account types do not support server-side Automatic Replies in every Outlook version. If the control is missing or unavailable, check Outlook on the web or ask your Microsoft 365 administrator whether the account supports the feature. Remember that the recurring calendar event alone will not send a response.

I cannot find Repeat or Out of Office. Outlook’s event editor differs across classic Outlook, new Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Mac. Open the full event editor rather than relying on a compact quick-entry panel, and look in the event details for recurrence and availability controls. If a work account is managed by an organization, its policies may limit features; use Outlook on the web or contact your administrator for the supported option.

I need to change one day without changing the rest. Open that date’s occurrence and choose the option to edit or delete only that occurrence when prompted. If you choose the series, the change can apply to every repeated day. After saving, check the surrounding dates to make sure the normal schedule remains intact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Outlook turn on automatic replies at the same time every day?
Outlook’s standard Automatic Replies setting supports an enabled state and, in supported accounts, a start and end date and time. It does not provide a built-in daily recurring time window. Turn it on and off each day or use an approved scheduling solution from your organization.

Does a recurring Out of Office event reply to meeting invitations?
The event marks your calendar time as Out of Office, but it is not an email auto-reply and does not by itself guarantee that meeting requests will be declined. Check any meeting-response or calendar policy options available to your account before relying on automatic declines.

What is the difference between Daily and Every weekday?
Daily repeats on consecutive calendar days, usually including weekends. Every weekday is intended for Monday through Friday. Check the dates Outlook displays, particularly if you work a nonstandard week or your region’s workweek differs.

Can I set different hours on different days?
A single recurring event generally repeats the same start and end times. For different hours, create separate recurring events for the relevant days or make one-off edits to individual occurrences. Verify the resulting calendar so the blocks do not overlap unintentionally.

Will people outside my organization see the Out of Office block?
That depends on calendar sharing and the other person’s service. A calendar event does not automatically notify all contacts or expose your availability publicly. Share only what your organization allows, and use Automatic Replies separately if external email senders need a response.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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