Set Out of Office in Outlook and Teams

To set out of office, turn on Automatic replies in Outlook, choose when they start and stop, and add a clear message. Then check your Teams status and out-of-office message; when your work account supports syncing, Teams can reflect the Outlook setting automatically. Set this up before you leave so people know you are away and when to expect a response.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Microsoft 365 work or school account you want to update. The steps can differ for personal Outlook accounts, and some workplace settings are managed by an administrator.
Your planned start and return dates, including the times if you need replies to begin or end partway through a day.
A short internal message and, if appropriate, a separate message for people outside your organization. Avoid including sensitive travel or personal details.

Step-by-Step

Open Automatic replies in Outlook. In classic Outlook for Windows, select File > Automatic Replies. In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, select the gear icon for Settings, then look under Accounts > Automatic replies. The wording or location can vary slightly with updates and account type. If you do not see the option, check that you are signed in to the correct work mailbox.
Turn on replies and set the time period. Switch on Automatic replies or select Send automatic replies. Turn on the option to send replies only during a time period, if shown, and enter your start and end date and time. Scheduling prevents replies from starting too early and turns them off at the time you set. If you leave scheduling off, remember to turn automatic replies off yourself when you return.
Write a useful internal response. In the reply box for people inside your organization, state that you are away, when you expect to return, and what to do for urgent matters. For example: I’m out of the office through Thursday, 12 June, and will respond when I return on Friday. For urgent requests, please contact Jordan Lee at the usual team address. Use an accurate return date and only name a backup who has agreed to cover.
Decide whether to reply to external senders. If Outlook offers separate controls for people outside your organization, choose whether to send them a reply. You may be able to send replies to all external senders or only to people in your contacts. A brief external message can give a return date and a general alternative contact, but do not disclose internal procedures, private phone numbers, or confidential project details. If you do not want to reveal that you are away, leave external replies off.
Save or apply the Outlook setting. Select Save, OK, or the equivalent confirmation button. In classic Outlook, selecting OK applies the automatic-reply settings. Do not close the window before confirming. If you scheduled a future period, Outlook may show a notice that replies are scheduled; that is expected and does not mean they are being sent immediately.
Check what colleagues see in Teams. Open Teams for the same work account and select your profile picture. If your Outlook automatic replies have synced, Teams may show an out-of-office indication or your reply message. Sync behavior depends on the account, organization configuration, and Teams version, so do not assume that changing Outlook updates every Teams field immediately.
Set or schedule your Teams out-of-office information if needed. In Teams, select your profile picture and look for Set status message or Schedule out of office. If Schedule out of office is available, use it to enter a message and set the period, then save. In some versions, the scheduling option is available from the status-message panel. If Teams opens an automatic-replies window, follow its prompts; it may be managing the same mailbox setting as Outlook. Avoid creating conflicting dates or messages in two places.
Set a status message if your absence is not reflected clearly. Select your profile picture, choose Set status message, and enter a brief note such as Out of office until Friday; please contact the support queue for urgent help. If your version provides an option to show the message when people message you, turn it on if useful. Set a duration or clear the message when you return so an old notice does not remain visible.
Verify the setup before you leave. Reopen the Outlook automatic-replies settings and confirm the schedule and wording. In Teams, check the profile menu and status message. If practical, ask a colleague to confirm what they see, or send a test message from an account that is not included in your own mailbox. Do not rely on repeatedly emailing yourself: automatic replies commonly send only one reply to the same sender during a period.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the end time. Without a schedule, automatic replies may stay on after you return. With a schedule, check that the end time is set to the intended local time, particularly when traveling or working across time zones.
Assuming Teams and Outlook always match. Outlook automatic replies, a Teams status message, and Teams availability are related but distinct. An old status message can remain even if email replies have stopped, and a manual Teams status does not necessarily turn on email replies.
Giving a vague return date. A note such as “back soon” does not help someone plan. Include a specific date, and state whether you will respond on your first day back or later.
Sending internal details externally. Use a separate external reply when possible. A public-facing message should not identify private contacts or disclose sensitive work, security, or travel information.
Relying on an automatic reply as message forwarding. Automatic replies notify senders; they do not normally forward every incoming message to your backup. Arrange delegation, shared mailbox coverage, or forwarding separately if your role requires it.

Tips

Keep the message concise: state that you are away, your return date, and the best alternative for urgent work. Put the most useful information first because people may read the reply on a phone.
Use the same dates and backup instructions in Outlook and Teams. If a Teams scheduling control appears to update Outlook automatic replies, confirm the resulting dates in Outlook rather than setting a second, conflicting schedule.
Consider whether you need an external reply at all. If you enable it, keep it neutral and avoid suggesting that someone should send repeated messages to get a faster response.
When your plans change, update the scheduled end date and message in Outlook, then check Teams again. If your organization uses shared calendars or delegated mailbox access, tell the person covering you where the authoritative schedule is.
When you return, confirm that scheduled replies have ended and remove any manually set Teams status message. A calendar event marked Out of office can help colleagues see your availability, but it is not a substitute for configuring email automatic replies.

Troubleshooting

There is no Automatic Replies option. Confirm that you are in the right mailbox and signed in with the work or school account. Some account types, such as certain POP or IMAP accounts, do not support the same server-based automatic-reply controls. Try Outlook on the web for your organization, or ask your IT administrator whether the feature is available for the mailbox. Do not create a rule that replies to every message unless your administrator recommends it; rules can behave differently from mailbox automatic replies.

Replies are not being sent. Reopen the settings and confirm that automatic replies are enabled, the current time falls within the scheduled period, and the message was saved. Check whether you are testing from the same sender: Outlook may limit repeated replies to one sender. External senders may also be excluded if you selected contacts only or turned off external replies. If the settings look correct but no eligible sender receives a reply, contact your organization’s support team.

Teams does not show the absence. Confirm that Teams and Outlook use the same account and that the Outlook setting has been saved. Allow a short time for account changes to appear, then close and reopen Teams or sign out and back in if appropriate. If there is no automatic sync in your organization, set a Teams status message or use the available out-of-office scheduling option directly. A Teams availability label such as Busy is not the same as an out-of-office email reply.

The wrong dates or message appear. Check both Outlook Automatic replies and the Teams profile menu. One may be showing a manually entered status message while the other uses Outlook’s automatic-reply schedule. Update the source that is incorrect, save it, and remove any stale Teams message. If your organization manages these settings centrally, ask IT which control takes precedence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to set out of office separately in Outlook and Teams?
Not always. Teams may reflect Outlook automatic replies for some Microsoft 365 work accounts, but behavior varies. Set or verify a Teams status message if colleagues do not see your absence there; Outlook must still be configured for email replies.

Will Outlook send an automatic reply to every email?
Usually not. Outlook commonly sends one reply to each sender during an automatic-reply period rather than responding to every message from that person. The exact behavior can depend on the mailbox and service.

Can I schedule automatic replies in advance?
Yes, when the mailbox offers the scheduling control. Enter the start and end date and time, save the settings, and verify the time zone. If scheduling is unavailable, you will need to enable the replies when your absence begins and disable them when you return.

Does a Teams status message send an email reply?
No. A status message is shown in Teams; it does not by itself send automatic email replies. Configure Automatic replies in Outlook for people who contact you by email.

What should I do if my return date changes?
Update the Outlook schedule and reply text, then check the Teams out-of-office information and status message. If a colleague is covering your work, update the alternative contact details too.

Can I set an out-of-office reply for external senders only?
Outlook’s options depend on the account and version. Many work mailboxes let you choose whether to reply to people inside the organization and whether to reply to external senders. Review the available controls before saving, and keep external wording appropriate for people outside your organization.

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

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