How to Set Out of Office in Outlook on a Windows PC

To set an out-of-office reply in Outlook on a Windows PC, open Automatic Replies, switch them on, write your message, and—if you know your dates—set a start and end time. Outlook then sends an automatic response to people who email you while you are away. You will need an account that supports automatic replies, usually a Microsoft 365 work or school account, Exchange account, or Outlook.com account.

What You’ll Need

Outlook for Windows, either new Outlook or classic Outlook, and access to the account you want to configure.
A supported email account. If the Automatic Replies option is missing, your account may be a POP or IMAP account, such as some Gmail or internet-provider accounts, rather than a Microsoft Exchange account.
Your planned away dates and a short message explaining when you will return and who to contact for urgent matters. You can set a reply without dates, but you will need to remember to turn it off yourself.

Step-by-Step

Check which Outlook you have and select the right account. Open Outlook on your PC and look for the New Outlook switch near the upper-right corner. If you use more than one mailbox, identify which one should send the reply; automatic replies are set separately for each account. In new Outlook, select the account first if the settings page asks you to choose one. In classic Outlook, make sure the intended mailbox is selected before opening the reply settings.
Open Automatic Replies. In new Outlook for Windows, select the gear-shaped Settings button, then go to Accounts > Automatic replies. Select the relevant account if needed. In classic Outlook for Windows, select File > Automatic Replies. If the button is not available, read the troubleshooting section below: it commonly means the selected account does not provide server-based automatic replies, or you are looking at the wrong mailbox.
Turn on the reply. In new Outlook, switch on Turn on automatic replies. In classic Outlook, choose Send automatic replies. If you are setting this up ahead of time, enable the option to send replies only during a specified time period. Set the start and end date and time, checking the displayed time zone and AM or PM carefully. The reply will then start and stop on that schedule without requiring Outlook to stay open on your PC.
Write your message for people inside your organization. Enter a concise note in the internal-message box or tab. Include the dates you will be away, when you expect to respond, and a colleague or shared mailbox to contact for urgent work, if appropriate. For example: I am away from 12 to 16 August and will reply when I return on 19 August. For urgent scheduling questions, contact Alex at the team mailbox. Avoid including confidential details or personal information that senders do not need.
Decide whether to reply to people outside your organization. Enable the external-reply option only if you want customers, suppliers, or other outside senders to receive a message. In classic Outlook, use the Outside My Organization tab and select Auto-reply to people outside my organization; choose whether to reply only to your contacts or to anyone outside the organization. In new Outlook, use its external-senders setting. Write a separate, appropriately general message if the interface provides a separate box. Do not assume that an internal message is automatically sent externally.
Save or apply your settings. In new Outlook, select Save if it appears at the bottom of the settings pane. In classic Outlook, select OK to close the Automatic Replies window and apply the settings. If there is no separate save button in the version you use, follow the on-screen prompt; do not close the page before the change is applied.
Verify the schedule and message. Reopen Automatic Replies and check that the feature is enabled, the dates are correct, and the internal and external messages are in the right places. If practical, send a test email from a different account. Some services send only one automatic reply to the same sender during an absence period, so a second test from that address may not produce another response. Check with your organization’s IT team if you need to confirm external delivery.
Turn the reply off when you do not use a date range. Return to the same Automatic Replies settings and switch the feature off, or choose Do not send automatic replies in classic Outlook. If you set an end date and time, Outlook should stop sending replies after it. Still check the status when you return, especially if your dates changed or you are managing more than one mailbox.

Outlook for Mac: The labels and layout vary by release. In classic Outlook for Mac, look under Tools > Automatic Replies; in newer releases, check Outlook > Settings or the account settings for Automatic Replies. The same general options apply, but follow the controls shown in your installed version. The Windows paths above are for Outlook on a Windows PC.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the end time. If you turn on replies with no schedule, they can continue until you disable them. Add an end time when you know your return date, or put a reminder on your calendar to switch replies off.
Choosing the wrong mailbox. A reply configured for one account does not necessarily cover other accounts in the same Outlook window. Check the account name in settings, especially if Outlook combines personal and work mail.
Entering dates in the wrong order or time zone. A start date in the past can make replies begin immediately; an incorrect end date can leave them running too long or stop them early. Check the date, time, and AM/PM display before applying the schedule.
Assuming external replies are on. Some versions separate internal and external responses, and external replies may be disabled by default. Review the external setting explicitly and use a message that is suitable for people beyond your organization.
Expecting a reply for every message. Outlook and the mail service may limit automatic replies to once per sender during a period. A sender who emails several times may not receive a new response each time, which helps prevent repetitive reply loops.
Using a rule as if it were a server setting. A rule-based reply for an unsupported POP or IMAP account may depend on Outlook being open and connected. It is not equivalent to a server-managed automatic reply, so do not rely on it without checking how it behaves.

Tips

Keep the message useful and brief. State the absence dates, a realistic response expectation, and an alternative contact or route for urgent requests. A specific return date is more helpful than saying only that you are away.
Use a different external message when appropriate. Internal colleagues may need project details, while an outside sender usually needs only to know that you are unavailable and how to reach a general contact. Avoid sharing internal names, schedules, or sensitive information externally.
Set the schedule before you leave. Scheduling the start and end in advance reduces the chance that you forget to enable the message. Allow for travel or handover time if you do not expect to read email on your first day away.
Do not promise an instant response after you return. If your inbox may be busy, say that you will respond as soon as you can after the stated date. This avoids creating an expectation that you will immediately clear every message.
Coordinate shared coverage. If a colleague is handling urgent work, confirm that they have agreed to be named and that the address or phone number is correct. A shared team mailbox can be more reliable than publishing personal contact details.
Remember that automatic replies are not forwarding. They notify senders that you are away, but they do not automatically route incoming mail to a colleague. Set up forwarding or mailbox delegation separately if your organization allows it and you need that arrangement.

Troubleshooting

There is no Automatic Replies option. First check that you selected the correct mailbox. If you are using a POP or IMAP account, Outlook may not be able to configure a server-side out-of-office reply for it. Ask your email provider whether it offers vacation-response settings through its website. For a work or school account, contact your IT administrator to confirm whether automatic replies are supported or restricted by policy.

The reply does not start or stop at the expected time. Reopen the settings and verify that the schedule is enabled, the start and end dates are correct, and the time zone is appropriate for the mailbox. Check that the end time is later than the start time. If you recently changed the schedule, save or apply it again. For a work mailbox, an administrator may need to investigate a server-side issue.

Senders say they did not receive a reply. Check whether automatic replies are switched on for the account that received their message, and whether the sender is inside or outside your organization. Confirm that the relevant message box is populated and that external replies are enabled if needed. Ask a person who has not already tested the reply to send one message; repeated tests from the same address may not trigger another response. Also check whether organizational rules or mail-flow policies block external automatic replies.

The message appears to be going to the wrong people. Review the internal and external settings and revise the wording in each box. In classic Outlook, confirm the choices on both the Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization tabs. If you accidentally included sensitive details in an external message, turn off automatic replies or edit the message promptly, then contact your IT team if the information may have been exposed.

A rule-based response stops when Outlook closes. This can happen with some accounts that do not support server-side automatic replies. A client-side rule may require Outlook to remain open and connected, and its behavior can vary. Prefer the provider’s vacation-response setting or ask IT about a supported option. Do not assume that leaving the PC on will solve a problem if the account itself cannot send the rule from the server.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set out of office in Outlook without opening the desktop app?
You can often set it in Outlook on the web instead. Sign in to the same mailbox, open its settings, and look for Automatic Replies. The exact path depends on whether the account is Microsoft 365 work or school, Outlook.com, or another service.

Does Outlook need to stay open for automatic replies?
For Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts using the built-in Automatic Replies feature, the setting is generally handled by the mail service, so Outlook on your PC does not need to remain open. A rule-based workaround for some POP or IMAP accounts may require the desktop app to be running.

Can I send automatic replies only to people outside my company?
Outlook provides separate internal and external controls in many versions. You can leave the internal message blank or disable internal replies and enable external replies, subject to your organization’s policies and the options shown in your version.

Will Outlook send a reply every time someone emails me?
Usually not. Automatic replies are commonly limited to one response per sender during the active period, rather than one for every message. This prevents repeated replies and email loops.

Can I set different messages for work colleagues and customers?
Yes, when your version offers separate internal and external message fields. Put work-specific coverage information in the internal message and a more general note in the external one. If only one field is available, use wording that is appropriate for both audiences.

How do I cancel an out-of-office reply early?
Open the same Automatic Replies settings for the relevant account and switch the feature off or choose Do not send automatic replies. Save or apply the change, then check the status again. If a scheduled end time is already set, switching it off early overrides the need to wait for that time.

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

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