1.  Select File > Automatic Replies.

Automatic replies

Note: For Outlook 2007 choose Tools > Out of Office Assistant.

2.  In the Automatic Replies box, select Send automatic replies.

Optionally, set a date range for your automatic replies. This will turn off automatic replies at the date and time you enter for the end time. Otherwise, you'll need to turn off automatic replies manually.

Note: If you don't see Automatic Replies, use Rules and Alerts to set up your out-of-office message.

3.  On the Inside My Organization tab, type the response that you want to send to teammates or colleagues while you are out of the office.

Enter your automatic reply message

Note: Sending automatic replies to anyone outside my organization will send your automatic reply to every email, including newsletters, advertisements, and potentially, junk email. If you want to send automatic replies to those outside your organization, we recommend choosing My contacts only.

4.  Select OK to save your settings.

Turn off automatic out-of-office replies

When Outlook is set up to send automatic replies, you'll see a message under the ribbon with this information. Select Turn off to disable automatic out-of-office replies. If you want to modify the dates for your automatic reply or the message sent, use the steps above to modify your settings.