ARCHIVED: In Microsoft Outlook, how do I set up the Out of Office Assistant (vacation mail)?
Note: These instructions apply only to desktop Outlook clients that are configured to work with the Exchange email servers at Indiana University.
In Microsoft Outlook, you can set the Out of Office Assistant to automatically reply to people who send you mail, letting them know you won't be able to reply to them immediately. The AutoReply feature will notify each sender only once, even if that person sends you several messages.
Note: Enabling your Out of Office reply can have the unfortunate side effect of verifying your email address to every spammer who sends you spam while you are away. If you are using Outlook 2010 or 2007, you can reduce this risk by enabling automatic replies only for people inside your organization, or by choosing on the tab. If you are using Outlook 2003 or earlier, you may want to think twice about enabling this function, or consider the forwarding option detailed below.
To set up the Out of Office Assistant, follow the instructions below for your version of Outlook.
On this page:
Outlook 2010 and 2007
- In Outlook 2010, from the
In Outlook 2007, from the
menu, select . Then, select . tab in the upper left,
select .
- To set a time range for auto-replies, click . This lets you set up your Out of Office replies in advance of your actual absence.
- In the "AutoReply only once to each sender with the following messages:" field, enter your away message.
Outlook 2010 and 2007 have separate settings for email addresses inside and outside your organization. To send an Out of Office reply to people outside IU:
- Click the tab.
- Select .
- Choose who will receive an auto-reply by selecting either or .
- Enter or edit the message to go to external contacts in the text field, as necessary.
Forwarding mail or moving it to a different folder
Optionally, you can add a rule to forward your mail to a different address or to move it to another folder. To set up a forwarding address:
- In the lower left corner of the Out of Office Assistant, click .
- Click , and then check the box marked .
- In the field, enter your forwarding address. Do not enter your normal delivery address for your forward rule, or you will create a mail loop.
- From the menu next to "Method:", choose how you want to receive your mail.
To direct incoming mail to a specific folder:
- In the lower left corner of the Out of Office Assistant, click .
- Click , and then select the box marked .
- Click to browse for the folder you want to use.
- Select the folder name, and then click .
After making your selections for forwarding and routing incoming mail, click
until all windows in the Out of Office Assistant are closed.Outlook 2003 and earlier
- From the menu, select .
- Select .
- In the "AutoReply only once to each sender with the following text:" field, enter your away message.
Forwarding mail or moving it to a different folder
Optionally, you can add a rule to forward your mail to a different address or to move it to another folder. To set up a forwarding address:
- Click , and then check the box marked .
- In the field, enter your forwarding address. Do not enter your normal delivery address for your forward rule, or you will create a mail loop.
- From the menu next to "Method:", choose how you want to receive your mail.
To direct incoming mail to a specific folder:
- Click , and then select .
- Click to browse for the folder you want to use.
- Select the folder name and click .
After making your selections for forwarding and routing incoming mail, click
until all windows in the Out of Office Assistant are closed.
This is document aetz in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2021-09-07 17:15:31.