Set an Out of Office Reply

An automatic reply tells people you are away and who to contact instead. Set one whenever you are away for a day or more.

In Outlook on your computer

1. Select File.
2. Select Automatic Replies.
3. Select Send automatic replies.
4. Tick Only send during this time range and set start and end dates.
5. Type your message in the Inside My Organisation tab.
6. Select the Outside My Organisation tab and type a message there too.
7. Select OK.

Do not skip step 6. If the external tab is blank, nobody outside the Council gets a reply — including residents, contractors and other agencies, who are the people least able to find out where you have gone.

In Outlook on the web

Go to outlook.office.com, select the settings icon, then View all Outlook settings > Mail > Automatic replies.

Outlook Mobile App (iPhone & Android)

Tap your profile icon, then settings, then your email account, then Automatic Replies.

What to write

Keep it to three things: that you are away, when you are back, and who to contact meanwhile.

What to leave out

• Detailed travel plans. "I'm in Bali for three weeks" tells everyone who emails you that your house is empty.
• Personal or medical reasons for your absence. "On leave" is sufficient.
• Colleagues' mobile numbers without asking them first.

Going away for a long time?

An out of office covers a week or two. For extended leave, someone may need actual access to your mailbox and calendar rather than just a message saying you are away.

Message to us before you go, and we will set up delegated access properly.

Shared mailboxes

If your team has a shared mailbox, its automatic reply is separate from yours. Open the shared mailbox in Outlook on the web and set its reply there.