Quick notes

Set internal (company) and external (people outside the organisation) messages separately.

If you set a time range, replies will start/end automatically.

Test with a colleague or a personal email to confirm it works.

Outlook on the web (Outlook.office.com)

Open your browser, go to outlook.office.com and sign in with your account or Open from your desktop.

Click the Settings (gear) icon at top-right.

Click View all Outlook settings (bottom of the settings pane).

Choose Mail → Automatic replies.

Turn on Automatic replies (toggle).

(Optional) Tick Send replies only during a time period, then set the Start and End dates/times.

In the text box, type the message for colleagues inside the organisation (internal).

Tick Send replies outside your organisation if required, choose whether to send to My contacts only or Anyone outside my organisation, then type the external message.

Click Save.

Simple message templates

Hello,

Thank you for your message. I am currently out of the office and will not be available until (resumption date). During this period, I will have limited access to email and may not be able to respond immediately.

If your email is urgent, please contact (Relieving Officer's Name) at (department email / phone number) Otherwise, I will respond to your email as soon as possible upon my return.

Best regards,

(Your Name)

Final checks & tips

Confirm the correct time zone in your Outlook settings when scheduling a time range.

Remember to turn off automatic replies when you return (or set an end date).