Simplifying Communication: Setting Up Auto Reply in Outlook for Enhanced Productivity

Written By Mark Hale

Using an auto reply can help decrease the amount of repeated responses in emails. Auto replies can be used to help reduce stress by replying when you are unable. They are also a great tool in helping to manage expectations of senders. Dealing with emails can be a tedious task that many have to deal with daily. Utilizing methods such as an automatic reply can help to increase efficiency by replying quickly, give time for more detailed emails to be composed, and a reduction in stress. With setting up automatic replies, another helpful tool can be setting up rules to help move, flag email messages.

Rules can do quite a bit, but one of the most common uses is to sort emails into folders. This can help triage incoming messages in Outlook depending on what rules you create. Which will reduce time that is spent sorting emails, and stress from increased messages.

How to set up automatic replies in outlook

  1. Select File > Automatic Replies.

  2. Select Send automatic replies.

  3. If you don't want the messages to go out right away, select Only send during this time range.

  4. Choose the dates and times you'd like to set your automatic reply for.

  5. Type in a message. You can format the text using the tool bar or copy and paste text you've formatted, including links.

  6. Select OK.

How to create a rule on a message.

  1. Right-click an existing message and select Rules > Create Rule.

  2. Select a condition, and what to do with the message based on the condition.

  3. When you're done creating the rule, select OK.

  4. To use the rule right away, select Run this new rule now on messages already in the current folder checkbox, and then select OK.

  5. The message now appears in that folder.

For those that mainly use the online version:

  1. At the top of the page, select Settings > Mail > Automatic replies.

  2. Select the Turn on automatic replies toggle.

  3. Select the Send replies only during a time period check box, and then enter a start and end time.

  4. If a time is not selected, it will stay on until manually turned off.

  5. Select the box that is the option that best suits your needs.

  6. In the box at the bottom of the window, type a message to send to people during the time you're away.

  7. Select the Send replies outside your organization, if you want replies sent to people outside your organization.

  8. Select Save.

Three links for reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/video-set-up-automatic-replies-and-inbox-rules-b7b63910-c402-48a3-a313-50d5bd5f80c3

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/set-up-rules-in-outlook-75ab719a-2ce8-49a7-a214-6d62b67cbd41

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/send-automatic-out-of-office-replies-from-outlook-com-or-outlook-on-the-web-0c193ab0-b9e1-4058-84be-a5b014242290#:~:text=Sign%20in%20to%20Outlook%20on%20the%20web.,when%20automatic%20replies%20are%20sent.

Mark Hale

Mark Hale is a Managed Services Team Manager in the Core Technology division for Moser Consulting. He has a background in Industrial Psychology and Information Technology and spent many years working as a Systems Engineer for a local mobile device management and asset management company. He started as an intern and worked his way from a call center technician through to becoming a Systems Engineer, Inventory manager and VOIP administrator, and architect. His background with corporate infrastructure lead him to Moser Consulting almost two years ago. He started as a Managed Services Consultant, then moved to the Managed Services Escalation Team, to a Team Manager for the Managed Services Service Desk Team.

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