How do I setup an email message that will automatically notify people when I'm out of the office?
The Out of Office Assistant in Microsoft Outlook and OWA (Webmail) is used to send an email on your behalf to a person who sends you an
email when you are not in the office.
Setting up the Out Of Office Assistant in Microsoft Outlook:
Go to your email Inbox
Go to the Tools menu.
Select Out Of Office Assistant...
Type in the Auto-Reply box what message you would
like people to get when they send you an email. Most people put their
date of return and alternative contact information for emergencies.
Whenever you wish to turn the Assistant on, select the I am currently Out of the Office
button.
Remember to press OK at the bottom of the screen.
When you return from your absence, select the I am currently In the Office
button. (Note that the next time you turn on Outlook and the
Assistant is set to "Out of Office," you will be asked if you want
to turn off the Out Of Office Assistant. You can simply answer
Yes to turn the Assistant off, without going to the menu.)
Setting up the Out Of Office Assistant in OWA (Webmail):
Log into Webmail
Select Options from the menu on the left side your
screen.
Go to Step 4 of the instructions for Microsoft
Outlook.
Remember to press OK at the bottom of the Options screen
when finished, as stated above.
Frequently Asked Questions about Out Of Office Assistant:
How many times will someone get my Out Of Office email? Once. The Out Of Office Assistant keeps
track of who has emailed you and does not send your Out Of Office message to
the same person (unless you turn the Out of Office Assistant off and then
back on, resetting the count).
Can I test the Out Of Office
Assistant to make sure it's working, without asking someone to send me
an email? Yes. Just send yourself an email from your
own email account. You should receive your test email and your
Out Of Office message, usually simultaneously. (Keep in mind
that if you test again, you will NOT receive the Out Of Office
message; you must turn the Out Of Office Assistant off, press OK, then
turn it back on again to be able to test it again.)