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An out-of-office reply should tell senders when to expect an answer

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and where urgent work goes.

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It should not expose an internal project, travel plan, or personal

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contact to every outside sender.

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This fictional practice separates an internal reply from a shorter external one.

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We will schedule a time window, review both audiences, and check

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the saved settings before leaving the page.

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The download has two short draft messages for a fictional workshop team.

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The internal draft has a placeholder for an authorized team queue;

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the external draft has a separate placeholder for a public contact address.

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Both explain when a response is expected.

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Replace every placeholder before using either message in a real mailbox.

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Never include a personal phone number or an internal-only address in an external reply.

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In Outlook on the web, open Settings, then Accounts, then Automatic replies.

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Microsoft's current help uses this path, although labels can vary in

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older or organization-managed versions.

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This tutorial targets a Microsoft 365 work or school mailbox.

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A personal Outlook.com account may not present the same

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inside-versus-outside organization choices, so inspect the controls

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available in your own account.

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Turn on automatic replies and select Send replies only during a time period.

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Set the real start and end times for your absence in

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the account's displayed time zone.

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Microsoft's help says a reply without a time period stays on

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until you turn it off manually.

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Review the start, end, and time zone twice; an accidental open-ended

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reply can keep speaking for you after you return.

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Paste the internal draft into the main reply box after replacing its sample details.

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It should state when you return and which authorized team channel handles urgent requests.

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Avoid a promise that someone will answer immediately unless that coverage is real.

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In the fictional example, colleagues may contact a shared workshop

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queue, but external senders should not receive that internal address or

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the team's private schedule.

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If your account offers Send replies outside your organization, decide

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whether external senders should receive one.

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Microsoft notes that this is a separate setting.

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Use the shorter external draft and a public contact route; never

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paste the internal message without reviewing it.

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If you do not need an external reply, leave that audience off.

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Your organization may limit these controls, so do not assume every account shows them.

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Select Save, reopen Automatic replies, and compare the displayed state

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with the downloaded checklist.

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Confirm the toggle, start and end, internal text, and external audience and text.

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This is a configuration check, not proof that an outside sender received anything.

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If delivery matters, use an approved test mailbox after reviewing your organization's policy.

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No mailbox was changed or message sent while producing this tutorial.

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Outlook may also offer calendar blocking or meeting-decline options in this panel.

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Leave those alone unless they match your actual plan, because they

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can change other people's invitations.

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If the Automatic replies control is missing, check your account type

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or ask your administrator rather than improvising a mail rule.

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After the scheduled end, revisit the panel and confirm the reply

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is off before reusing old copy.