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How to Set Up Out of Office in Outlook Calendar

How to Set Up Out of Office in Outlook Calendar

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Manage your paid time off all in one place with Vacation Tracker.

Last updated on June 18, 2025

Frequently asked questions

To set up an Out of Office event, open your Outlook Calendar and select "New Event." Enter your absence details, set the start and end dates, and choose "Out of Office" under the "Show As" option. This marks your calendar as unavailable, so colleagues see you’re away when scheduling meetings. 

Yes, you can invite others to your Out of Office event. When creating the event, add their email addresses in the "Invite attendees" field. This sends them a calendar invite, blocking the same time on their calendars and making your absence visible to relevant team members.

In Outlook, events marked as "Busy" show you’re occupied but still reachable if needed. "Out of Office" signals you’re completely unavailable, often for extended periods like vacations. The color coding helps others quickly distinguish between short-term commitments and full absences.

Go to Outlook settings, select "Automatic Replies," and turn them on. Set your start and end dates, then write your message for both internal and external contacts. You can also choose to block your calendar and automatically decline new meeting requests during your absence.

Yes, when creating an Out of Office event, use the recurrence option to schedule it weekly, monthly, or on custom intervals. This is useful for regular days off or part-time schedules. Just select "Recurrence" during event setup and define your preferred pattern.