How to Set Up Out of Office in Outlook Calendar (2027)

Your last afternoon before vacation shouldn’t involve hunting for an Outlook setting. The tricky part of how to set out of office in Outlook is finding the right menu for your version, then remembering to mark your calendar too.

Updated for 2027: steps checked for new Outlook, classic Outlook, web, Mac and mobile.

In new Outlook, open View > View settings > Accounts > Automatic Replies; on the web, use Settings > Account > Automatic replies, turn replies on, write your message, select Send replies only during a time period, enter your dates and select Save. In classic Outlook, start from File > Automatic Replies.

Where to find automatic replies in each version of Outlook

These are Microsoft’s documented paths. Your account matters too: Outlook’s automatic replies aren’t supported for Gmail, Yahoo or other POP or IMAP accounts. The FAQ below covers the alternative in classic Outlook.

How do I set out of office in new Outlook and Outlook on the web?

To set OOO in Outlook, open your account’s automatic reply settings. New Outlook and the web version have similar controls, although Microsoft names the account menu differently in its instructions.

1. In new Outlook for Windows, choose View > View settings > Accounts > Automatic Replies. On the web, choose Settings > Account > Automatic replies.

2. Turn on Automatic replies.

3. Write your out of office message. With a work or school account, you can also enable replies outside your organization and write a separate message for those senders.

4. Select Send replies only during a time period, then enter the start and end dates and times, for example from Monday, February 15, 2027 to Friday, February 19, 2027.

5. For external replies, we’d recommend Send replies only to contacts, unless you need to answer everyone. Microsoft warns that replies to all external senders also go to newsletters, advertisements and junk mail.
6. Select Save.

Microsoft’s automatic replies instructions cover both versions. Depending on your version, the menu reads Account or Accounts.

Prefer to watch? This 3-minute video walks through setting up automatic replies in Outlook and writing your message with our OOO generator.

How do I set out of office in classic Outlook?

Use File > Automatic Replies in classic Outlook for Windows. You don’t need to switch to new Outlook to schedule your absence.

1. Select File > Automatic Replies.
2. Choose Send automatic replies.
3. Set the date range for your absence if you want replies to stop automatically.
4. Write your message. Work or school accounts have Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization tabs for separate replies.
5. Select OK.

Without an end time, turn replies off yourself when you return. Classic Outlook displays a notice beneath the ribbon with a Turn off option while automatic replies are enabled.

How do I set out of office in Outlook for Mac and on mobile?

Outlook for Mac

1. In Mail, choose Tools > Automatic Replies.
2. Select the account and turn on Send Automatic Replies.
3. Write your internal message.
4. Beside Send replies during a specified time period, select Set. Choose Time Period and enter your start and end dates and times.
5. Configure external replies if your account allows them, then close the window.

Microsoft’s Mac instructions also include a separate procedure for legacy Outlook for Mac. Gmail, Yahoo and other POP or IMAP accounts don’t support this feature.

Outlook for iOS or Android

1. Open Settings and tap Automatic Replies. If you have several accounts, pick the account first.

2. Turn automatic replies on.
3. Turn on Reply Within a Time Range and set the dates and times.
4. Write your reply, choosing internal and external messages where available.
5. Select Save.

The mobile feature supports Microsoft 365, Exchange, Exchange Hybrid and Outlook.com accounts. It also offers Block my calendar and Clear my calendar controls if you want to manage meetings from your phone.

How do I schedule out of office in Outlook for specific dates?

Select Send replies only during a time period in new Outlook or Outlook on the web, then enter both dates and times. Outlook stops sending automatic replies at the end of that window. Without a scheduled period, replies stay on until you disable them.

Set the end time to when you’re available again, and make the return date in your message agree with it. Otherwise, someone can receive a reply saying you’re away after you’ve already returned.

For a regular day off, you can create a recurring calendar event. Microsoft’s automatic reply instructions describe a start and end window, not a weekly recurrence control. Don’t assume that repeating a calendar absence schedules the email reply as well.

How do I add out of office to my Outlook calendar?

Create a calendar event marked Out of office so colleagues can see that you’re unavailable when scheduling. An automatic email reply and a calendar block serve different purposes; check both before you leave.

In new Outlook for Windows:

1. Open Calendar, then Home > New Event.
2. Add a title and your start and end dates.
3. Turn on All day if you’re away for full days.
4. Open the availability menu (it shows Busy or Free) and select Away. Some versions call it Out of office.
5. Select Save.

In classic Outlook, use Home > New Appointment, enter the dates, select All day event if appropriate, and change Show As to Out of office. Finish with Save & Close.

New Outlook’s automatic reply panel also offers calendar controls during your scheduled absence. Microsoft’s web instructions describe them as:

• Block my calendar for this period: reserve the absence in your calendar.
• Automatically decline new invitations for events that occur during this period: handle incoming meeting invitations.
• Decline and cancel my meetings during this period: deal with meetings already scheduled.

New Outlook shows shorter versions of those labels. We’d review existing meetings before choosing the cancellation option, especially meetings you organize that colleagues can still hold without you.

For a wider view of everyone’s dates, see our guide to a shared vacation calendar.

How do I send an out of office invite without blocking others’ calendars?

Send colleagues a separate event marked Free, and keep your own absence marked Out of office. If you invite everyone to your blocked event, you can make their calendars look unavailable too.

Microsoft’s calendar invitation guide gives this method for new Outlook:

1. Right-click your absence event and select Duplicate event.
2. Give the copy a clear title, such as “Alex away”.
3. Open Response Options and clear Request Responses.
4. Set Free/Busy > Free on the copy.
5. Add the colleagues who need the notice under Invite attendees, then select Send.

In classic Outlook, create a New Meeting for the dates. Set Show As > Free, clear Request Responses under Response Options, and set Reminder > None before sending. This avoids an unnecessary alert, which is especially welcome for an event starting at midnight.

Keep the separate appointment that blocks your own calendar. Don’t change the shared notice to Out of office afterward: that update would undo the point of sending a nonblocking invitation.

What should my Outlook out of office message say?

Give your return date and a contact for anything that can’t wait. Be clear about whether you’ll read email while you’re away. You don’t need to tell external senders where you’re traveling.

Internal example:

I’m on vacation and will return on [Monday, February 22, 2027]. I won’t be checking email. For urgent questions about [project], please contact [name].

External example:

Thank you for your email. I’m out of the office until [Friday, February 19, 2027] and will respond after I return. For urgent requests, please contact [name] at [email].

Use our out of office email samples for other situations, or draft one with the OOO message generator.

If your company uses Google instead, follow our Google Workspace automatic reply guide.

Can you set out of office in Outlook automatically when your leave is approved?

Yes. Vacation Tracker’s OOO autoreply switches your email reply on when approved leave starts and off when it ends. It works with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace mailboxes when the required mailbox connection is in place.

Employees can request leave in Microsoft Teams or Slack. With Vacation Tracker for Microsoft Teams, the approved leave dates can then drive the Outlook reply, so employees don’t have to enter the same absence dates again.

Calendar sync is separate from the email reply. A personal Outlook connection is available on all plans; a shared Outlook calendar connection requires Complete. See Vacation Tracker scheduling if calendar visibility is your main concern.

If you’re choosing a system for the whole company, our leave management system guide covers that broader decision.

Wrapping it up

Knowing how to set out of office in Outlook means checking the reply, its end time and your calendar availability before you sign off. If you’d rather have replies follow approved leave, try Vacation Tracker free for 14 days, with no credit card required, or request a demo.

Claudia

Claudia is an experienced marketer with a passion for writing and creating engaging content that connects with readers.