How to set automatic replies on a user's mailbox in Microsoft 365

Introduction

This article describes four methods that administrators can use to set automatic "out of office" replies on a user's mailbox in Microsoft 365.

Method 1

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 portal.
2. Locate Users > Active users (or Groups > Shared mailboxes if you set this on a shared mailbox).
3. Select a user who has a Microsoft Exchange mailbox.
4. On the flyout menu on the right, locate Mail settings > Automatic replies (if it's a shared mailbox, just locate Automatic replies on the flyout).

Method 2

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin portal by using administrator credentials.
2. Expand Admin Centers, and then select Exchange.
3. Under Recipients > Mailboxes, select the mailbox that you want to change.
4. Select Others, and then select Manage automatic replies under Automatic replies.

Method 3

Run the following cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell:

Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration

For more information about this cmdlet, see Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration.

Method 4

Use rules to create an out of office message.

More information

Understanding and troubleshooting Out of Office (OOF) replies.

Still need help? Go to Microsoft Community.