here's how to set up an out of office message in Outlook 2016 first you'll
need to create the message itself open up a new email leaving the address field
blank create your message the subject I choose is out of office first to 7th of
May next write the text of your message I'll be out of the office from first
to seventh of May inclusive and so on but now instead of sending it to someone
save it as a template go to file then save as and select save as type outlook
template outlook will helpfully take you to the templates folder and you can name
it out of office and the date and then save it that's the first step done next
we'll use outlooks rules to set up a new rule that will send a reply using the
template you've just saved go to rules manage rules and alerts and create a new
rule it's a logical process that you build step by step I want to start with
a blank rule and apply the rule after the message arrives next I choose where
my name is in the to box and click Next that means the message will reply
automatically to anything that's sent to me then I choose reply using a specific
template I choose the template I've just saved by clicking on the link here and
selecting user templates in the file system there it is click on it and
select open I can see the rule building in the box here and it's showing the
correct template next you're offered the chance to specify exceptions now this is
very important if someone sends you an automated
message you don't want to reply automatically to that because you'll set
up a chain reaction of ping-pong messages that will quickly flood
everyone's inbox including your own so select accept if it's an automated
reply you can select other exceptions if you want the final step is to finish the
rule setup and you're given two options the first option is to apply the rule to
everything in the inbox and you definitely don't want to do that the
second option is simply to turn the rule on you can either leave it until you're
about to go away or you can turn it on right now
turning it on produces a warning message it will only work if you leave Outlook
on and running it's not magic you can test it by sending yourself an email
from a different account and when you get back to the office remember to turn
the rule off go to rules manage rules and simply uncheck the rule that's it
now you're back to normal and you can start to answer the 1,700 emails or so
that have arrived since you went away of course you could always have set up a
rule to divert all your emails for someone else to answer but it's probably
best to warn them first eTop Technology we're here to help if you like these
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