If you're heading out on vacation or taking a break from work otherwise, one of the first things you'll want to do is set your out of office status in Outlook. This lets your colleagues know when you'll be away so that they don’t schedule any new meetings or assign you a project during that time. This guide walks you through creating an out of office event in Outlook, whether you’re using one of our favorite Macs or a Windows laptop.

How to set out of office status using the Outlook website

There are several ways to set up your out of office status, but the easiest is to do it directly through the Outlook web page as follows.

1. In the web browser of your choice, go to the Outlook web page and log in if needed.
2. Click Calendar from the left navigation pane.
3. Select the New event button from the toolbar.
4. Click the Add a title field to write a title for the event.
5. Select the Out of office option from the command bar.
6. Use the date picker to add the start and end dates, then toggle the All day event option.
7. Create a custom message for anyone who will see your event (optional).
8. Click the Save button in the upper-left corner, and you’re done.

How to set out of office status using the Outlook desktop app

The steps to set up your out of office status using the desktop app are similar to the web page. Follow these steps to learn how.

1. Open the Outlook app on your computer.
2. Go to Calendar from the left-hand menu.
3. Click the New event button in the toolbar.
4. In the Add a title field, enter the event's name.
5. From the command bar, select Out of office.
6. Use the date picker to set your event's start and end dates, and toggle the All day event option if needed.
7. If you need to, click Add a description or attach documents to add notes or upload a file.
8. Hit the Save button in the upper-left corner, and you're all set.

How to set up an automatic out of office reply in Outlook

You can use the automatic replies feature to let people know when you're on vacation or can't reply to emails.

1. Open the Outlook app on your laptop.
2. Go to the home page and click the Settings icon.
3. Select Accounts, then choose Automatic Replies.
4. Click the Automatic replies on toggle.
5. Check the box for Send replies only during a time period, then enter the start and end times for when you'll be out of the office.
6. Type the message you want to send while you're away in the text box.
7. If you want to send automatic replies to people outside your organization, check Send replies outside your organization and write a separate message for them.
8. Click Save.

Keep your team updated when you’re away

Setting out of office status in Outlook keeps your team informed about your availability. This helps you avoid missing calendar invites that might come in while you're offline.

Outlook doesn’t have many of the advanced features that you find on plenty of other email apps. However, you can make the most out of the program by following these essential tips.