How to Quickly Set Up Auto-Responders in Microsoft Outlook

Do you need to share pertinent information with individuals who send you an email? Setting up Outlook autoresponses takes only seconds, but can save you hours of productive time.  

Microsoft Office is one of the most-used productivity suites in the world for very good reasons — these simple solutions have been honed over time to offer exceptional user experience and unmatched ease of use for workers of all ages. Communication is vital to ensuring that projects move forward and clients have the information that they need, and Microsoft Outlook speaks the language of business by offering a secure solution for corporate email that comes standard with the Office 365 suite. There is a range of quick automation options in Outlook that help users get the most out of the platform while reducing keystrokes and boosting productivity over time. These tips will help you set up auto-responders in Microsoft Outlook to keep your audience informed.

What Are Auto Replies?

If you have ever sent an email to someone and immediately received a response that looks like a template, chances are it’s an automatic reply — also known as an auto-responder. You can train Microsoft Outlook to look for certain cues and trigger a response that can be lightly customized for your audience. One of the most common ways that this functionality is used is when people are out of the office on vacation or ill, as they want to keep others informed about their current status.

Steps to Set Up Auto-Responders in Outlook

From Outlook, you’ll click on your home email page and select ‘File’. This will open your account settings, which provides a wealth of information about your mailbox, any rules and alerts that you have set and more. Look for the second option in the list, helpfully labeled ‘Automatic Replies (Out of Office)’. Select this section and you’ll launch a pop-up box where you can set a message and select a time range for your message to be delivered to individuals who send an email to your account. There are a few options here, and you can create one message to be sent to individuals within your organization and a different message for external clients. This is a handy solution that can help you quickly direct people to someone who can fulfill their needs.

Want to learn more about quick automation that you can set up in Microsoft Office 365’s suite of productivity solutions? Contact the experts at Colorado Computer Support today at 719-204-6507 or fill out our quick online form for more information. We are happy to provide a free initial consultation for all potential clients, where we review your current solutions and security and make recommendations that may help move your business forward. As Colorado’s premier IT support services company, Colorado Computer Support provides ongoing training and education through our YouTube Tuesday Tech Tip videos.