Tutorials > How to set an Out of The Office reply for Outlook 98 - 2000 - 2002(XP)

Please Note:
This tutorial is intended for systems that do NOT have MS Exchange Server for their mail managing system but use a POP3 or IMAP mail system! The MS Exchange Servers have an Add-in called Out of the Office Assistant in Outlook (Tools menu), if your Outlook does not have it is because you using a POP3 or IMAP (Internet Mail only) mail system and you will have to use this tutorial.

Create the template

• Make sure Word is not enabled as the email editor in Outlook. How?

• Start a new message.

• Type the Subject and message of your auto-reply.

• Try to include when people mailing you in your absence can expect a personal answer. This might be some time after you will have returned.

• Optionally, you can add Cc: and Bcc: recipients to send a copy of each automatic reply.

• Select File | Save As... from the menu.

• Make sure Outlook Template is selected under Save as type:.

• Optionally, choose a File name: different from the subject.

• Click Save.

Create the Auto Responder

• On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.

• In the Rules Wizard dialog box, click New.

• Under Which type of rule do you want to create?, click Start from a blank rule, click Check messages when they arrive, and then click Next.

• Under Which condition(s) do you want to check?, click to select the Sent Only To Me check box or any other criteria that you want, and then click Next.

• Under What do you want to do with the message?, click to select the Reply using a specific template check box

• Under Rule Description, click the underlined phrase, a specific template.

• In the Select A Reply Template dialog box, click the template that you saved above and then click Open.

• Complete the Rule Wizard instructions, click Finish, and then click OK.

Keep in mind that Outlook will only email each address once per session (until it is restarted). You cannot automatically reply to a sender with two different messages.

Keep in mind that Outlook will only email each address once per session (until it is restarted). You cannot automatically reply to a sender with two different messages.

The Rules Wizard rule to "reply using a specific template" is designed to send the reply only one time to each sender during a session. This prevents Outlook from sending repetitive replies to a sender from whom you receive multiple messages.

During a session, Outlook remembers the list of users to whom it has responded. When you restart Outlook, this list is deleted and the rule is reset to start again for each sender.

NOTE: Outlook must be running for the Rules Wizard to automatically reply.