Whether you’re heading off on holiday, taking a well-earned break, or simply out for the day, setting an Out of Office message is essential for keeping communication clear and avoiding any inbox chaos while you’re away. In this quick Three Cherries guide, we’ll show you how to set your Out of Office in both Outlook and Microsoft Teams. It only takes a minute, and your future self will thank you.

Setting Your Out of Office in Microsoft Outlook On the desktop app (Windows/Mac):

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to File (top-left corner).
3. Select Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
4. Tick Send automatic replies.
5. Set your date range (so it switches off automatically).
6. Write your message – you can set different replies for people inside and outside your organisation.
7. Click OK to save.

On Outlook Web:

1. Click the settings icon (top-right).
2. Search “automatic replies”.
3. Toggle Automatic replies on.
4. Set your message and time range.
5. Save changes.

Setting Your Out of Office in Microsoft Teams

Teams doesn’t send automated replies like Outlook, but you can set a status message to let people know you’re away:

1. Open Teams.
2. Click your profile picture (top-right).
3. Select Set status message.
4. Type your message – e.g., “I’m currently out of the office and will reply when I return on [date].”
5. Tick Show when people message me.
6. Set the clear status time (ideally to match your return date).
7. Click Done.

You can also sync your Teams status with your Outlook automatic replies, so if you’ve already set one in Outlook, Teams will often pick it up.

Why It Matters

Taking a break should feel like a break and not a constant stream of “just checking in” emails. Setting up Out of Office replies in both Outlook and Teams helps manage expectations and shows your contacts that their message isn’t being ignored, just postponed.

If you’re part of a business where teams rely on smooth internal communication, this small step helps keep everyone informed and protects your downtime too.

Need help setting it up for your whole team? As a South West based IT support company, we’ve got your back. Get in touch with the team at Three Cherries today!