An out-of-office response or an automatic reply can be a useful tool to help communicate response times or absences. This can be especially useful in a shared mailbox. Adding an out-of-office response or automatic reply to a shared mailbox through Outlook Web is a straightforward task.

To add an auto-reply or out-of-office message to a shared mailbox, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to Outlook Web and sign in using your full ISU email address and password
2. Once logged in, click on your profile picture or the initials in the top right corner and click Open another mailbox. (Figure 1)
   Figure 1:
   
3. Enter the name or email address of the shared mailbox in the box that pops up and click “Open.”
4. In the shared mailbox, click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner.
5. Click on Account within the settings menu.
6. Click on the Automatic replies option that appears and turn the automatic replies toggle switch on. (Figure 2)
   Figure 2:
   
7. Once toggled on you can set the start and end time for the out-of-office response if you want it to be active only during a specific period. As well, you can set a different reply for users inside your organization and another for those outside your organization.
8. Once you are satisfied with your time frame and out-of-office message, scroll down and click Save. 

How to Get Help

Technical assistance is available through the Illinois State University Technology Support Center at:

• Phone: (309) 438-4357
• Email: SupportCenter@IllinoisState.edu
• Submit a Request via Web Form: Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help
• Live Chat: Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help