This article explains how to create an out of office reply for Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013; Outlook for Microsoft 365, and Outlook.com, depending on the type of account you use. It also explains how to determine whether you have an Exchange account.

With an effective out of office message in Outlook, people will know when you’re not available, but when you’ll be back. They’ll also know what to do if there’s an issue that needs immediate attention.

The settings for an out of office message in Outlook differ depending on whether your email account is on a Microsoft Exchange server or is an IMAP or POP email account (as with popular email services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and others).

If you're not sure whether you're using Outlook with an Exchange account, check the status bar at the bottom of the Outlook window. If you're using an Exchange account, you'll see Connected to: Microsoft Exchange in the status bar.