Microsoft Teams has become an indispensable collaboration tool for many businesses and organizations. With its wide range of features for messaging, meetings, file sharing and more, Teams facilitates productivity and connectivity between colleagues working remotely or in the office.
One handy Teams feature for individuals is the ability to set an automatic out of office reply when away or unavailable. This lets coworkers know you’re not immediately available while still allowing Teams messages to reach you.
Understanding Out of Office in Teams
The out of office option in Teams provides an automated response to messages received during the specified timeframe. When enabled, any direct messages or @mentions will trigger the set out of office reply to be sent to the sender.
Some key things to know about Out of Office in Teams:
- The automated reply only applies to Chat messages, not Channels.
- Standard users can set an out of office for up to four weeks at a time.
- The out of office response will be sent at most once per day to each unique sender.
- Out of office can be set both in the Teams desktop and mobile apps.
- Users still have access to Teams and receive messages as usual when OOO is on.
Out of office can be a great way to communicate short-term unavailability like vacations, sick time, or a conference. It helps set expectations that you may not reply immediately though still lets you monitor Teams as needed.
Setting an Out of Office Message in Teams
Turning on an out of office reply in Teams takes just a few clicks. Here are the steps:
- Open Teams and click on your profile icon in the top right. Select “Set status message”.
- Choose “Out of office” then toggle it to On.
- Enter the dates and time range you want your out of office to apply to.
- Type the custom message you want senders to receive as your out of office reply.
- Click “Done” to save your out of office details.
Once enabled, you will see “Out of office” under your name to indicate it’s turned on. Your specified dates and message will automatically be sent to anyone who direct messages or @mentions you during that time.
Customizing Your Out of Office Message
Crafting your out of office reply provides an opportunity to set expectations about when you’ll return and how senders can otherwise get help.
Here are some tips for creating effective out of office messages in Teams:
- State dates you’re out – Be specific about the timeframe you’re unavailable so people know when to expect you back.
- Offer alternate contacts – Provide details of others who can assist while you’re out like a colleague’s name, email, or number.
- Set an end date – If possible, include a date or time when you’ll return so people know when they’ll hear from you again.
- Keep it short – A succinct message is more likely to be read so don’t make it too lengthy.
- Use your voice – Phrase the message conversationally in your own style to feel more personal.
- Thank senders – Let people know you appreciate their patience while you’re out of office.
Your out of office serves as an auto-responder so think about details to include that provide the right context.
Disabling Out of Office in Teams
Once the dates of your out of office have passed, it’s important to remember to turn the automated replies off. This keeps coworkers informed and prevents any confusion from outdated messages.
To turn out of office off in Teams:
- Go to your profile and select “Set status message”.
- Choose “Out of office” then toggle to Off.
- Delete the entered date range and message.
- Click “Clear” and confirm turning out of office off.
With out of office disabled, your status will return to Available or whatever other status you normally use. Remember to also update it when coming back from sick days or other unplanned absences.
What Happens When Out of Office is On?
When your out of office reply is enabled in Teams, here’s exactly what happens when people message you:
- Senders will see your status shows as “Out of office” under your name.
- You will receive and can read all Teams messages as normal.
- Any direct messages will trigger your custom OOO message to be sent back once per sender.
- The automated reply will also be sent once to anyone who @mentions you in a channel.
- After receiving the message once, the sender won’t get it again for subsequent messages they send you.
- Messages in channels won’t ever get your Out of Office reply.
So you don’t have to worry about spamming teammates with constant auto-responses. Out of office just acts as a one-time notifier per person that you’re currently unavailable.
Out of Office Options for Different Team Roles
Along with standard users, Teams provides expanded out of office options and settings for members with specified roles.
Team Owners
As the team owner, you can configure the following out of office policies for members:
- Set a maximum OOO duration allowed (up to 4 weeks).
- Prevent regular users from customizing their out of office messages.
- Limit who the auto-reply messages are sent to.
Visit your team’s settings to manage these options and defaults for out of office.
Admins
Teams administrators have the same ability to turn on out of office and set custom replies as regular users.
Additional capabilities include:
- Setting out of office on behalf of other users.
- Configuring the organization’s policies around OOO usage.
- Turning out of office on or off for an entire team.
- Viewing reporting on out of office usage across the company.
Admins can control many aspects of how out of office functions across the organization.
Microsoft 365 Groups
Members of Office 365 groups integrated with Teams can set an out of office also.
For O365 Groups:
- Out of office only applies to Teams – not emails or other Office 365 apps.
- OOO messages will only be sent within Teams to group members.
- The out of office dates and details sync across Teams desktop, web, and mobile.
O365 Group out of office functions similarly to regular Teams but scoped specifically to group interactions.
Troubleshooting Out of Office Problems
Out of office automatic replies usually work seamlessly in Teams. But occasionally issues may come up preventing them from working as expected.
Here are some common out of office problems and fixes to try:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Out of office not sending |
|
| Getting OOOs from yourself |
|
| Repetitive out of office replies |
|
Running through basic troubleshooting like the above can help resolve many out of office issues that may appear.
Best Practices for Out of Office
Using out of office effectively takes some strategy. Here are best practices to keep in mind:
- Set dates accurately – Only use OOO for exact dates you’ll be unavailable to avoid confusing coworkers.
- Turn off when back – Promptly disable out of office when you return to reflect availability.
- Test it out – Check your OOO settings by messaging yourself from another account.
- Inform key contacts – Directly tell important coworkers/clients you’ll be out with details.
- Have backup help – Ensure urgent matters will be handled by a colleague in your absence.
- Automate off hours – Use out of office for evenings/weekends if completely offline.
Using out of office effectively requires planning but can really improve your away time while keeping people in the loop.
How Does Out of Office Show to External Contacts?
If your Teams account is communicating with users outside your organization, you may be wondering how out of office messages are handled with external contacts.
Here are the key things to know about OOO and external Teams users:
- Out of office will only send automatically to contacts within your Teams org and tenant.
- External users will just see your “Out of office” status but won’t receive a custom reply.
- Your OOO message will send normally if explicitly enabled for external access.
- Admins can control if/how out of office displays to external users.
For privacy reasons, OOO won’t automatically notify every external user by default. But you can customize based on your external collaboration needs.
Using Out of Office for Focus Time
Beyond vacation or travel, out of office auto-replies can also be helpful for designating deep focus time when you want to avoid distractions.
Ways to leverage out of office for concentration:
- Turn on OOO during heads-down work blocks to mute notifications.
- Set out of office for a few hours to prevent distracting messages.
- Use a focus-related OOO message like “Heads down on project work until 2pm”.
- Let important contacts know directly you’ll be hard to reach for a period.
Out of office won’t completely eliminate incoming messages. But using it strategically enables periods of minimal interruptions so you can do focused work.
Conclusion
Microsoft Teams out of office auto-replies provide a straightforward way to communicate your availability status when away or unable to respond. Crafting clear OOO messages, customizing settings as needed, and consistently toggling it on/off will help you use this feature effectively.
Understanding best practices around out of office can improve your personal productivity and collaboration with colleagues. Used strategically, it makes absence more seamless whether for vacation, focus time, illness or other priorities. Just be sure to disable it promptly when you return!
