Get Mailbox Auto Reply Configurations in M365

Native Solution

Microsoft 365 Permission Required

High

Least Privilege

Global Reader

Most Privilege

Global Admin

Option 1 Using Windows PowerShell

Connect to the Exchange Online PowerShell.
Windows PowerShell
```
 Connect-ExchangeOnline
```
Run the below cmdlet to get the list of users who have currently enabled or scheduled the out-of-office automatic reply.

Windows PowerShell

 Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited | foreach{ Get-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity $_.UserPrincipalName |? { $_.AutoReplyState -ne "Disabled" } | Select Identity, StartTime, EndTime, AutoReplyState}

Here, you can get the user identities, along with the start and end time of their 'out of office' and the current auto-reply state.

Option 2 Using PowerShell Script

While the PS cmdlet checks out-of-office status for all users, it's crucial to analyze the OOF email content and its configurations for more detailed insights.
This process involves complex handling, such as filtering multiple objects from the cmdlet. Therefore, we crafted a PowerShell script to get the mailbox auto-reply configuration for each user.
Download and execute the script in Administrator PowerShell to get each user's OOF status and the settings.

GetMailboxAutoReplyConfiguration.ps1

Option 3 Using Exchange Admin Center

Login to the Exchange admin center and navigate to Recipients»Mailboxes.
Click on the respective user, go to the Others tab, and select Manage automatic replies to check the particualr user's out-of-office status and configurations.

Though the Exchange admin center allows you to check the OOF configuration of a user, checking the OOF settings for multiple users is challenging, as you need to navigate through each user.

AdminDroid Solution

More than 150 reports are under the free edition.

AdminDroid Permission Required

Delegated

Any user with report access assigned by Super Admin.

StepsUsing AdminDroid

Login to the AdminDroid Office 365 reporter.
Navigate to the Active Out of Office Settings report under Reports»Exchange»Email Message Settings.

This report displays a list of mailboxes with active out-of-office settings with details like display name, UPN, start & end time, external audience, reply message for internal & external organization users, etc.

Use the built-in graphical chart to visually display the daily summary of out-of-office configurations. Quickly find the number of users with out-of-office currently enabled, scheduled, and recently ended.

Explore a full range of reporting options

Seamlessly track Microsoft 365 users with out-of-office settings!

Gain detailed reports on all mailboxes' automatic reply configurations in Microsoft 365 to ensure effective task completion throughout the day.

Witness the report in action using the

Live Demo

Important Tips

Set out-of-office replies for offboarded users to notify email senders about the respective Microsoft 365 user's departure and provide alternative contact information.

To auto-forward emails and process out-of-office replies simultaneously, use inbox rules instead of transport rules or SMTP forwarding, as they can create conflicts with OOF settings.

Advise your users to configure work hours and location in Outlook for efficient collaboration, like how out-of-office configuration in Outlook helps ensure a seamless workflow.

Exchange OnlineEnhance Productivity by Managing Out of Office Configurations in Microsoft 365!

Showing 1 of 7

How can users set up out-of-office automatic replies in Outlook? How to set up out-of-office automatic reply on a user's mailbox? How to set out-of-office events in the Outlook calendar? Is it possible to set OOF replies for a shared mailbox or group mailbox? How to find users with pre-planned out-of-office configurations? How to troubleshoot out-of-office problems in Microsoft 365? How to block external out-of-office messages only for selected users?

How can users set up out-of-office automatic replies in Outlook?

Enabling out-of-office replies is crucial for notifying others of your unavailability, allowing them to manage your absence effectively. As a Microsoft 365 user, you can set out-of-office reply messages in Teams, Outlook Web, Outlook Desktop, etc., as these services are interconnected.

Set out-of-office in Outlook Web

Configuring out-of-office replies in the new Outlook and Outlook on the web follows a similar process. To send automatic out-of-office replies in Outlook, just follow the steps below.

Login to the Outlook web app and go to Settings (⚙)»Mail»Automatic replies.
Enable the Turn on automatic replies toggle.
Select the Send replies only during a time period check box and choose the time range. If you're unsure about your return, leave this box unchecked to keep OOF active until you disable it.
If you enable the check box in the above step, configure additional settings to block the calendar, decline new invitations, and cancel existing meetings during the period.
Enter your out-of-office message for your organization in the provided text box.
Optionally, set a different message for all the external organization users or only for external contacts.
Finally, click the Save button to enable or schedule the out-of-office replies in Outlook.

Note: To disable the automatic reply configured by the admin or yourselves, simply turn off the ‘Automatic Replies on’ toggle.

How to set up out-of-office automatic reply on a user's mailbox?

Typically, Microsoft 365 users set up out-of-office messages themselves for planned leave. But if they misconfigure the OOF settings, admins can override the user's OOF auto-reply settings to notify others about the employee's absence and plan necessary actions to manage their unavailability. Additionally, admins can enable OOF replies for users who take emergency leave without setting up automatic replies or for employees who are suspended or offboarded.

How can admins override a users' out of office replies using the Exchange admin center?

Go to the Mailboxes page in the Exchange admin center and navigate to Respective user»Others»Manage automatic replies.
Switch the Automatic Replies toggle to the ‘On’.
If you want to schedule OOF replies for a specific time range, enable the Send replies only during a time period checkbox and set the desired time range. Alternatively, leave it unchecked to keep OOF messages active until you disable the auto-reply configuration.
Enter the auto-reply message for internal and external organizations in the respective text boxes. Then, configure the Outlook out-of-office rules for external organizations to either send replies to all external users or only those listed in contacts.
Click the Save button to enable the OOF message for the respective user.

Set auto-reply configuration using PowerShell

To enable an out-of-office message using PowerShell, use the following cmdlet. You can set the value of ‘ExternalAudience’ as 'None' to block replies to all external users, 'Known' to reply only to external contacts, or 'All' to reply to all external senders.

Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity "<User’s UPN>" -AutoReplyState Enabled -InternalMessage "<Internal Mail Content>" -ExternalMessage "<External Mail Content>" -ExternalAudience "<None/Known/All>"

The above cmdlet sets the user’s OOF status until the auto-reply configuration is removed. Alternatively, you can also schedule auto-reply for a specific period using the following cmdlet.

Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity "<User’s UPN>" -AutoReplyState Scheduled -StartTime "<MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss>" -EndTime "<MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss>" -InternalMessage "<Internal Mail Content>"

To set out-of-office for multiple users with the same configuration, create a CSV file with the list of users and execute the cmdlet in a for-each loop.

Import-CSV "<CSV File Location>" | Foreach {Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity $_.EmailAddress -AutoReplyState Enabled}

Points to remember

You can also set out-of-office replies for a user via the M365 admin center under Users»Active users»Respective user»Mail»Automatic replies»Manage automatic replies. However, you cannot specify a time range there.
If automatic replies are enabled, only one reply is sent to each sender even if a user receives multiple emails from a sender.
To disable the OOF reply for a user, just disable the Automatic Replies toggle. You can also set the ‘AutoReplyState’ value as ‘Disabled’ to disable the auto-reply using Exchange Online PowerShell.
Out-of-office settings configured by admins can be overridden by users, and vice versa. In any case, the most recent out-of-office settings configured, whether by an admin or by users, will be applied to the mailbox.

Get a comprehensive snapshot of automatic reply configurations in Microsoft 365 for every mailbox using AdminDroid!

The Out of Office Email Settings report offers detailed insights into users with OOF enabled, scheduled, and disabled.
Analyzing this report helps reroute urgent emails by adding additional contact info in the user's out-of-office auto-replies.

Pro Tip: Use the Email(✉) option available with the reports to have them delivered to your inbox.

How to set out-of-office events in the Outlook calendar?

Configuring out-of-office automatic replies and setting out-of-office events in the Outlook calendar serve different purposes. The out-of-office automatic reply in Outlook sets your status as ‘out of office’ and notifies email senders of your absence. Out-of-office events in the Outlook calendar mark your unavailability status for meeting requests and appointments.

Colleagues who view your calendar can easily see your unavailability and planned absence for better coordination and to keep going with upcoming events.
Managing OOF events through the calendar interface can help avoid configuring OOF automatic replies for short-hour breaks.
Setting up OOF in the Outlook calendar helps to check out-of-office status without sending an email.

Steps to mark out-of-office in Outlook calendar

Login to your Microsoft 365 Outlook account via any browser.
In the Calendar (📅) tab, select New Event.
Add a title for the OOF event, then configure the start and end date & time ranges.
To enable the OOF event for the entire day, slide the All day toggle on.
Click on the Busy state drop-down and choose the Out of office option.
Click on the Save button to finish configuring the out-of-office event in Outlook.

Is it possible to set OOF replies for a shared mailbox or group mailbox?

Yes, Microsoft 365 admins can configure automatic replies for Exchange Online shared mailboxes and group mailboxes!

Setting OOF replies for a shared mailbox or group mailbox is beneficial for informing senders about team absences. This capability to send automatic out-of-office replies in Outlook allows you to provide alternative contact information or the team's return timeframe to email senders.

Set out-of-office replies for a shared mailbox

A user with Full Access permission to a shared mailbox can configure an out-of-office auto-reply for it. To do so, open the shared mailbox by selecting ‘Open another mailbox’ from the profile icon in the top right corner of Outlook on the web. Then, set out-of-office in Outlook as you would do for a user mailbox.

Admins can also configure out-of-office auto-replies for shared mailboxes using the admin centers or PowerShell, similar to the process for user mailboxes.

Set out-of-office replies for a group mailbox

Typically, Microsoft 365 group owners or members cannot set out-of-office in Outlook for their group mailbox. However, admins can configure automatic replies for any Microsoft 365 group mailbox using PowerShell.

Here's how to configure an out-of-office reply for a group mailbox using PowerShell.

Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity "<M365 Group's UPN>" -AutoReplyState Enabled -InternalMessage "<Internal Mail Content>" -ExternalMessage "<External Mail Content>" -ExternalAudience "<None/Known/All>"

Note: OOF can only be configured for Microsoft 365 groups and not for distribution lists, dynamic distribution lists, or mail-enabled security groups.

Reviewing the shared and group mailboxes with out-of-office enabled is made easy with AdminDroid!

Use the ‘Recipient Type’ easy filter in the Active Out of Office Settings report to list shared and group mailboxes with OOF enabled or scheduled.
This filter facilitates instant analysis of which groups or teams are out of the office for the respective day and upcoming days.

Handy Hint: Use the Schedule(⏰) option to get automated and timely insights into which shared and group mailboxes have OOF enabled.

How to find users with pre-planned out-of-office configurations?

For planning any upcoming event or estimating workload delivery times in your organization, identifying user availability is essential. While Exchange Online PowerShell provides a robust way to track users' pre-planned out-of-office schedules, it often requires multiple filtrations and further processing.

To overcome this concern, you can execute the GetMailboxAutoReplyConfiguration.ps1 script provided above with the ‘ActiveOOFAfterDays’ parameter.

.\GetMailboxAutoReplyConfiguration.ps1 -ActiveOOFAfterDays "<Days>"

For instance, executing the script after replacing <Days> with 14 will retrieve all mailboxes with out-of-office (OOF) settings scheduled to be active within the next 14 days.

For seamless planning and operations, AdminDroid enables you to review and analyze the pre-planned out-of-office schedules!

In the Active Out of Office Setting report, you can easily analyze the pre-planned OOF configuration by selecting the Start Time and End Time ranges.
You can also leave the End Time range blank to view all auto-replies configured to be active after the specified Start Time range.

Handy Hint: Use the Export(⇩) option to download reports in formats such as HTML, PDF, CSV, RAW, etc., for easy offline access and printing.

How to troubleshoot out-of-office problems in Microsoft 365?

Essentially, users rely on Microsoft 365's out-of-office (OOF) feature to notify others of their absence and ensure smooth collaboration. However, when these messages fail to function as intended, it can lead to frustration. As a Microsoft 365 admin, it's crucial to pinpoint the underlying causes of these issues.

Typically, OOF replies will not be triggered if an email is identified as junk by Exchange Online Protection. Additionally, several existing configurations in Exchange Online can lead to failed automatic replies in Outlook. To address issues with out-of-office replies, consider these common pitfalls that may interfere with the proper operation of the feature.

Incorrect date & time settings or missing messages for external users can cause out-of-office issues. Additionally, misconfigurations like enabling messages only for contacts can also lead to problems with the out-of-office functionality.

Transport rules in Exchange Online can conflict with the OOF functionality if not set up correctly. If any changes in transport rules are made to redirect, reject, or delete a message, it can prevent out-of-office rules from sending auto-replies.

If a user mailbox has SMTP forwarding enabled, OOF replies won't be generated.

When a setting is configured to restrict external OOF replies for some users, their automatic replies for external organizations won't be sent. While Outlook or MS Teams enables the users to set OOF for external org, it won't get applied as this was blocked for such users.

To check if a user is blocked from sending auto-replies to external organizations, you can use the following cmdlet.
```
Get-Mailbox "<user’s UPN>" | Select-Object ExternalOofOptions
```
If you see the value of ‘ExternalOofOptions’ as ‘InternalOnly’, you can allow users to send OOF replies to external users using the following cmdlet.
```
Set-Mailbox "<user’s UPN>" -ExternalOofOptions External
```

If a user mailbox is set to get undeliverable journal reports, OOF replies won't be sent from that mailbox, and journaling email messages may also be affected.

You can use the following cmdlet to verify whether the respective mailbox is included to receive the journal reports if the journaling mailbox is unavailable.
```
Get-TransportConfig | fl JournalingReportNdrTo*
```
If you find the affected mailbox is assigned to the ‘JournalingReportNdr’ parameter, set the param with a dedicated (non-user) mailbox address or an external address.
```
Set-TransportConfig –JournalingReportNdrTo "<Email Address>"
```

If the OOF reply is disabled or misconfigured for a remote domain, auto-replies won't be sent to users in that domain as expected.

To review the OOF-enabled state and the reply type in all remote domains, use the following cmdlet.
```
Get-RemoteDomain -ResultSize Unlimited | ft Identity, DomainName, AutoReplyEnabled, AllowedOOFType
```
If you find any misconfigurations, use the cmdlet below to enable the OOF reply state and change the OOF reply type to ‘External’.
```
Set-RemoteDomain -Identity "<Remote Domain Identity>" -AutoReplyEnabled $true -AllowedOOFType External
```
Here, you can also set the reply mode as ‘InternalLegacy’, ‘ExternalLegacy’, and ‘None’ to make the OOF replies delivered as intended for the appropriate remote domain users.

How to block external out-of-office messages only for selected users?

By default, Exchange Online allows every user to configure OOF replies for external and internal users. However, we may need to block external out-of-office messages for employees working on certain products or projects to avoid disclosing delays or timelines to clients.

Disable external out-of-office messages

To block a user from sending out-of-office replies to external users, you should run the following cmdlet with the appropriate user’s UPN.

Set-Mailbox "<User’s UPN>" -ExternalOofOptions InternalOnly

Similarly, to block a set of users from sending automatic replies to external users, run the following cmdlet. Use the appropriate CSV file that contains the list of the users' UPNs.

Import-CSV "<CSV File Location>" | Foreach {Set-Mailbox "<User’s UPN>" -ExternalOofOptions InternalOnly}

Note: If these users are later relieved from such projects or if project requirements change, you can restore their ability to notify external organization users of their absence.

Enable external out-of-office replies

If you need to re-enable external out-of-office replies for any users who were previously blocked, use the following cmdlet with the appropriate user’s UPN.

Set-Mailbox "<User’s UPN>" -ExternalOofOptions External

Similarly, to enable a set of users who are previously blocked from sending automatic replies to external users, run the following cmdlet with the appropriate CSV file path.

Import-CSV "<CSV File Location>" | Foreach {Set-Mailbox "<User’s UPN>" -ExternalOofOptions External}

In the Message Delivery Restrictions report, use Advanced Customization to display items where the "External Oof Options" equals "InternalOnly".
This refinement enables you to get all the users who are disabled for sending out-of-office automatic replies to external organizations.

Pro Tip: Once the filters are applied, use the Save as View option to save this customized report view for future use.

AdminDroid Exchange Online ReporterGain deeper insights into Microsoft 365 users' out-of-office configurations!

AdminDroid’s Exchange Online reporting tool offers a seamless and efficient way to find users with out-of-office automatic replies enabled, scheduled, and disabled. With up-to-date information, admins or managers can ensure staff availability for a non-stop workflow.

A Quick Summary

Bird's Eye View on Out-of-Office Replies

Get a quick overview of OOF email settings to see which mailboxes allow only internal auto-replies and which are enabled for both external and internal auto-replies.

Get Automated Daily Insights on Out-of-Office Status

For effectively managing workloads and ensuring staff availability, schedule the reports on users' out-of-office statuses to receive daily insights directly to your inbox.

Complete Summary of Out-of-Office Event Settings

Examine the Out of Office Event Settings report to view each user’s auto-decline settings for existing meetings and new event invitations.

Quickly Examine the Emails Received by OOF Users

Filter the All Mails report by recipient address and received date to swiftly review mail received by out-of-office users.

Set Up Out of Office Replies for All Disabled Users

Review the sign-in disabled users' report and configure auto-replies for them to ensure that senders receive a response with alternative contact information.

Delegated Access to Out-of-Office Reports

To keep respective managers and authorities informed about user availability, grant them delegated access to view out-of-office reports in the AdminDroid portal.

In conclusion, AdminDroid’s Exchange Online management tool helps identify users who have set out-of-office in Outlook and their corresponding reply configurations. This ensures you stay informed about staff availability and streamlines auto-reply notifications to maintain productivity.

Kickstart Your Journey with AdminDroid

Your Microsoft 365 Companion with Enormous Reporting Capabilities!

Download

Common Errors and Resolution Steps While Managing M365 User’s Out-of-Office Replies

As a Microsoft 365 admin, you may encounter the following errors while managing users' out-of-office replies. Dive deeply into the section to know the cause of the error and the appropriate troubleshooting hints.

Error: Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ManagementObjectNotFoundException|The operation couldn't be performed because Identity:"X" couldn't be found.

This error occurs when the specified identity in the ‘Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration’ cmdlet does not exist, or when you enter the UPN of a distribution group, dynamic distribution group, or mail-enabled security group.

Troubleshooting hint :Verify whether the specified mailbox exists in your Microsoft 365 using the below cmdlet.

Get-Mailbox –Resutsize Unlimited

Error: Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration : Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'StartTime'. Cannot convert value "31/12/2024" to type "System.DateTime". Error: "String was not recognized as a valid DateTime."

This error occurs when you specify the date in the incorrect format in the ‘Set-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration’ cmdlet.

Troubleshooting hint :Input the date in "MM/DD/YYYY" format (e.g., "12/31/2024").

Error: Automatic replies update failed Error executing request. EndTime: The end time that you entered occurs before the start time. The start time must occur before the end time.

This error occurs in the Exchange admin center when your specified end time is earlier than the start time.

Troubleshooting hint :Ensure that the start time is earlier than the end time.

Error: Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'ExternalAudience'. Cannot convert value "X" to type "Microsoft.Exchange.InfoWorker.Common.OOF.ExternalAudience". Error: "Unable to match the identifier name X to a valid enumerator name. Specify one of the following enumerator names and try again: None, Known, All".

The error occurs because the value provided for the parameter 'ExternalAudience' cannot be recognized as a valid enumerator name in the context of Microsoft Exchange OOF settings.

Troubleshooting hint :Ensure the parameter 'ExternalAudience' is set to a valid enumerator: None, Known, or All.

Error: Automatic replies update failed.

The error occurs when you try to enable, modify, or disable the out-of-office (OOF) reply settings using an admin role with insufficient privileges.

Troubleshooting hint :Ensure the admin role has sufficient permissions to modify out-of-office settings, such as the Exchange administrator role.

Delivering Reports on Time

Want a desired Microsoft 365 reports every Monday morning? Ensure automated report distribution and timely delivery with AdminDroid’s Scheduling to your email anytime you need.

Schedule tailored reports to execute automatically at the time you set and deliver straight to the emails you choose. In addition, you can customize report columns and add intelligent filtering to the activities just from the previous day to suit your Microsoft 365 report requirements.

Set It, Schedule It, See Results - Your Reports, Your Way, On Your Time!

Time Saving Automation Customization Intelligent Filtering

Give Just the Right Access to the Right People

Grant fine-tuned access to any Microsoft 365 user with AdminDroid’s Granular Delegation and meet your organization’s security and compliance requirements.

Create custom roles loaded with just the right permissions and give access to admins or normal users within AdminDroid. The result? A streamlined Microsoft 365 management experience that aligns your organization's security protocols and saves your invaluable time and effort.

Give Just the Right Access to the Right People

Align, Define, Simplify: AdminDroid's Granular Delegation

Smart Organizational Control Effortless M365 Management Simplified Access

Advanced Alerts at a Glance

Receive quick notifications for malicious Microsoft 365 activities. Engage with the AdminDroid’s real-time alert policies crafted to streamline your security investigations.

Stay informed of critical activities like suspicious emails and high-risk logins, bulk file sharing, etc. Through creating and validating ideal alert policies, AdminDroid provides a comprehensive approach to real-time monitoring and management of potential threats within your organization.

AdminDroid Keeps You Always Vigilant, Never Vulnerable!

Proactive Protection Real-time Monitoring Security Intelligence Threat Detection

Merge the Required Data to One Place

Combine multiple required columns into one comprehensive report and prioritize the information that matters most to you with AdminDroid’s Advanced Column Customization.

This column merging capability offers a flexible way to add different columns from various reports and collate all the essential data in one place. Want to revisit the customized report? Save it as a 'View’, and your unique report is ready whenever you need it.

Merge with Ease and Save as Views!

Custom Reporting Unique View Desired Columns Easy Data Interpretation

Insightful Charts and Exclusive Dashboards

Get a quick and easy overview of your tenant's activity, identify potential problems, and take action to protect your data with AdminDroid’s Charts and Dashboards.

With AdminDroid charts and dashboards, visualize your Microsoft 365 tenant in ways you've never thought possible. It's not just about viewing; it's about understanding, controlling, and transforming your Microsoft 365 environment.

Insightful Charts and Exclusive Dashboards

Explore Your Microsoft 365 Tenant in a Whole New Way!

Executive overviews Interactive insights Decision-making Data Visualization

Efficient Report Exporting for Microsoft 365

Downloading your reports in the right file format shouldn’t be a hassle with AdminDroid’s Report Export. Experience seamless report exporting in various formats that cater to your needs.

Navigate through diverse options and export Microsoft 365 reports flawlessly in your desired file format. Tailor your reports precisely as you need them and save them directly to your computer.

Efficient Report Exporting for Microsoft 365

Take Control, Customize and Deliver- Your Office 365 Data, Exported in Your Way!

Easy Export Seamless Downloading Data Control Manage Microsoft 365

How to Track Users with Out of Office Enabled in Microsoft 365