How can I see the automatic replies that were sent sent while I had 'out of office' turned on?

Hello Philip,

Good day! Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community!

We understand your concern regarding viewing the automatic replies that were sent while you had the Out of Office feature turned on in Outlook.

As you mentioned, in some email tools, users can see these automatic replies in the Sent Items folder, but it seems you're not able to locate them in Outlook. You’re looking for a way to track who received your Out of Office reply.

This is a great question, and you're right—this was raised back in 2021. At that time, many users expressed the desire for this feature to be more accessible, and suggestions were indeed made to improve it through Outlook's UserVoice platform.

Since then, Outlook has made numerous improvements, but as of now, automatic replies (Out of Office responses) are still not stored in the Sent Items folder by default. This is because these messages are generated and sent by the server, not directly from the user's mailbox, which limits their visibility in that way.

As of now, Outlook does not provide a built-in feature to view the automatic replies you've sent while out of the office. Unlike some other email systems, such as Google or HCL Notes, Outlook does not log these replies in your Sent Items folder. This limitation can be frustrating, especially when you want to verify who received your out-of-office message.

To better understand and investigate your problem, I can get some more detailed information from you:

1. Can you share your Outlook version details? Follow this article What version of Outlook do I have? - Microsoft Support and follow the steps to check.
2. Are you using a Microsoft 365 business account(@xxx.onmicrosoft.com/@yourdomain.com) or a personal account (ending in outlook.com/hotmail.com/live.com/msn.com) or another third-party pop/imap account?

**Note:In previous discussions, users have suggested various workarounds, but none have been fully satisfactory. For instance, some users recommend sending a test email to yourself or a colleague to confirm that the automatic reply is functioning correctly.Additionally,administrators can perform a message trace in Microsoft 365 to verify if the automatic replies were sent successfully, but this requiresadmin rights

While this specific feature has not yet been added to Outlook, here are a couple of workarounds you can consider:

Use Rules for Tracking Responses:

You can set up a rule that automatically sends you a copy of every email that receives an automatic reply. To do this:

• Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule.
• Set up a rule to move a copy of incoming emails to a specific folder when they meet your out-of-office criteria (e.g., when the subject line or body contains certain keywords). This method doesn’t track the automatic reply itself but does help you track the messages that triggered one.

Outlook Add-ins or Third-Party Tools:

You might also explore third-party tools or add-ins that can provide enhanced tracking and logging of automatic replies, as they may offer the functionality that you’re looking for.

Test Emails: Before going out of the office, send a test email from another account (or ask a colleague) to see if the auto-reply function works as expected.

Delivery and Read Receipts: For future emails, consider enabling delivery and read receipts. This won't help for past messages but can provide confirmation for future communications.

Check Server Logs (for IT Admins):

If you are an administrator or have access to your email server, you can view logs on the mail server, which may include information about who received your automatic replies.

This would need to be coordinated with your IT department or administrator.

Feedback Submission: If this feature is essential for your workflow, consider submitting feedback through the Outlook UserVoice platform. User feedback helps prioritize new features in future updates.

As of 2024, Microsoft has been actively addressing user feedback regarding features like automatic replies. While there hasn't been a specific update regarding viewing sent automatic replies directly within Outlook, improvements are continually being made based on user suggestions. If this feature is still lacking, consider providing feedback through Microsoft's UserVoice platform for potential future enhancements

We understand that this feature would be incredibly useful for many users, and your feedback is vital for our product teams. I encourage you to keep sharing your thoughts through the feedback option within Outlook or via Microsoft's Feedback Hub.

• Select Help & Feedback, then choose Feedback.
• Describe your issue clearly and submit it. This helps Microsoft understand user concerns and prioritize fixes

You can also submit feedback through these Microsoft support Ideas · Community (microsoft.com).

I hope this clarifies your concern and provides a few options to work around the issue.

NOTE

Many users have expressed a desire for Microsoft to reintroduce this feature in future updates. I recommend submitting feedback directly through the app or participating in community discussions to emphasize the importance of this functionality.Rest assured, the Outlook team is actively gathering feedback to improve features in the new updates.

In the meantime,I also wanted to share that the Outlook team values user feedback immenselyand uses it to prioritize features. If you'd like to see the Out of Office feature turned on in Outlook, would you please help vote on this reply, so that others can see the information and Microsoft development team prioritizes this feature.

The feature is a valuable contribution to the community, and I encourage others who find this helpful to upvote your reply so it gains visibility.

Once your feedback is submitted, we suggest keeping an eye out for similar ideas in the Microsoft feedback forums. Voting for improvements suggested by others ensures that the development team prioritizes features that align with user needs.

Thank you for your patience as Microsoft continues to refine its offerings. If you have any further questions or need assistance with other features, feel free to ask!

Please understand that our initial response may not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Microsoft Community Moderator

Hi Eleni,

Please see screenshots and responses in red.

To better understand and investigate your problem, I can get some more detailed information from you:

1. Can you share your Outlook version details? Follow this article What version of Outlook do I have? - Microsoft Support and follow the steps to check. See below. I’m guessing more than what you need, but just in case, and hopefully, I’m not including any information I shouldn’t.
2. Are you using a Microsoft 365 business account(@xxx.onmicrosoft.com/@yourdomain.com) or a personal account (ending in outlook.com/hotmail.com/live.com/msn.com) or another third-party pop/imap account? For business/state ending in .gov

**Note:In previous discussions, users have suggested various workarounds, but none have been fully satisfactory. For instance, some users recommend sending a test email to yourself or a colleague to confirm that the automatic reply is functioning correctly.Additionally,administrators can perform a message trace in Microsoft 365 to verify if the automatic replies were sent successfully, but this requiresadmin rights

I have used test emails when I’ve questioned whether I turned out of the office, on or want to confirm that emails are going out. I typically set the end time to the day I come back and a few hours after I start, which is a way to know if I had OOO on and the details. The OOO was not on this morning, which concerned me as it appeared I either didn’t follow my typical process or didn’t have it on.

I have admin rights, but I do not have permission in Admin Center. Not something critical for involving IT.

While this specific feature has not yet been added to Outlook, here are a couple of workarounds you can consider:

Use Rules for Tracking Responses:

You can set up a rule that automatically sends you a copy of every email that receives an automatic reply. To do this:

• Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule.
• Set up a rule to move a copy of incoming emails to a specific folder when they meet your out-of-office criteria (e.g., when the subject line or body contains certain keywords). This method doesn’t track the automatic reply itself but does help you track the messages that triggered one.

Outlook Add-ins or Third-Party Tools:

You might also explore third-party tools or add-ins that can provide enhanced tracking and logging of automatic replies, as they may offer the functionality that you’re looking for.

Test Emails: Before going out of the office, send a test email from another account (or ask a colleague) to see if the auto-reply function works as expected.

Delivery and Read Receipts: For future emails, consider enabling delivery and read receipts. This won't help for past messages but can provide confirmation for future communications.

Check Server Logs (for IT Admins):

If you are an administrator or have access to your email server, you can view logs on the mail server, which may include information about who received your automatic replies.

This would need to be coordinated with your IT department or administrator.

Feedback Submission: If this feature is essential for your workflow, consider submitting feedback through the Outlook UserVoice platform. User feedback helps prioritize new features in future updates.

While I agree feedback is helpful. I’m unsure when this issue was 1^st^ reported; however, the question I found was 2021; it's 2024. I would have to assume it is not important or there is some technical reason this has not been resolved, while other email tools can handle this challenging task.

I appreciate your quick response and suggestions. If there is other information I can provide, please let me know.

Thank you!

Hello Philip,

Thank you for your detailed response, and for providing the additional context and screenshots. I appreciate your patience and understand the frustration around this issue.

You’re seeking a way to view who received your Out of Office replies in Outlook. Despite workarounds and various tools available in other email platforms, this functionality still hasn’t been incorporated directly into Outlook as of 2024. You also provided key details about your setup, including that you're using a business email account ending in .gov, have admin rights but not access to the Admin Center, and have tried using test emails as a way to confirm if your Out of Office was active.

Firstly, thank you for your proactive approach in confirming your Out of Office setup through test emails and for sharing your thoughtful process of extending the time frame to double-check if it was turned on. I also recognize your effort in sharing feedback about this feature and understanding that despite ongoing user requests, it hasn’t been implemented.

You’re right, this question has been around for some time (since at least 2021), and while other email clients may provide automatic reply visibility in their "Sent Items," Outlook still doesn’t handle it that way. It does seem like a missed opportunity for users who need confirmation that the OOO replies went out. Your feedback is certainly appreciated, and I can understand the frustration.

While this feature is not yet available, here are some additional suggestions based on your context:

Test Email Monitoring: Since you’ve been using test emails to check whether your Out of Office replies are being sent, I recommend continuing this practice. It’s a reliable way to ensure your automatic replies are working as expected. It’s also helpful to keep a log of those test emails for future reference.

Use a Custom Rule to Track OOO Emails: Even though you don’t have access to the Admin Center, you can still set up a custom rule in Outlook to track which emails might have triggered your Out of Office replies:

• Create a rule that moves incoming emails to a designated folder if they meet specific criteria, like certain keywords in the subject or body.
• This won't directly log the automatic replies, but it helps you see which messages might have been responded to with an Out of Office message.

Collaborate with IT/Server Admins: Since you mentioned having admin rights (but not permission to access the Admin Center), you may want to collaborate with your IT team to check the Message Trace logs. These logs can provide a history of emails sent from your account, including Out of Office replies. This is more of a back-end solution, but it could give you visibility into who received your replies.

Enable Read/Delivery Receipts in the Future: For future planning, you could enable read receipts or delivery receipts on important emails. While this won't show you the automatic replies, it can confirm whether recipients opened your email, providing some tracking for key communications during your absence.

Use Powershell Commands (if applicable): With admin rights, and depending on your access level, you might be able to use Powershell to check your OOO status. This doesn’t require full Admin Center permissions but does involve a bit of technical work. If you have access to Exchange Powershell, you could run a command like:

 Get-MailboxAutoReplyConfiguration -Identity <your-email>  

This would give you details on whether your OOO is currently enabled or not, along with any custom messages you have set.

Acknowledgment of delay: You’re absolutely right that the original question about OOO replies not appearing in the "Sent Items" was raised a few years ago, and it’s understandable that this feature still hasn’t been implemented. While I don’t have specific insight into why this hasn’t been addressed, it may be a combination of technical limitations and priority decisions.

Feedback Submission: I understand your feedback about this feature and appreciate your patience as it has been discussed since at least 2021. While it may not have been prioritized due to technical limitations or other reasons, your feedback remains important. Microsoft continues to use user insights to drive product improvements, and I encourage you to submit it directly through Outlook’s feedback mechanism.

Thank you again for your detailed input and for trying the various workarounds suggested by the community. If you have any further questions or need help implementing any of the solutions I’ve mentioned, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Microsoft Community Moderator