How can I set an auto response that goes to external emails only and not to internal ones?

Question

Hello,

I have tried to look for solutions in previous forums, however the most recent one I found was 2023, but those steps did not work.

I am trying to set an auto reply for an account I manage to send to external emails only, and not to anyone within the organization. I have tried leaving the internal portion of autoreply blank per a recommendation from a Microsoft technician in aforementioned support thread, but that is just sending blank responses to internal users. I have also tried to set up a rule to send a template for external emails only, but could not find a way to set a rule to apply a template reply (again a suggestion in the previous thread).

I have an executive assistant comping at the bit for help on this that doesn't involve creating an internal email only.

Thank you,

Answer 1

Hi @James P

Thank you for posting your question in the Q&A Forum.

From your description, I understand you're looking to configure an automatic reply that only goes to external senders, without triggering responses to internal users and that previous attempts using Outlook rules and templates haven’t worked as expected. 

Since Outlook rules do not provide a native condition like “external sender only”, the solution depends on the version of Outlook you are using and whether you have administrative access. 

If you are using Outlook for Windows, you can create a rule that sends a reply from a saved template and excludes internal addresses by adding an exception for your organization’s domain (for example, “Except if sender’s address contains @yourcompany.com”). 

A detailed illustrated guide is available here: How to automatically reply outside organization only in Outlook

Please note this is a third‑party article, not published by Microsoft, so review it carefully to ensure it aligns with your organization’s policies. Also, this method only works on the Outlook desktop app for Windows, not on Outlook Web App or Mac. 

If you have access to the Exchange Admin Center (or can work with your IT administrator), this is the most reliable and recommended solution. This type of rule operates at the server level, so the auto-reply will be sent even if your Outlook application is closed. 

1. Log in to the Exchange Admin Center. 
2. Navigate to Mail flow > Rules. 
3. Create a new rule with these conditions: 

• "The recipient is..." (select the mailbox you are managing). 
• "The sender is located..." (select Outside the organization). 

4. Set the action to "Reply with a custom message" and type your auto-reply. 

I hope these steps help you achieve the desired result. Please try them when convenient and let me know how it goes. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to help. 

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