The Automatic replies feature in absentify allows you to automatically manage your Outlook out-of-office messages for scheduled absences. This feature is only visible if your company’s administrators have granted absentify the necessary Microsoft permissions to access Outlook settings.
Note: If your company has a Plus Plan, administrators can centrally manage and configure out-of-office messages for all employees. In this case, you will be able to view, but not edit, your automatic out-of-office settings. Additionally, the out-of-office message will not include the “Created by absentify” footer.

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Accessing automatic replies

To access Automatic replies:
  1. Go to Your Preferences in absentify.
  2. If enabled by your company, you’ll see the Automatic replies option in the menu.
If you don’t see the Automatic replies option in your preferences, your company may not have enabled this feature yet. Please reach out to your administrator or forward them the activation instructions to help set this up for your workspace.

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How automatic out-of-office replies work

absentify will automatically set your out-of-office message at the exact start time of your absence, as defined in your request. The message is disabled automatically at the end of your absence based on the end time specified.
  • Updating the reply: If you add or remove absences immediately before or after an existing absence period, the out-of-office message will be updated to reflect the adjusted timeframe.
  • Template changes: If you update the out-of-office template in Automatic replies while an absence is already active, the updated template will not affect the current message. To apply the new template, you can:
    • Cancel and recreate the absence request.
    • Alternatively, extend the absence by adding a request immediately before or after the existing period to refresh the out-of-office message.
    • Or, manually adjust the out-of-office reply directly in Outlook or Teams.

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Configuring your out-of-office templates

You can create custom templates for each absence type, allowing absentify to automatically reuse the message for any future scheduled absence. Available templates include:
  • Inside organization template: This message is sent to your internal contacts.
  • Outside organization template: This message is sent to external contacts.

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Setting up placeholders

Add placeholders to your templates to automatically populate your message with specific details for each absence, such as start and end times, approver information, and return date. Available placeholders include:
  • Basic placeholders:
    • {{startDate}}: Start date of your leave
    • {{startTime}}: Start time of your leave
    • {{dateOfReturn}}: Date you return to work
    • {{timeOfReturn}}: Time you return to work
    • {{name}}: Your full name
  • Approver placeholders:
    • {{approverName}} and {{approverMail}}: Displays the name and email of the last approver in the configured sequence.
    • Specific approvers: Use placeholders like {{approverName[1]}}, {{approverMail[1]}}, {{approverName[2]}}, etc., to specify individual approvers. For instance:
      • {{approverName[1]}} and {{approverMail[1]}} display the first approver’s information.
      • {{approverName[2]}} and {{approverMail[2]}} display the second approver, and so forth.
    • If a specified approver is not available, the placeholder will remain empty.
Approvers are listed in the order configured by the administrator. If no approver data exists, the placeholder will default to an empty string.

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Manually updating your out-of-office replies in Outlook or Teams

If absentify cannot set the automatic reply, or if you prefer to make further adjustments, you can manually edit it directly in Outlook or Microsoft Teams.
  • In Outlook: Follow Microsoft’s guide to set the message manually.
  • In Teams: You can also set an out-of-office status that syncs with Outlook. Follow this guide to manually set or edit the out-of-office message in Teams.

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Testing and saving your template

  1. After configuring your template, click Send test email to review the layout of your out-of-office message.
  2. When satisfied with the message, click Save to apply your settings.
By using automatic out-of-office replies, you ensure that anyone who contacts you during your absence receives up-to-date information about your return date and alternate contacts if needed. If you need further assistance, please consult with your HR administrator.