Outlook out-of-office reply

Individual automatic replies are included in every plan; removing the absentify footer requires Essentials or Plus, and centralized templates require Plus. See the plan feature matrix. With absentify’s Outlook out-of-office reply feature, users’ out-of-office replies in Outlook are automatically set based on their scheduled absences in absentify. This feature saves time for users, standardizes communication, and increases efficiency across the organization. To activate this functionality, permissions are required for the absentify Mailbox Settings Microsoft 365 Enterprise App (App ID: 93de2041-932f-4c44-ad8e-dea2cf55be00), using the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission.

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Benefits of granting out-of-office reply permissions

Granting the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission to the absentify Mailbox Settings app offers significant advantages:

• Time saving for users: Out-of-office replies are automatically set up based on absence types and dates in absentify, eliminating the need for users to manually create or adjust their replies.
• Consistent communication: In the Plus plan, absentify enables centralized management of out-of-office message templates. HR admins can define standardized templates for various leave types, ensuring that all users’ replies follow a consistent format and tone, which supports brand consistency in external communications.
• Reduced errors: Automated out-of-office replies reduce the likelihood of missed or incorrectly set messages, ensuring that both clients and colleagues receive timely, accurate information about users’ availability.

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Default functionality without permissions

If the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission is not granted, the automatic out-of-office reply feature is unavailable for users. In this case, users must manually set their out-of-office replies in Outlook whenever they record an absence, which can be time-consuming and may lead to inconsistencies or missed updates.

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User eligibility requirements

Even after the mailbox permission has been activated at the workspace level, individual users must meet the following requirements to use automatic out-of-office replies:

• Linked Microsoft account: The user must have a Microsoft account connected to their absentify profile.
• Tenant consent: The MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission must be granted (via admin consent) for the user’s Microsoft tenant.

If either condition is not met, the user is considered ineligible and will see a message explaining why the feature is unavailable. In bulk operations, ineligible users are automatically filtered out and a summary is shown to the admin. absentify checks these prerequisites before any out-of-office operation (creating, editing, testing, or sending). If they are not met, users and admins see:

• “Microsoft mailbox permissions are not activated. Please enable them in Microsoft Integration Settings.”: The mailbox permission is not turned on yet in absentify Settings > Microsoft. Turn on Outlook out of office reply before anyone can manage replies.
• “Outlook out-of-office replies are not available for [user names] because the Microsoft account is not linked or the required Outlook mailbox permission is not available for the user’s Microsoft tenant.”: The listed users are not eligible. Either their Microsoft account is not linked in absentify, or MailboxSettings.ReadWrite has not been granted for their Microsoft tenant.

When you turn on Outlook out of office reply, absentify also retries replies that previously failed because the permission was missing. If that step cannot finish, you see one of these messages:

• “We couldn’t verify the Outlook out-of-office permission yet. Wait a moment and reload this page to try again. If this continues, make sure a Microsoft 365 administrator granted the permission.”
• “We couldn’t finish activating Outlook out-of-office replies. Wait a moment and reload this page to try again.”

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How absentify uses the MailboxSettings permission

To promote transparency and trust, here’s how absentify uses the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission within the absentify Mailbox Settings app:

• Limited access: The permission is used solely to create, update, or deactivate out-of-office replies in Outlook based on scheduled absences in absentify. We do not access any other email settings or mailbox content.
• Template customization: absentify accesses only the out-of-office reply settings configured for absences and does not interact with any other email or mailbox data.
• Data security: As with all Microsoft integrations, absentify’s access is strictly managed, and only the necessary permissions are requested to provide this feature.

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Security and data protection

We prioritize your organization’s data security and adhere to high standards of privacy:

• ISO 27001 certification: absentify is ISO 27001 certified, demonstrating our compliance with international standards for information security management.
• Microsoft 365 App Certification: The absentify Mailbox Settings app has achieved Microsoft 365 App Certification, meeting Microsoft’s stringent security and compliance standards. This certification assures that absentify’s data handling and security practices are in line with industry best practices.
• Secure key management: absentify uses secure key management practices, storing application secrets in an Azure Key Vault accessible only to authorized personnel within absentify GmbH, with no external copies or unauthorized access.

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Enabling automatic out-of-office replies

Grant MailboxSettings.ReadWrite for the absentify Mailbox Settings app from absentify. Do not open a public Microsoft consent URL. Go to Settings > Microsoft and turn on the feature. If the Microsoft permission is missing, Permissions Required opens. If someone sent you a consent link from that page, open that link instead. If you are a tenant administrator, select I am a Tenant Administrator, then Grant Permissions Now. You need a linked Microsoft account. Microsoft opens so you can grant the permission. If you are not a tenant administrator, select I am not a Tenant Administrator. Select Open Pre-Filled Email or Copy Consent Link, then send that request to your IT team. On the web, Grant Permissions Now takes you to Microsoft. You leave absentify and return to Settings > Microsoft with a result banner. If Microsoft confirmed consent but the permission is not visible to absentify yet, Settings > Microsoft shows Waiting for Microsoft… and Microsoft confirmed the consent. The permission usually shows up within a minute; this page checks every few seconds. Select Check now. In Microsoft Teams or SharePoint, Microsoft opens in another window. Settings > Microsoft then shows Waiting for Microsoft… and Grant the permission in the window that opened, then come back here. Select I have granted it. A banner on Settings > Microsoft reports the result after you return from the web. Copied or emailed links, and the window in Microsoft Teams or SharePoint, open a result page instead. That page may show Permission granted, Almost there, Permission was not granted, Wrong Microsoft 365 tenant, This link is no longer valid, or Something went wrong. If the feature was switched off in absentify, you see Permission was not activated. If you close Microsoft before consent, or if consent is declined, nothing changes. Granting the permission requires a Microsoft 365 administrator. A copied or emailed link belongs to your workspace and expires after 14 days. A request you start in the app expires after 15 minutes. Old public Microsoft consent URLs fail with This link is no longer valid. Start again from absentify. If your tenant later revokes the permission, the row shows a warning and Grant again. Outlook out of office reply must be on in Settings > Microsoft. If you started from that page, a successful grant turns it on. If you used a copied link after the feature was switched off, an absentify administrator must turn it on again.

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Individual setup per user

Users can set up personal out-of-office templates for each leave type:

1. Go to Your Preferences > Automatic replies.
2. Customize a message template for each leave type as needed.

For more guidance, see our creating out-of-office replies guide.

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Company-wide setup by admin (Plus plan)

In the Plus plan, HR admins can centrally configure out-of-office message templates.

1. Go to Settings > Users, select the users, choose Bulk edit, then Manage out of office replies.
2. Define message templates for the selected users and leave types.

Learn more in the bulk out-of-office replies guide.

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Revoking permissions

If you need to revoke the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission for the absentify Mailbox Settings app, follow these steps:

1. Access Entra ID: Sign in to the Azure portal with your Microsoft 365 administrator account.
2. Navigate to Enterprise applications: In the left-hand menu, go to Entra ID > Enterprise applications.
3. Find and select absentify Mailbox Settings: Locate the absentify Mailbox Settings app (App ID: 93de2041-932f-4c44-ad8e-dea2cf55be00) from the list of applications.
4. Manage permissions: In the app overview, go to Permissions or Permissions and consent settings to view and manage granted permissions.
5. Revoke permissions: Select the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission and revoke access to remove absentify’s ability to manage out-of-office replies in Outlook.

Revoking these permissions will disable the automatic out-of-office reply feature, and users will need to manage their out-of-office settings manually. By granting and, if needed, revoking the MailboxSettings.ReadWrite permission for the absentify Mailbox Settings app, you have full control over absentify’s access to Outlook out-of-office reply settings. This lets you maintain both security and operational flexibility for your organization.

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