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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.

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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.
If you do not see the Out-of-office message option in your settings, or if the feature appears blocked, this can happen for one of the following reasons:
  • Your administrator has not yet activated the mailbox permission in absentify’s Microsoft Integration settings.
  • Your Microsoft account is not linked to your absentify profile.
  • The required Outlook mailbox permission is not available for your Microsoft tenant.
Please contact your administrator or share the activation guide with them.

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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.
1

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. This section allows you to configure Outlook out-of-office message templates.
If you don’t see the Automatic replies option in your preferences, or if it is blocked by an overlay, this may mean that the mailbox permission is not activated, your Microsoft account is not linked, or the required permission is missing for your tenant. Please reach out to your administrator or forward them the activation instructions to help set this up for your workspace.
2

Select leave types

Choose one or multiple leave types from the dropdown (for example, Vacation or Sick Leave).
If you select multiple leave types, the same template will be applied to all selected leave types.
If you want to use different templates per leave type, edit one leave type first, click Save, then remove it from the selection and choose the next leave type you want to edit.
3

Edit the message using the template editor

Use the rich text editor to format the message (font, size, bold, lists, and links).
You can insert dynamic values by clicking the variables below the editor.Available variables include:
  • User and leave information:
    • First name, Last name, Full name
    • Leave type name
    • Start date, Start time
    • End date, End time
    • Date of return, Time of return
  • Approver variables:
    • Approver name, Approver email
    • For specific approvers, use indexed variables like Approver name[1], Approver email[1], Approver name[2], and so on.
  • Representative variables: These placeholders are only available if selecting a representative is mandatory for the chosen leave type. If you think these variables should appear but do not, please reach out to your workspace administrator to confirm your workspace’s representative requirement settings.
    • Representative name, Representative email
    • For specific approvers, use indexed variables like Representative name[1], Representative email[1], Representative name[2], and so on.
4

Use conditional templates

Open Conditional Templates to control when specific parts of the message are shown.
Conditional templates are useful when certain information may not be available for every leave request.Available conditional options include:
  • If Representative: Show content only if a representative is assigned. For example:
    • Optional representative requirement: Depending on the leave type settings, selecting a representative may not be mandatory when submitting a leave request. In this case, using a conditional block ensures that representative-related information is only shown when a representative is actually assigned.
  • If Approver: Show content only if an approver exists. For example:
    • Leave types without approval: Some leave types may be automatically approved and do not require an approver. This condition prevents approver-related information from being shown when no approval step exists.
  • Multiple Representatives: Loop through all assigned representatives. For example:
    • Your workspace administrator may allow multiple representatives or give you permission to adjust them. Since the number of assigned representatives can vary, this option ensures that all assigned representatives are displayed correctly.
  • Multiple Approvers: Loop through all approvers in the approval flow. For example:
    • Different approval flows per leave type: Approval chains can vary depending on the leave type configured in your workspace. This option ensures the message adapts correctly whether there is one approver, multiple approvers, or none.
5

Edit templates for internal and external senders

For each leave type, you can configure two versions of the message:
  • Inside organization template: Sent to colleagues within your organization.
  • Outside organization template: Sent to external senders.
    • Once enabled, an additional option appears that allows you to choose whether replies should be sent only to contacts of the sender.
6

Preview and test the message

After configuring your template, click Send test email to review the layout of your out-of-office message.
7

Save your changes

Click Save to apply the updated out-of-office message templates.
If you want to remove the “sent with absentify” notice at the bottom of your automatic out-of-office message, your workspace needs to be on at least the Essentials plan. Please contact your administrator if you’d like this absentify advertisement removed from your out-of-office messages.

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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.
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 contact your HR department or send them the troubleshooting tips outlined here.