Set a vacation notice in OX before an absence so senders have a realistic response expectation. Agree a monitored alternative contact before naming that address in the reply.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Configure the notice
- Open OX settings and select Mail. In the current interface, the vacation control is under the mail rules section.
- Open Automatic replies, sometimes labelled Vacation notice, and enable it.
- Enter a concise subject and message with your return date and approved alternative contact.
- Set the active period and review any interval controlling repeated replies to the same sender.
- Save and test from an external account during the active period.
02 Arrange coverage
Tell the colleague receiving urgent enquiries which matters they may handle. Update calendar availability separately and arrange supported shared access if necessary. An automatic reply does not move outstanding tasks or give a colleague permission to read your mailbox.
03 Example: set a dated OX absence reply
You will be away for a short business absence and a colleague has agreed to handle urgent enquiries. In OX Mail settings, open Automatic replies or Vacation notice under the mail rules controls.
Subject: Thank you for your message
I am away until [return date] and will reply after I return.
For an urgent enquiry, contact [email protected].
Thank you for your patience.Replace the sample address with the agreed monitored contact. Set the active period, review the repeat-response interval, enable the notice and save. During the active period, send a controlled external test.
Expected result: the sender receives the intended reply and ordinary incoming messages remain in your mailbox. Confirm the responder has stopped after your return, especially if its end date was changed.
Common questions
Why did my second test not receive another reply?
Vacation notices can suppress repeated responses to the same sender for a defined period. Check that interval and the active dates before treating the result as failure.
Should I include my travel location?
A business response usually needs only the return date and contact route. Keep personal travel details and internal-only phone numbers out of public replies.
Why are incoming messages still missing?
The mailbox must still be active and correctly routed. A vacation rule cannot fix a full mailbox, deactivated account or wrong mail destination.
After returning, verify the notice has stopped and remove temporary forwarding or coverage arrangements that are no longer needed. If the date range was edited several times, run another small external test instead of assuming the original end date still applies.