Creating a Vacation Rule or Date Ranged Out-of-Office Auto Reply

IMPORTANT NOTE... The auto-reply message will only respond once to the sender for however long the rule is enabled.  This change was enacted with the GroupWise 6 client to help prevent e-mail loops from occurring and flooding the mail system.  In other words, if your rule has already sent a reply to someone stating that you are out of your office, it will NOT send any other reminders to that sender, even if he or she continues to send you e-mail while you are out.

1. Click Tools, click Rules, then click New.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Type a name in the Rule Name box, such as "Vacation Rule."
   
   
3. Verify that the "When event is" has the "New Item" button displayed.
   
   
4. Next to And Items Are, select Received. Make sure no other item source is selected.
   
   
5. Do not make any selections under Item Types.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Use Define Conditions to add specific information to your rule. The following are examples of using Define Conditions.
   
   
   • If you want to set up the dates during which the rule is in effect.
     1. Click Delivered in the first drop-down list on the Define Conditions window.
     2. Click >= On or After Date in the second drop-down list, then in the date field, select the date you are leaving on vacation by clicking on the calendar icon to the right of the field and selecting the desired date.
     3. Click the End pop-up list then click And.
     4. On the new line, click Delivered in the first drop-down list
     5. Click <= On or Before Date in the second drop-down list, in the date field, select the date you are returning from vacation by clicking on the calendar icon to the right of the field and selecting the desired date.

   If you wish to enhance the rule the following examples can also be done at this time. Otherwise, click OK to finish creating your rule.
   

   • If you want to make sure you reply only to items that are sent specifically to you (and not to list servers or newsgroups).
   1. At the end of your last line of information click the End pop-up list and select And to begin a new line.
   2. On the new line, click To in the first drop-down list
   3. Click [ ] Contains in the second drop-down list
   4. In the next field, type your name as it displays in the To field of a mail message.
      
      
   • If you want to make sure that you do not reply to items from yourself (possible through delayed delivery, proxies, and so forth).
     1. At the end of your last line of information click the End pop-up list and select And to begin a new line
     2. On the new line, click From in the first pop-up list
     3. Click [x] Does Not Contain in the second drop-down list, in the next field, type your name as it displays in the From field of a mail message
        
        
• If you want to reply to internal items only.
  1. At the end of your last line of information click the End pop-up list and select And to begin a new line
  2. On the new line, click From in the first drop-down list
  3. Click [x] Does Not Contain in the second drop-down list, in the next field, type *@*,
     
     
     
     When you are finished customizing your Rule, click OK to close the "Define Conditions" window.

      

Under The actions are, click Add Action, then click Reply.The Reply dialog box is displayed, showing Reply to Sender selected (you cannot select Reply to All). If you want your reply to include the sender's original message, select Include Message Received From Sender. Click OK.

1. Type a message, for example:I will be out of the office from September 3-September 10. If you need assistance during this time, please contact <your name here> at extension 1234.
   
   
2. Click OK.
   
   
3. Click Save, verify that the rule has a check mark next to it, indicating that it is enabled, then click Close.

REMINDER... The auto-reply message will only respond once to the sender for however long the rule is enabled.  This change was enacted with the GroupWise 6 client to help prevent e-mail loops from occurring and flooding the mail system.  In other words, if your rule has already sent a reply to someone stating that you are out of your office, it will NOT send any other reminders to that sender, even if he or she continues to send you e-mail while you are out.