ENT2001: The Use and Limitations of the Reply Rule in Entourage (273515)

MORE INFORMATION

Use the following steps in this section to create a single AutoReply rule.

How to Create an AutoReply Rule

You can create AutoReply rules to automatically generate a reply message for an incoming message to notify the sender that you are not available. You can define the reply rule to include text with the reply message to inform the sender of your availability. To do this:

1. On the Tools menu, click Rules.
2. In the Rules dialog box, click the tab that corresponds to the type of account for which you want to use the rule. For example, if you a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) account, click the Mail(POP) tab.
3. Click New, and then type a descriptive name for the rule in the Rule Name box.
4. In the If box, the default criterion is All Messages. If you want to specify that the rule applies to certain senders or if it meets other conditions, click to select the condition check box that applies to your criteria for the rule.
5. In the Then box, click the Status box, and then click Reply. Note that the default selection is Change Status and that a second action is Set Category. You do not need the Set Category action. Click on an area that is near the Set Category but not on the box. When the blue frame appears around the Set Category action, click Remove Action.
6. Click Reply Text, and then type in the text that you want recipients to see in the return message.
7. Click OK twice.

The Limitations of the AutoReply Rule

You can define multiple criteria with the single AutoReply rule, but it is more efficient if you define separate rules. For example, if you want to inform customers that you are on vacation, you may not want to send the same reply text to family or friends. A separate rule can be defined with a different message.

You cannot use the AutoReply Rule to attach files to the reply message.