How to change “Reply to” address for email messages in Outlook

If you are going on vacation or are out of range for a while, changing an email reply address can be a useful way to stay in touch. The process is straightforward once you know how to do it, but this being Microsoft, it’s not as straightforward as it could be.

For example, if you send an email from work but don’t have access to work email but will be able to access your personal email, you can send an email from work and ask the recipient to respond to your home. This is one of the many reasons that you might need to change an e-mail reply address in Outlook 2016.

If you need to change the “Reply To” address for email messages in Outlook, this tutorial is for you.

Edit reply to address in Outlook 2016

If you or your organization uses Microsoft Exchange servers, users can’t permanently change their Reply-to address in Outlook. You can change reply addresses for individual emails, but not set them permanently. You will need to contact your IT team if you are using Exchange.

Usually, you change the reply to address for an individual email or a few emails and that would be it. However, if you want to add or permanently change the reply to address, you can do that as well, unless you are using Exchange as already mentioned.

Change the reply address for each email

If you only need to change the address for one or two emails, you can make the change in each email.

1. Open a new email in Outlook.
2. To select Options> Direct responses to in the ribbon.
3. Check the box next to Send replies to if it is not already checked and press Select names.
4. Select an email address from the list or use a; and type the email address in the box. If you are using more than one email address, separate them with a “; “.
5. Make sure all addresses are listed in the box next to To respond to at the bottom of the window. Hit To respond to if they don’t, add them.
6. To select Okay and close to return to the email.
7. The Direct responses to The box should remain gray if it is configured correctly.
8. Complete and send the email as normal.

You can use this method as many times as you want and add as many responses to the addresses as you want. Normal usage rules apply though, try not to include everyone you know and create endless email chains. Nobody likes it.

Change reply to address permanently in Outlook 2016

If you want all email replies to be sent permanently to a different inbox, you can do that as well. The advantage is that once defined, you don’t need to specify the addresses every time you send mail. The downside is that you can only include one email address rather than multiple addresses.

To permanently change the reply to address, you need to dive into the Outlook account settings.

1. Open Outlook and select To file.
2. To select Account settings and Account settings.
3. Select the E-mail tab and the email address you want to change.
4. To select Switch among the options and More settings button on the right.
5. Add the email address in the box next to Reply email and select Okay.
6. To select Next and close it Test the window.
7. To select To finish and close the Email Account screen.

Now when you send emails, all replies will definitely go to the address you specified in step 5.

Set out of office reply in Outlook 2016

If you’d rather go on vacation without worrying about emails or work, it may be easier to set up an out of office reply. This is a standard response to anyone who emails you to tell them that you are not there and that you will be back on a certain date. At work or at school, this is a politeness that should be used whenever you are not around to answer emails.

1. Open Outlook and select To file.
2. To select Automatic responses under Account settings.
3. Now select Send automatic replies , set the start / end date and time, create an email or use an organization template, and select Okay.

Now all you have to do is think about turning it off once it’s back. It may be helpful to create a calendar entry reminding you to do so when you return. If you’re like me, you’ll forget and a coworker will remind you, or worse, your boss will yell at you to turn it off!

Using Outlook

It is quite easy to change your reply to address in Outlook. Whether you are heading out of town or just want to set up a generic email response, now you know how to adjust these settings.

Did you manage to change your reply address? Share your experiences below.