Setting an Out-of-Office Message in GroupWise

If you have access to the desktop version of GroupWise, you can create an auto-reply rule to
do the following:
• Automatically turn the rule on and off on the specified dates.
• Send the reply only to local NCC users, not to external senders.
• Send the reply only to senders who write to you directly, not to a distribution list.
If you need assistance or have questions, contact the NCC Computer Support Center at
helpdesk@northampton.edu or 610.861.5413.

Creating an Out-of-Office Rule

1. Click on Tools > Rules from the GroupWise menu.

2. Click on the New button and type a name for the rule (for example, Out Of Office).
3. Under "When event is," make sure that New Item is selected, and Received is
checked. (These should already be set by default.)
4. Under Item Types, select the item types for which you would like to send the reply.
Or you can leave these boxes blank to send the reply for ALL item types.
5. Click on the Define Conditions button.

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 6. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the first textbox.
7. Select Delivered from the list. (If you do not see this option on the list, select All
Fields at the bottom of the list, then double-click on Delivered.)
8. Click on the next button and select >= On or After Date. This option appears near
the bottom of the list (see illustration below). It is not the same as ">= On or Before,"
which appears further up the list.

9. In the next textbox, enter the date of your departure (or click on the little calendar icon
next to it and select the date).
10. Click on the Endv button and select And from the pop-up list. This will add another
row similar to the one that you just completed.
11. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the first textbox in the new row and select
Delivered from the list.
12. Click on the next button and select < Before Date. This option appears near the
bottom of the list. It is not the same as "< Before," which appears further up the list.
13. In the next textbox, enter the date on which you will be returning to the office.
Note: This stops the auto-reply messages on the specified date, so you don't have to
remember to disable this rule when you get back. Next time you want to re-use the
rule, you can simply change the dates (and edit your message if necessary).
The next four steps will prevent the auto-reply from going to external senders. This is
especially helpful if you receive a lot of spam messages, as your auto-reply would confirm
that your email address is a valid one. You should omit these steps if you want your reply to
go to external senders (such as NCC students or vendors). However, be sure to take the
other remaining steps to complete your auto-reply rule.
The following image shows how your dialog box will look when the next eight steps are
completed.

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 14. At the end of the second row, click on the Endv button and select And from the pop-
up list to start another row.
15. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the first textbox in the new row and select All
Fields at the bottom of the list. Double-click on View Name.
16. Click on the next button and select [x] Does Not Contain from the pop-up list.
17. Type Internet in the next textbox.
The next four steps will restrict the auto-reply to senders who send a message directly to you.
It will not go to those who are sending messages to a distribution list. You may omit these
steps if you want your reply to go to senders who use a distribution list. However, be sure to
take the other remaining steps to complete your auto-reply rule. Also, note that the following
four steps will prevent a reply from going to anyone who sends you a message via
Groupwise WebAccess. If you want to notify WebAccess users of your absence, you should
omit these steps (or see the following page).
18. At the end of the current row, click on the Endv button and select And from the pop-
up list to start another row.
19. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the first textbox in the new row and select All
Fields at the bottom of the list. Double-click on To.
20. Click on the next button and select [ ] Contains from the pop-up list.
21. In the next box, type your last name as it appears in the GroupWise Address Book.
Be sure to take the following steps to complete your auto-reply rule.
22. Click on the OK button. This will return you to the New Rule dialog box.
23. Click on the Add Action button near the bottom of the dialog box and select Reply.
24. Make sure that Reply to Sender is selected in the next dialog box and click on OK.
25. Type your message text in the Message box, then click OK.
26. Click on the Save button.
27. Make sure your new rule has a check in front of it, then click on Close.

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Notifying WebAccess Users of Your Absence
If you follow steps 18 through 21 on the previous page to prevent your auto-reply from going
to anyone who sends you a message through a distribution list, it will also prevent a reply
from going to anyone who sends you a message via Groupwise WebAccess. That is
because messages sent through WebAccess use your e-mail address instead of your display
name in the "To:" field. If you prefer not to omit steps 18 through 21, you can ensure that
WebAccess users also receive an auto-reply by taking the following steps:
1. Create, save and enable your out-of-office rule as indicated in Steps 1 through 27 on the
previous pages.
2. Click on Tools > Rules from the GroupWise menu.
3. Click on the out-of-office rule that you just created.
4. Click on the Copy button.
5. Type a name for your new rule.
6. Click on the Define Conditions button.
7. In the last row, change your last name to your user name (in most cases, your user name
is your first initial and last name). This field is not case-sensitive.
8. Click on the OK button and then on Save.
9. Make sure both rules are enabled and click on Close.
The next time you are out of the office, you will need to edit both rules to change the start and
end dates and to edit the reply message.

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