How to Set an Out of Office Reply in Yahoo Mail

To set an out of office reply in Yahoo Mail, open Yahoo Mail in a web browser, click More options > Settings, then Vacation response. Turn on Enable vacation response, pick the dates, type your message, and click Save. Yahoo calls this feature a vacation response. If your mailbox is a Turbify business account, see how to set a vacation response in Yahoo Business Mail instead.

This guide covers turning it on, editing it, sending a different reply to specific domains, turning it off early, and writing a good message. The steps come from Yahoo Help’s Turn on, off or edit a vacation response in New Yahoo Mail article and the version for older Yahoo Mail.

How to Turn On an Out of Office Reply in Yahoo Mail

1. Open Yahoo Mail in a web browser on your computer.
2. Click the More options icon, then select Settings.
3. Click Vacation response.
4. Turn on Enable vacation response.
5. Select the dates you want it to run.
6. Type your message.
7. Click Save.

Result: Yahoo automatically replies to people who email you during the dates you picked. Try sending a test email from another account to confirm it works.

Older Yahoo Mail layout

If your inbox still uses the older Yahoo Mail for Desktop, Yahoo says to click the Settings icon and choose More settings, then Vacation response. The rest of the steps are the same. The same settings page also has a Writing email section, where you can turn off link previews in Yahoo Mail.

How to Send a Different Reply to Specific Domains

Yahoo lets you send a separate message to people at up to two domains, for example coworkers at your company and everyone else.

1. Go to Settings > Vacation response and select your vacation response.
2. Scroll to the bottom and click Send a different response to specific domain.
3. Enter up to 2 domains, such as yahoo.com or gmail.com.
4. Type the message for those senders and click Save.

Result: People emailing from those domains get the second message; everyone else gets your main reply.

How to Edit Your Vacation Response

1. Go to Settings > Vacation response.
2. Select the vacation response and change the details on the right.
3. Edit the message and click Save.

How to Turn Off the Reply Early

1. Open Yahoo Mail in a web browser on your computer.
2. Click More options > Settings.
3. Click Vacation response and select your reply.
4. Scroll down and click Remove vacation response.
5. Click Remove to confirm.

Result: The vacation response is removed, so Yahoo stops sending automatic replies even if the end date hasn’t arrived.

What to Put in Your Out of Office Message

Try keeping the message short and professional and including:

• The dates you’ll be away and when you’ll be back.
• Someone to contact for anything urgent, ideally a shared or generic address.

Avoid sharing too many personal details, such as saying you’re traveling alone.

Example: “Thanks for your email. I’m out of the office until Monday, June 8, with limited access to email. For urgent matters, please contact support@example.com.”

Before You Leave: A Quick Checklist

• Set the end date to your last day away; the end date is the last day you’ll be gone.
• Add a domain-specific reply if coworkers need different contact details than everyone else.
• Send yourself a test from another account.
• Set a reminder to check the reply is off once you’re back.

Using Gmail too? See how to set an out of office reply in Gmail.

Troubleshooting

• No Vacation response option in the app: Yahoo’s steps are for Yahoo Mail on a desktop browser. Sign in at mail.yahoo.com on a computer to set it up.
• People didn’t get a reply: check that the dates cover today and that Enable vacation response is on.
• The wrong people got the domain reply: check the two domains you entered for the different response.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Yahoo turn the reply off automatically?

The reply runs only during the dates you select, so it stops after the end date. Remove it sooner with Remove vacation response.

Can I format the message or attach a file?

Older versions show a formatting toolbar above the message box. Yahoo’s current help page only says to enter your message, so options may vary.

More Yahoo Mail Guides

• How to add another email account in Yahoo Mail. If your replies show a placeholder instead of your name, see how to change your Yahoo Mail sending name.
• How to change your Yahoo Mail password