How do I set-up an "Away for vacation" e-mail using Mail on OSX?

August 1, 2006 8:17 AM

How do I set-up an "Away for vacation" e-mail using Mail on OSX?

Actually I know how to set up an automatic message using the "Rules" preferences in Mail but as far as I can tell, this only works if the Mail program is open and running on my work machine.

So the last time I set this up, my computer was turned off the day after I left and noone received my messages. Even worse, when I came back and turned on my system and launched Mail, all the "Away for vacation" e-mails were sent, making me look like a dope.

Any solution?

posted by jeremias to computers & internet (9 comments total)

Can you do it through your mail provider? For example, in Gmail you can go under "settings" and just have it autoreply to messages.

I can't imagine how Mail would do it if it's not up and running.
posted by veggieboy at 8:22 AM on August 1, 2006

This is something you should arrange with your email service provider. Most provide a control panel that allows this.
posted by glenwood at 8:25 AM on August 1, 2006

If your computer isn't turned on, there's no way Mail can respond with an vacation reply, can it?

The solution is to leave your computer turned on, with the correct rules set up in Mail, but have the Energy Saver settings such that the screen is turned off while you're away.

The second option is to do what veggieboy suggested and go to your email service provider. They will likely have a vacation utility that will automatically reply while enabled. You would not need to use Mail for this, or have your computer turned on.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:26 AM on August 1, 2006

What kind of access do you have to your mail server? Most providers have some sort of vacation service you can turn on there, which is preferable, since these solutions will be set up to work smoothly with the server's setup.

If you don't take care with how you put together your autoreply rules on an email client, you can create loops and other problem situations that may lead to your provider shutting down your connection or account. It's just best not to try this, really.
posted by ursus_comiter at 8:27 AM on August 1, 2006

This should really be done on the server, not only because you don't want to leave your client running while you're gone, but also because the server software is more likely to be smart enough to not send the message to the same person twice and maybe even to not send it to a mailing list. Few things annoy me more than seeing the same away message sent to a mailing list day after day. So check with your email host and see what they offer.
posted by scottreynen at 9:12 AM on August 1, 2006

(another reason it should be done on the server: a friend of mine recently tried to do this through mac mail, and inadvertently sent out over 500 "i'm on vacation messages" as auto-replies to almost every old message in his inbox, going back months!)
posted by luriete at 9:16 AM on August 1, 2006

Personally I find auto-replies intensely annoying. I'd MUCH rather get an email that says "I'm going on holiday -- if you send email I'll respond to it when I get back".

(also, as a mailing list owner auto-replies are the bane of my existence)
posted by unSane at 9:18 AM on August 1, 2006

If you use .Mac you can set up a vacation message, via the .Mac website. Otherwise, no can do in Mail unless you leave it running.
posted by athenian at 10:14 AM on August 1, 2006

This is a plugin that will let you do it, though you would of course have to leave your mac on the entire time for it to work.
posted by modernnomad at 1:02 PM on August 1, 2006