Hermes: Set up out-of-office message

This site exlpains step by step how to set up a new filter rule, that automatically answers every incoming email. Additional filter rules can be created analogous to this instruction.

Attention: Outlook user with Hermes accounts should not use the in outlook integrated "Rules". This will only be executed by Outlook itself and only works if Outlook is opened, precisely if not absent.

For Exchange-accounts the
configuration of rules (in german) is possible directly in Outlook.

Step 1: Go to filter configuration

Go to Configuration of the automated out-of-office filter rule in the webmailer. Alternatively sign in to the webmailer 'Roundcube' and choose 'Settings' (right top) and click on 'out-of-office'. You should now be at this point:

Urlaubsautomat
 
 

 

Step 2: Create out-of-office message

On the right site enter in the section 'Body' the message that will automatically answer incoming emails. Optionally you can fill the field 'Subject'. If this field is not filled, the subject for the answer email will be automatically generated from the subject of the incoming email. We recommend to leave this field blank.

Antworttext festlegen

Step 3:

Specify the time period. Here you can define in which time period the out-of-office message should be enabled.

Attention: This rule is based on the date of the incoming emails. The automated out-of-office filter rule can also be applied
for some emails beyond the specified time period.
Enable this rule preferably just before your absence
and disable this right after your return. 

Gültigkeitszeitraum festlegen

Step 4: Enable automated out-of-office filter rule

Don't forget to change the status of the automated out-of-office filter rule to 'On'.

Automatische Antwort aktivieren

Step 5:

Before saving the settings, choose the tab 'Advanced settings'. Verify that 'My e-mail addresses' are correct. If your email addresses in the webmail are correctly configured, you can use the button 'Fill with all my adresses'. If pressing this button results in a wrong filling, please check the settings under 'Identities'.

Meine E-Mail-Adressen ausfüllen

'My e-mail addresses' has to contain all receiving email addresses, that should be considered by the automated out-of-office filter rule. For the mailbox of john@doe.uni-kiel.de the email address john@doe.uni-kiel.de has to be in here. The  automated out-of-office filter rule only reacts to email addresses that are listed in here.   

 

Step 6: Determine the sequence

Provided that additional filter rules have been configured, you can specify here, after which rule the automated out-of-office filter rule should be inserted.

We recommend to place the automated out-of-office filter rule after a spam filter rulte, otherwise the automated out-of-office filter rule will also be answering spam emails. This is e.g. intended in the preconfigured rule set (in german).

Reihenfolge festlegen

 

Step 7: Save rule set

If you are satisfied with all your settings click on the button 'Save'. Your automated out-of-office filter rule is now active.
Regelsatz speichern
Don't forget to enable the entire rule set
instead of enabling just one rule.
 
Please notice that the automated out-of-office filter rule does not respond to every incoming email. If a sender dispatches more than one email, only the first email will be answered. Following messages will only be automatically answered 3 days apart.

It is not possible to automatically respond to every email of a sender. The minimum value for 'Reply interval' is 3 days.
Values less than '3 days' will be ignored.