[Inbox] Auto-reply for Canvas messages

[sduffy4]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas LMS

---

Please add a "out of office" feature to the Canvas messages so that students who use the Canvas Inbox to send messages during winter or summer breaks will know that faculty are off campus and unable to reply. 

[JCucsd]

Why hasn't this been implemented yet? This thread alone dates back to 2019. For many classes, students use Canvas Message to contact their instructors since .edu email gets inundated with campus, department, and outside messages and tend to bury those sent by students. Unfortunately, students who primarily use Canvas to contact their instructors have no idea when they're out of the office, on break, not teaching for a term, etc. I've returned to my Canvas inbox after off-terms to disgruntled messages from students who attempted to contact me several times, but since they never received an auto-reply, they assumed I was ignoring their requests. At this point, I'm inclined to not use the Canvas inbox at all since it's not being given the attention and design it needs. 

[LaurenFigueroa]

We desperately need this feature. This would help with burn out and the notion that instructors are readily available at all hours of every day. 

[kelsie_matthews]

Canvas messages could really benefit from the use of an out of office/ auto reply function. This is helpful during school holidays, the teacher breaks like maternity leave, bereavement leave, etc. 

[MBRN]

Yes!  Please add this feature!  

[ians]

Still not been implemented?

Would make such a positive difference to teacher/student communication.

Please implement this Instructure, you're giving the impression that you're asleep on the job and/or don't listen to your customers

[mgeyer12]

Is there any update on this feature?

[nancy_ferrante]

I don't think they are listening to us; I posted this quite some time ago!

[jclendenning]

Yes, we need this. I am curious as to why this thread has been open for so long without a resolution. Seems to be a popular request, for good reason. 

[ruth_lemon]

I wish I hadn't used Canvas Inbox to communicate with so many students. Going on leave next week and there is no way to set up an auto-responder. This is a vital piece of functionality and can't be added soon enough to the LTI.

[WK90]

This is absolutely necessary! Either this or an option to disable Canvas Inbox completely so students will receive my Outlook out of office reply.