[Inbox] Auto-reply for Canvas messages

[sduffy4]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas LMS

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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. 

[JenniferSheppar]

Since these comments go back for 3 years and the topic is still just "Open for Conversation," I have to wonder about Canvas' concern for users - especially for the safety concern mentioned above.

[bontomasin]

This is such a basic and simple feature, available in any email platform. We are often harassed for lack of response. Auto response was a lifesaver in email and the lack of it is a hinderance to getting teachers to switch over to Canvas email. 

[MikaelaDanvers]

This feature is definitely needed

[JamesSekcienski]

I agree this would be a beneficial feature. 

Has anyone looked into seeing if there is a way to get Outlook to use the "reply-to" email address instead of the "from" email address for a specific user when setting up Out of Office Replies?  I haven't investigated Outlook rules enough to know for sure, but I feel like there should be some kind of way since the information is already available when Outlook receives these notifications.

[cpoch]

My school has auto responses other than the cover all messages out of office reply blocked within Outlook, but we have access to Microsoft Flow through Office365. I was able to set up a flow triggered on the following values:

From: notifications@instructure.com

Subject filter: just sent you a message in Canvas

I then use "Reply to email (V3)" to send my intended response. In my case, I ask them post on our class forum.

[JamesSekcienski]

@cpoch 

That sounds like a creative solution.  I'll be sure to look into that to see if that could work for our school.

[emma_lambert]

We will all use out of office replies to direct students when we can't check our emails. However, no such feature appears for the messages part of canvas, so students can be trying to engage with staff ineffectively. 

As a lecturer, I can put an autoreply to indicate - work hours, leave time, who my responsibilities are delegated too, or even links to parts of the course where students can find important info. 

[DCONVERY]

👍

[MarianelaCiolfi]

This is fundamental so that students know when a teacher is, e.g., on sick leave or attending a conference and won't be able to see their message on time, so that they redirect it to other members of the teaching staff.

[suzanne_pathki1]

Several of our teachers have asked for this.