Forwarding sends a copy of incoming mail to somebody else. By default a copy stays in the original mailbox as well, so nothing is lost while the cover is in place.

Avvi sets forwarding on the mailbox itself rather than as a rule inside Outlook. That makes it reliable, and it also means it survives somebody tidying up the person’s inbox rules.

The risk is the same thing from the other side. Forwarding does not expire, so it keeps sending mail long after the reason for it has passed.

Before you begin

Know both addresses: the mailbox being forwarded, and the colleague receiving the mail.

Decide whether a copy should stay in the original mailbox. Keeping a copy is the default and is right for most cover arrangements.

Agree an end date with whoever asked for it, even though nothing enforces one.

Ask Avvi

1. Open chat.
2. Say what you want, naming both people. For example: forward jane@example.com’s email to sam@example.com while she is on leave.
3. To redirect rather than copy, say so. For example: forward Jane’s mail to Sam and do not keep a copy.
4. Read the confirmation, checking both addresses, then confirm.

Avvi reports the forwarding it set up.

Good to know

Redirecting without a copy means the mail is not in the original mailbox at all. When the person returns, that period of their mail is only in the colleague’s mailbox.

Verify it worked

Ask Avvi whether forwarding is set on that mailbox, and where to.

Ask Avvi to list scheduled tasks for the mailbox as well. Current forwarding and scheduled forwarding are separate answers, and checking only one can be misleading.

If something doesn’t look right

If mail is not arriving with the colleague, check the spelling of the destination address in the confirmation Avvi gave you.

If the original person says their mail has stopped arriving, forwarding was probably set to redirect rather than copy. Ask Avvi to set it to keep a copy.

If forwarding shows as off but mail is still being copied, the cause is usually a rule inside the person’s own Outlook rather than the mailbox setting.

If none of that explains it, open a support conversation from the Help drawer. Include the client name, both addresses, and roughly when it started.

FAQ

Q: How do I turn forwarding off?

A: Ask Avvi to remove forwarding from that mailbox. Check the scheduled tasks too.

Q: Does the sender know their mail was forwarded?

A: No. Forwarding is not visible to the person who sent the message.

Q: Is this the right way to cover an absence?

A: For a short absence, usually. For somebody who has left, converting the mailbox and giving a colleague access is the more durable answer.