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Gmail vacation responder

How to set an out of office in Gmail, and what to write in it.

Gmail calls it the vacation responder: Settings › See all settings › General. Write your message below and the steps fill in with your dates and a subject line.

Why you're out
Dates

7 days away, 5 workdays off. Find more breaks like this

Tone
Your details

While I'm away, I'm

Automatic reply: Re: Quick question before you go

You

You

to Sam Rivera · just now

Hello, Thank you for your email. I'm on vacation from Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16 and will be back in the office on Monday, October 19. I will not have access to email during this time. If your matter is urgent, please contact [colleague's name] at [their email]. Otherwise, I'll respond to your message as soon as possible after I return. Best regards, [Your name]

The rest of your out-of-office, already written.

Slack or Teams status

On vacation, back Mon, Oct 19

29/100 characters, Slack's limit. Set it to clear on Mon, Oct 19.

Subject line (Gmail)

On vacation, back Mon, Oct 19

Gmail's vacation responder asks for one. Outlook writes its own: “Automatic reply: …”.

Block your calendar

Out of office: On vacation

Mon, Oct 12 to Sun, Oct 18 · all day · shows as Out of office

Google CalendarOutlook on the web

Tell your team lead

Email

Hi! Heads-up: I'll be on vacation from Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16, and back on Monday, October 19. My out-of-office reply is on.

Now turn it on, with your dates filled in.

  1. 1

    Click Settings (the gear at the top right) › See all settings.

  2. 2

    On the General tab, scroll down to Vacation responder and select Vacation responder on.

  3. 3

    First day: Mon, Oct 12. Check Last day and set it to Fri, Oct 16.

  4. 4

    Subject: On vacation, back Mon, Oct 19. Paste your message under it.

  5. 5

    Optional: check the box to reply only to people in your contacts.

  6. 6

    Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

  • It starts at 12:00 AM on the first day and stops at 11:59 PM on the last.
  • Someone who writes again gets the reply again only after 4 days.
  • Work account? Also add an Out of office event in Google Calendar, so meetings get declined.

You'll paste

Turning it on the evening before and off the morning you're back means it switches itself off. No forgetting.

For team leads

Your auto-reply covers your inbox. Who's covering the team?

Auto-replies tell the people emailing you. Your team lead finds out who's out from the bounce-backs. Forgot puts everyone's time off, holidays and release dates on one calendar, so a clash shows up while there's still time to plan around it.

  • Everyone's time off on one board, set up in five minutes
  • A warning when too many people are out at once
  • Your team never signs up. You keep the calendar.
Put your team on one calendarSee an example

Free for 14 days, no card. Then $9 once, no subscription. Not your call? Send it to your team lead.

Your team
2 of 4 out on Thu, Oct 15
M12
T13
W14
T15
F16
M19
T20
W21
T22
F23
YouYou
🌴 On vacation
JOJordan
Covering for you
EDEmily
Vacation
MLMarcus

Gmail on your computer and phone, step by step.

Gmail on a computer

  1. 1

    Click Settings (the gear at the top right) › See all settings.

  2. 2

    On the General tab, scroll down to Vacation responder and select Vacation responder on.

  3. 3

    First day: your first day out. Check Last day and set it to your last day out.

  4. 4

    Subject: Out of office, back [date]. Paste your message under it.

  5. 5

    Optional: check the box to reply only to people in your contacts.

  6. 6

    Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

  • It starts at 12:00 AM on the first day and stops at 11:59 PM on the last.
  • Someone who writes again gets the reply again only after 4 days.
  • Work account? Also add an Out of office event in Google Calendar, so meetings get declined.

Gmail on iPhone and Android

  1. 1

    In the Gmail app, tap Menu (☰) › Settings, then your account.

  2. 2

    Tap Vacation responder and turn it on.

  3. 3

    First day: your first day out. Check Last day and set it to your last day out.

  4. 4

    Subject: Out of office, back [date]. Paste your message, then tap Done (or Save on iPhone).

  • It's the same setting as on the web: set it in one place and it's on everywhere.

Google Calendar out of office (work accounts)

  1. 1

    In Google Calendar, click Create › Out of office.

  2. 2

    Pick the dates you're out. Meetings in that time are declined for you.

  3. 3

    Optional: change the decline message, then click Save.

  • It declines meetings; it doesn't answer email. Set the vacation responder too.
  • Only for work and school accounts, and your admin can turn it off.

Gmail vacation responder examples, with a subject line for each.

Vacation out of office messages

Professional

Hello, Thank you for your email. I'm on vacation from [start date] through [end date] and will be back in the office on [return date]. I will not have access to email during this time. If your matter is urgent, please contact [colleague's name] at [their email]. Otherwise, I'll respond to your message as soon as possible after I return. Best regards, [Your name]

Friendly

Hi! Thanks for your email. I'm on vacation and (hopefully) somewhere with bad Wi-Fi. I'll be back on [return date] and will reply then. If it can't wait, [colleague's name] can help at [their email]. Thanks, [Your name]

Funny

I'm on vacation until [return date], somewhere sunny, pretending email was never invented. If it's urgent, [colleague's name] can help at [their email]. If it's not urgent, it will still be not urgent on [return date]. [Your name]

Thanksgiving out of office messages

Professional

Hello, Thank you for your email. I'm out of the office for the Thanksgiving holiday from [start date] through [end date] and will return on [return date]. I will not have access to email during this time. If your matter is urgent, please contact [colleague's name] at [their email]. Otherwise, I'll respond to your message as soon as possible after I return. I wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Best regards, [Your name]

Friendly

Hi! I'm out for Thanksgiving, spending the long weekend with family (and a lot of leftovers). I'll be back on [return date] and will get back to you then. If it can't wait, [colleague's name] can help at [their email]. Happy Thanksgiving! [Your name]

Sick day out of office message

Short

Out sick, back [return date]. Urgent? Contact [colleague's name] at [their email]. [Your name]

Conference out of office message

Professional

Hello, Thank you for your email. I'm attending a conference from [start date] through [end date]. I will have limited access to email during this time. I'll respond when I'm back in the office on [return date]. If your matter is urgent, please contact [colleague's name] at [their email]. Best regards, [Your name]

What a good out-of-office says, and what it leaves out.

  1. 01

    The day you're back

    A date, not "next week". People plan around it. Some give the day after they're really back, to get a quiet day to catch up.

  2. 02

    Who to ask instead

    A name and an email, so urgent things don't wait. Ask them first, and tell them when you're back.

  3. 03

    Whether you'll see email

    "No access" or "checking now and then" sets the right expectations, and stops people waiting on a reply you won't send.

  4. 04

    Nothing that's not their business

    Auto-replies go to everyone, spammers included. Leave out your phone number, where you're going and why you're out, if it's private.

Questions

How often does Gmail send the vacation reply?

Once to each person. If the same person writes again more than four days later and the responder is still on, they get it again. If you edit the message, people who write after that get the new version.

Does the vacation responder reply to everyone?

Everyone except mail that goes to Spam and mail sent to a mailing list you're on. You can also limit it to people in your contacts, which keeps your reply away from strangers and newsletters.

When does it start and stop?

At 12:00 AM on the first day and 11:59 PM on the last day. Leave the last day unchecked and it keeps going until you turn it off. While it's on, a banner at the top of your inbox has an End now button.

What's the difference between the vacation responder and Google Calendar's Out of office?

The vacation responder answers email. Google Calendar's Out of office event declines meetings, and it's only for work and school accounts. If you have a work account, set both.

Can I set it from my phone?

Yes. In the Gmail app, open the menu › Settings, pick your account and tap Vacation responder. It's the same setting as on the web.