Out of office message: 40 professional templates and how to set one up
Fill in your dates and copy a ready reply, or pick one of 40 templates by situation. Then turn it on with the steps for Outlook, Gmail, Teams and Slack.
A good out of office message tells people three things: when you’re back, whether you’re reading email and who can help meanwhile. Pick your situation, add your details and copy the message.
Subject: Out of office until [return date]
Thank you for your message. I'm on vacation and back in the office on [return date]. I won't be checking email while I'm away. For anything that can't wait, please contact [backup name] at [backup email].
What to say in an out of office message
Most templates below use the same five parts. Here they are in one reply.
Subject: Out of office until [return date]
- ThanksThank you for your email.
- WhenI'm out of the office from [start date] and back on [return date],
- Accesswith no access to email.
- BackupFor anything urgent, please contact [backup name] at [backup email].
- Next stepI'll reply to your message when I return.
- Give the day you're back, not just the day you left.
- Name a backup only after they've agreed, and give their email.
- Say whether you'll read email while away, so nobody waits on a maybe.
- Leave out where you're going and why, especially in replies outside your company.
- Don't promise a reply time you might miss on your first day back.
40 out of office message templates by situation
Copy a template, then swap the brackets for your details. Each has a subject line for Gmail, which asks for one.
Vacation and PTO (5)
Say whether you'll check email at all. Skip where you're going.
One day, half a day or a long weekend (4)
Yes, set one even for a single day: it saves people waiting on you.
Sick day and medical leave (3)
No reason or detail is needed. "Out of the office" or "on leave" is enough.
Parental leave (maternity, paternity or adoption) (4)
Share as much or as little as you like. A return date is optional if it isn't fixed.
Bereavement or a family matter (2)
Keep it plain. Nobody needs a reason, and you don't owe one.
Sabbatical or extended leave (2)
For long absences, point people to a person and a document, not just a date.
Conference, business travel or training (4)
Say when you'll check email, since you often will. Name the event only if it helps.
Public holiday or office closure (3)
If the whole office is closed, say so, and give the reopening date.
Last day or a new role (3)
Ask IT how long your mailbox stays live, and redirect people to a named person.
After hours and weekends (2)
Give your hours with a time zone, and an emergency path if there is one.
More than one backup contact (2)
Split by topic, not by person, so senders can pick in one read.
By role: assistants, HR, recruiting, sales, support and finance (6)
Answer the one question your senders always have, before they ask it.
Want a lighter tone for coworkers? Our funny out of office messages keep the facts and add a smile. Closing for Thanksgiving or the winter break? See our holiday out of office messages.
Teams and Slack status lines
Coworkers check your status before they check your auto-reply. Keep it under a line, with the return date.
How to set an out of office message in Outlook, Gmail, Teams and Slack
Steps from each vendor's help page, checked in October 2026. Menu names can change between versions, so if yours looks different, open the linked help page.
New Outlook for Windows
- On the View tab, select View settings.
- Choose Accounts, then Automatic replies.
- Turn on the Automatic replies toggle.
- Check Send replies only during a time period and set the start and end.
- Write your message. Optionally check Send replies only to contacts, or Send replies outside your organization on a work account.
- Select Save.
Not available for Gmail, Yahoo or other POP and IMAP accounts added to Outlook. Help page
Classic Outlook for Windows
- Select File, then Automatic Replies.
- Choose Send automatic replies and, optionally, set a date range.
- Type your reply. On a work account, that is the Inside My Organization tab.
- Work accounts can add a second reply on the Outside My Organization tab. Microsoft suggests My contacts only.
- Select OK. To stop early, select Turn off in the bar under the ribbon.
No Automatic Replies button? Your account type doesn't support it; Microsoft's help page shows how to use a rule instead. Help page
Outlook on the web and Outlook.com
- Select Settings (the gear icon) at the top of the page.
- Choose Accounts (Account on some versions), then Automatic replies.
- Turn on Automatic replies.
- Check Send replies only during a time period and set the dates.
- Write your message. Check Send replies outside your organization if you want one sent outside, then select Save.
The same page can block your calendar and decline meetings for the period. Without a time period, replies stay on until you turn them off. Help page
Gmail on a computer
- Select Settings (the gear icon), then See all settings.
- On the General tab, scroll to Vacation responder.
- Turn the vacation responder on.
- Enter the date range, a subject and your message.
- Optionally, send the reply to your contacts only.
- Select Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
It runs from 12:00 AM on the first day to 11:59 PM on the last. Most senders get it once, and again if they write after four days. Help page
Gmail on a phone
- Android: open the Gmail app, tap Menu, then Settings, and choose your account.
- iPhone or iPad: open the Gmail app, tap Menu, then Settings, and find Compose and Reply.
- Tap Vacation responder and turn it on.
- Enter the date range, subject and message.
- Tap Done on Android, or Save on iPhone and iPad.
Microsoft Teams
- Select your profile picture, then Set status message.
- Choose Schedule out of office.
- Turn on automatic replies and write your message (it's required).
- Optionally check Send replies outside my organization.
- Check Send replies only during a time period, set the dates and select Save.
It syncs both ways with Outlook automatic replies on the same work account. Help page
Slack
- Select your profile picture, then Update your status.
- Type a status line and pick an emoji.
- Under Remove status after, choose when it clears. Optionally pause notifications.
- To plan ahead, open Duration and pick Choose a start and end time.
- Select Save.
Slack sends no automatic reply. People see your status next to your name, so put the return date in it. Help page
Before you leave: a 6-step checklist
- Ask your backup first, and tell them exactly what they're covering.
- Set start and end dates, so the reply turns itself off when you're back.
- Write a separate reply for people outside your company if your account allows it.
- Test it: email yourself from a personal address and check what arrives.
- Block your calendar, and hand off or decline meetings while you're away.
- Update your Teams or Slack status too, since coworkers look there first.
Welcome the team back
Coming back from a big holiday, or thanking the people who covered for you? Two easy ways to do it.
- A hosted game for the first week back: a virtual game show gets everyone talking again in an hour, on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). Groups split across time zones can run it as two sessions. Book about 2 weeks ahead.
- A thank-you for whoever covered: our employee appreciation gifts start at $22 and ship to the office or home. Pair one with a line from our thank-you messages for coworkers.
Two hosted game shows, 60 minutes each.
Welcoming back one person after a long leave? Our welcome back to work guide has the messages. For a team event, get a free quote; we reply within 24 hours.
