Open Gmail on a computer, click Settings and pick See all settings. Under General, switch Vacation responder on, fill in the date range, subject and message, tick the box if only your contacts should get it, and click Save Changes. It switches on at 12:00 AM on your start date and off at 11:59 PM on your end date.
Gmail doesn't call it an automatic reply or an out-of-office. It calls it a vacation responder, which is worth knowing if you've been searching the settings for the wrong name. It's the same feature whether you're on holiday, off sick or out for a day of training.
The quick route to your out-of-office message
These steps are for Gmail on a computer; the phone apps have their own route.
- On your computer, open Gmail.
- Click Settings in the top right corner and choose See all settings.
- On the General tab, turn on Vacation responder.
- Fill in the date range, subject and message.
- Optionally, tick the box to send the reply to your contacts only.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Step four is three fields in one. The date range sets when it runs, the subject is the line people see first, and the message is the body of the reply. Fill in an end date even for a short trip, so the reply stops on its own at 11:59 PM that day rather than relying on you to remember to switch it off.
Who hears back more than once while you're away
Gmail normally replies to each person once. There are two exceptions, both set out in Google's vacation responder help page. If someone writes again after four days while the responder is still on, they get the reply again. And if you edit your reply, the same person can receive it again too.
So a long absence means your regular contacts may see your out-of-office several times. Keep the message short and useful, with your return date and who to contact instead, so a repeat doesn't annoy anyone.
Editing counts as well. If you spot a typo mid-holiday and fix it, people who already had the old version can get the new one. Proofread before you click Save Changes.
Getting the dates and the audience right
Timing: when it switches on and off
The reply starts at 12:00 AM on your start date and ends at 11:59 PM on your end date, unless you end it earlier. So if you finish work mid-afternoon and want it on straight away, set today as the start date.
Coming back a day early? You don't have to wait for the end date. The same applies the other way: if your trip runs over, go back into settings and push the end date out before 11:59 PM on the day it was due to stop.
Wording the reply
Write the message before you go into settings, so you're not composing it in a hurry in a small box. Put your return date in the subject line, since that's the first thing people see, and keep the message to three things: when you're back, who can help in the meantime and how to reach them. For other messages you send again and again, Gmail templates save retyping.
Audience: everyone or just your contacts
The contacts-only box is easy to skip, but it changes who hears from you. Tick it and only people in your contacts get the reply. Leave it and anyone who emails you does. If you'd rather not confirm to every stranger that you're away, tick it.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Why someone didn't get your reply
Start by checking the responder is switched on at all. Next, the start date, since the reply only begins at 12:00 AM on that day. If the contacts-only box is ticked, anyone outside your contacts won't hear back. And check whether they've already had it, because Gmail normally replies to each person once.
Once it's on, send yourself a test from another address. You'll see exactly what people receive, and you can fix any wording before the real emails start arriving.
If your customers also reach you on WhatsApp, set up an automatic WhatsApp Business reply at the same time so nobody is left waiting on either channel.
Frequently asked questions
Does an email that lands in spam get my reply?
No. Emails that go to your spam folder don't get your vacation reply.
Will a mailing list I subscribe to get my out-of-office?
No. Emails sent to a mailing list you subscribe to don't get your reply either.
Will someone get my reply twice?
Only in two cases: a new email from them after four days with the responder still running, or a change you make to the reply.
How can I tell the vacation responder is on?
A banner shows across the top of your inbox for as long as it's running.
How do I turn it off early?
Click End now in the banner at the top of your inbox.
