Out of Office Message Examples: Templates for Every Situation

An out of office message does a small but important job. It tells people you're away, when you'll be back and who to contact if they can't wait. Get it right and clients feel looked after even while you're on the beach. Get it wrong and you've told the whole world your house is empty, or left a customer wondering if you've vanished.

Below you'll find ready-to-use out of office message examples for holidays, sickness, conferences, closures and more, plus the exact steps for switching one on in Gmail and Outlook. Every message here is an example I've written for you to adapt. Swap the square brackets for your own details. If you also want your sign-off to work harder, my guide to email signature marketing has some ideas.

What every out of office message needs

Keep it short. The reader is mid-task and wants three things.

1. That you're away. One clear sentence is plenty.
2. When you're back. Give a return date, so they can decide whether to wait.
3. What to do instead. Name a colleague, a shared inbox or a phone line for anything urgent.
4. A friendly close. A short thank-you or sign-off keeps the tone warm.

A subject line helps too. Start it with something like "Out of office" so people see straight away that it's an automatic reply.

Holiday out of office message examples

Simple holiday reply

Subject: Out of office until [date]

Hello, and thanks for your email. I'm on holiday and back on [date]. I'll reply as soon as I can after that. If it's urgent, please contact [name] at [email]. Best wishes, [your name]

Holiday reply for clients

Subject: Away until [date]

Thank you for getting in touch. I'm away from [date] to [date] and I'm not checking email. [Colleague name] is looking after my clients while I'm out and can be reached at [email]. I'll catch up with everything when I'm back. [Your name]

A lighter holiday reply

I'm off soaking up some sunshine and won't be near my inbox until [date]. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you when I'm home. For anything that can't wait, [name] will happily help at [email].

Sick day and unplanned absence examples

You don't owe anyone the details of your health. Say you're unavailable, give a rough return date if you know it, and point people to a colleague. Leave out the symptoms.

Short sick day reply

Thanks for your message. I'm out of the office today and will reply when I'm back on [date]. For anything urgent, please contact [name] at [email].

Open-ended absence reply

I'm currently unavailable and replies may be slower than usual. Please contact [name] at [email] for anything that can't wait. Thank you for your patience.

Parental leave and longer absence examples

For a longer break, tell people who covers your work and say clearly whether you'll be checking email. Check your contract or employment terms, and ask HR or an employment adviser about your own situation, before you share dates with outside contacts.

Parental leave reply

Thank you for your email. I'm on leave and will be back on [date]. In the meantime, [name] is covering my work and can help at [email]. I won't be reading messages during this time.

Sabbatical or long break reply

I'm taking an extended break and will return in [month]. Please email [name] at [email] for support. I'll reply to everything else when I'm back.

Out of office examples for business trips and conferences

Business trip reply

I'm travelling for work until [date] and checking email only occasionally. I'll reply as soon as I can. If you need a quick answer, please contact [name] at [email].

Conference reply

I'm at [event name] on [date] and will answer your message when I'm back at my desk on [date]. If you're attending and would like to meet, tell me where you'll be and I'll try to find a gap.

Out of office examples for small business owners

If you run your own business, your message doubles as a customer service tool. Say when you're open again, how to reach you for urgent matters and where to find answers in the meantime.

Shop or studio closed for a break

Thanks for contacting [business name]. We're closed from [date] to [date] and will answer messages on [date]. You'll find answers to common questions on our website, and orders placed in the meantime will be handled when we're back.

Solo business owner reply

Thank you for your enquiry. I'm taking some time off and will reply on [date]. If you're an existing client with an urgent matter, please call [number]. Otherwise I'll be in touch as soon as I'm back.

Public holiday reply

Our office is closed for [holiday name]. We'll reply to your message on the next working day, [date]. Thank you for your patience.

If your customers also message you on WhatsApp, a matching reply there helps. See my guide to a WhatsApp Business auto-reply message.

Internal versus client-facing messages

Colleagues and clients need different things. Inside your organisation, you can be brief and name the project that someone else is handling. For clients, be a little warmer, and don't mention internal details. Outlook lets work or school accounts write a separate message for people inside and outside the organisation, which makes this easy.

Audience	What to include	What to leave out
Colleagues	Return date, who covers your work, how to reach you in an emergency	Long explanations
Clients	Return date, a named contact, a friendly tone	Internal project names and private details
Suppliers	Return date and the best person for urgent matters	Where you are or what you're doing
General public	When you'll reply and a link to answers	Personal contact details

How to set an out of office reply in Gmail

Google's help centre gives these steps for a computer. The names of menus can change, so check the current page if yours looks different.

1. Open Gmail and click Settings at the top right, then See all settings.
2. On the General tab, find Vacation responder.
3. Select Vacation responder on.
4. Enter the first and last day, a subject and your message.
5. If you like, tick the box to send replies only to people in your contacts.
6. Click Save Changes at the bottom.

Google says the reply starts at the beginning of your first day and ends at the end of your last day, unless you turn it off sooner. To end it early, click End now in the banner at the top of your inbox.

How to set automatic replies in Outlook

Microsoft's support page gives different steps for each version of Outlook, and it says automatic replies aren't supported for Gmail, Yahoo or other POP or IMAP accounts in Outlook.

New Outlook for Windows

1. On the View tab, select View settings.
2. Go to Accounts, then Automatic Replies.
3. Turn on the Automatic replies toggle.
4. Select Send replies only during a time period and enter the start and end times.
5. Type your message and select Save.

Outlook on the web

1. Select Settings (the gear icon), then Account, then Automatic replies.
2. Turn on Automatic replies and, if you like, set a time period.
3. Type your message and select Save.

In classic Outlook for Windows, choose File then Automatic Replies, and select Send automatic replies. Microsoft recommends choosing contacts only for outside senders, because sending to everyone includes newsletters and junk mail. I haven't covered Outlook for Mac, which has its own help page.

Out of office mistakes to avoid

• Sharing too much. Don't say your house will be empty, where you're staying or what's wrong with your health.
• Forgetting the return date. Without it, people have no idea how long to wait.
• Naming nobody. Always give an alternative contact for urgent matters.
• Promising a quick reply you can't keep. Say "as soon as I can" instead of "the day I'm back".
• Leaving it on after you return. Check the end date, and test it by emailing yourself from a different address.
• Being too jokey for formal clients. Save the playful version for people who know you.

What if your out of office reply isn't working?

• Check the account supports it, since some email types don't offer automatic replies.
• Make sure the start and end dates are right and the switch is on.
• Look at the contacts-only setting. If it's ticked, people outside your contacts won't get a reply.
• Send a test from another address, and check the junk folder in case the reply landed there.
• If you're out for a long time and nothing is checking mail, ask a colleague to monitor the inbox.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an out of office message be?

Two to four short sentences is plenty. Say you're away, give your return date and name who to contact for anything urgent.

Should I say where I'm staying or why I'm away?

You don't need to. A simple "I'm away" is enough, and it keeps your personal details private. Avoid saying your home is empty.

Do I need a subject line?

It helps. Adding one makes the reply arrive as a separate email in Gmail instead of inside the existing thread, so people notice it.

Can I send a different message to colleagues and clients?

In Outlook with a work or school account, yes. There are separate boxes for people inside and outside your organisation. Gmail sends one message, with an option to limit it to your contacts.

What should I write if I don't know my return date?

Say replies may be slower than usual, name a person who can help and promise to be in touch when you're back.