Vacation — short
Safe default for most trips.
Hi — thanks for your email. I'm out of the office until [DATE] with limited access to email. I'll reply when I'm back. For anything urgent, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL].
Free resource
Out of office message templates — 10 examples
Ready-to-use out-of-office replies for every scenario — vacation, summer shutdown, sick days, parental leave, conferences, public holidays, leaving a role. Pick one, copy it, and paste it into your Gmail vacation responder or Outlook automatic replies. Placeholders in [square brackets] — swap in your own names and dates.
Läser du på svenska? Vi har en dedikerad guide till frånvaromeddelande och en steg-för-steg-guide för autosvar i Outlook.
Vacation — warm
For teams and long-term clients.
Hi there! I'm away from [START DATE] to [END DATE], recharging away from a screen. I'll get back to you when I return. If it can't wait, [NAME] ([EMAIL]) is covering for me and will be glad to help.
Parental leave
Set expectations for a longer absence.
Thanks for your message. I'm on parental leave until [DATE] and won't be checking email during that time. For anything time-sensitive, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL]. I'll respond to your note when I'm back.
Sick day
Brief and no oversharing.
Hi — I'm out sick today and will respond to email tomorrow. If it's urgent, please reach out to [NAME] at [EMAIL].
At a conference
For trade shows and industry events.
Thanks for reaching out. I'm at [EVENT NAME] this week and replies may be delayed. If we're both attending, I'd love to say hi — I'm around [BOOTH / SESSION]. Otherwise I'll get back to you by [DATE].
End-of-year holidays
For the December break.
Happy holidays! Our team is out from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. We'll respond to your message when we return in the new year. Wishing you a restful break.
Internal-only variant
For colleagues, not customers.
Out until [DATE]. Slack DMs won't be checked. Ping [NAME] if it can't wait — otherwise it's in the queue for when I'm back.
No cover contact
When nobody else can help.
Thanks for your email. I'm out until [DATE] and won't have anyone covering during that time. I'll respond to your message when I return — thanks for your patience.
Half-day / partial
Meetings or focus time.
I'm heads-down for the next few hours and will check email again this afternoon. If it's urgent, text me at [PHONE].
Extended leave (sabbatical)
For multi-month absences.
Thanks for reaching out. I'm on sabbatical until [DATE] and won't be checking this inbox. During that time, [NAME] ([EMAIL]) is looking after my accounts. I'll be back in touch when I return.
More templates by scenario
Formal and friendly variants for the situations the ten quick templates above don't quite cover — including the Nordic whole-company summer shutdown, permanent delegates, and leaving a role gracefully.
Annual leave / vacation
The everyday case. Say when you're back, name a delegate, stop.
Formal
Client-facing default.
Hello, Thank you for your email. I'm on annual leave until [DATE] and will not be checking my inbox during that time. For anything time-sensitive, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL], who is covering my accounts in my absence. I'll respond to your message when I return. Best regards, [Name]
Friendly
Warmer, for teams and long-term clients.
Hi there, I'm off on holiday from [START DATE] to [END DATE] — properly off, no email. I'll get back to you the week I'm back. If it can't wait, [NAME] ([EMAIL]) has kindly agreed to cover and will be glad to help. Thanks, [Name]
Brief one-liner
For internal-only inboxes and repeat correspondents.
Out until [DATE]. For anything urgent, [NAME] at [EMAIL]. Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back.
Summer shutdown (whole-company closure)
Common in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and parts of Germany/Italy — the whole company closes for a fixed stretch (Nordic industrisemester is typically weeks 28–31). Say it plainly so senders know there's no cover.
Company-wide closure
When there is genuinely no one to route to.
Hello, Thank you for your message. [COMPANY] is closed for our annual summer break from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. All of our team is away during this period, so nobody will be picking up email or phones. We'll reply to your message in the order received when we reopen on [RETURN DATE]. Thank you for your patience. Best regards, [Name]
Skeleton crew
Closed, but one on-call contact for real emergencies.
Hi, [COMPANY] is closed for our summer break from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. I'll be back on [RETURN DATE]. For genuine emergencies only during that window, [NAME] ([EMAIL]) is on call. Everything else will be answered when we're back. Thanks, [Name]
Sick leave
Keep it short. You don't owe strangers a medical update.
Short
One day, back tomorrow.
Hi — I'm out sick today and will reply tomorrow. If it's urgent, please reach out to [NAME] at [EMAIL].
No details / longer
Multi-day or open-ended, no reason given.
Thanks for your email. I'm out of the office and won't be checking messages for the next few days. For anything urgent, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL]. I'll respond to your message as soon as I'm back.
Parental leave
A long absence. Set the return date and hand the account over properly.
Standard parental leave
A single point of contact for the whole leave.
Thanks for your message. I'm on parental leave until [RETURN DATE] and won't be checking this inbox during that time. While I'm away, [NAME] ([EMAIL]) is looking after my accounts and will be glad to help. I'll respond to your note when I'm back. All the best, [Name]
Permanent delegate
Your work has been reassigned, not just paused.
Hi, I'm on parental leave until [RETURN DATE]. For the duration of my leave, my responsibilities have been handed over to [NAME] ([EMAIL]) — please contact them directly for anything related to [ACCOUNT / PROJECT], including new requests. See you in [MONTH], [Name]
Business trip or conference
You're still reachable, just slow. Say so.
At a conference
For trade shows and industry events.
Thanks for reaching out. I'm at [EVENT NAME] this week and replies may be delayed by a day or two. If we're both attending, I'd love to say hi — I'm around [BOOTH / SESSION]. Otherwise I'll get back to you by [DATE].
Reachable but slow
Client visits, off-sites, travel days.
Hi — I'm travelling for work between [START] and [END] and checking email once a day. Expect a reply within 24 hours, or contact [NAME] at [EMAIL] if it's urgent.
Public holiday
For a single national holiday when senders elsewhere might not realise you're closed.
Single public holiday
One-day closure.
Hi — thanks for your email. Our office is closed today for [HOLIDAY NAME]. We'll respond to your message on [NEXT WORKING DAY].
End-of-year break
The December stretch.
Happy holidays! Our team is off from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. We'll respond to your message when we return in the new year. Wishing you a restful break.
Internal-only (casual)
Set as your internal-only variant in Outlook, or use inside a small team.
Slack-adjacent
For colleagues, not customers.
Out until [DATE]. Slack DMs won't be checked. Ping [NAME] if it can't wait — otherwise it's in the queue for when I'm back.
Leaving the company
The inbox will keep receiving mail for months. Route it to a real human.
Permanent — with successor
Left the company; someone owns the account now.
Hello, I've moved on from [COMPANY] as of [DATE] and this inbox is no longer monitored by me. For anything related to [ACCOUNT / PROJECT / TERRITORY], please contact [SUCCESSOR NAME] at [EMAIL]. For general enquiries, [info@company.com] is the best route. Thank you for the good work together, [Name]
Permanent — staying in touch
Optional forwarding to a personal address.
Hi, I've left [COMPANY] and this address is no longer monitored. For anything work-related, please contact [SUCCESSOR NAME] at [EMAIL]. If you'd like to stay in touch personally, I'm at [PERSONAL EMAIL] or on LinkedIn. All the best, [Name]
Same-day / unexpected absence
Set from your phone before you disappear for the day.
Same-day, unexpected
Family emergency, unplanned leave.
Hi — I'm out of the office unexpectedly today and won't be checking email. For anything urgent, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL]. I'll respond to your message as soon as I can.
Half-day / focus block
Meetings, deep work, appointments.
I'm heads-down for the next few hours and will check email again this afternoon. If it's urgent, text me at [PHONE].
Extended leave / sabbatical
Months, not weeks. Be explicit that the inbox is unmonitored.
Sabbatical
For multi-month absences.
Thanks for reaching out. I'm on sabbatical until [DATE] and won't be checking this inbox during that time. [NAME] ([EMAIL]) is looking after my accounts while I'm away. I'll be back in touch when I return.
Pre-vacation checklist
Do this the working day before you leave. Ten minutes now saves a chaotic first day back.
- 1Set the auto-reply with real dates
In Gmail: Settings → General → Vacation responder. In Outlook: File → Automatic Replies. Set both start and end — you'll forget to turn it off otherwise.
- 2Ask a delegate before you name them
Get an actual yes from the colleague you're routing to. Nothing burns goodwill faster than finding out you're on-call for someone else's inbox on Monday morning.
- 3Block the calendar end-to-end
Mark yourself out from the evening before to the morning after your return. It stops meetings being booked over your travel and your buffer day.
- 4Decline or forward standing meetings
Go through the two weeks you'll miss and either decline, forward to your delegate, or send an async note in advance.
- 5Update voicemail if you use one
If your number is on your signature or website, mirror the auto-reply: dates, delegate, done.
- 6Keep travel details out of the auto-reply
'Out until the 12th' is enough. Skip the country, the hotel, and 'the house will be empty.' Auto-replies go to every stranger who mails you, including harvested spam lists.
- 7Test-send it to yourself
Email yourself from a personal address to see what senders actually receive — line breaks, links, and the internal vs external variant if you set both.
- 8Give yourself a return-day buffer
Set the return date one working day after you're actually back. Day one is for the backlog, not new meetings.
What to include, what to leave out
Include
- A specific return date, not "next week."
- One named delegate with their email, if there is one.
- A realistic expectation — "I'll reply when I'm back," not "within 24 hours."
- The reason only if it matters (parental leave, sabbatical, closure) — otherwise skip it.
Leave out
- Where you're going. "Bali until the 20th" reaches strangers and scrapers.
- Your personal mobile, unless you truly want it to ring.
- Apologies for being off. You're allowed a break.
- Promises you can't keep — "urgent replies within the hour" from a beach.
Common questions
How do I set an out-of-office reply in Gmail?
Open Gmail settings, scroll to 'Vacation responder', turn it on, choose the start and end dates, and paste your message. Google will send it once per sender in a four-day window so people don't get spammed.
How do I set an out-of-office reply in Outlook?
In Outlook, go to File → Automatic Replies (Out of Office). Set the date range, write the message, and choose whether to send it to people outside your organization. On Outlook for Web, it's under Settings → Mail → Automatic replies.
Should an out-of-office include my personal phone?
Only if you genuinely want to be reachable. A better default is to name a colleague as cover — it keeps your break restful and gives senders a real answer.
Is it safe to say where I'm going in an out-of-office?
Keep travel specifics vague in a public auto-reply — it goes to every stranger who emails you, including spam lists. 'Out until the 12th' is enough. Save the beach photos for people you actually know.
How long should an out-of-office message be?
Two to four short sentences. Say when you're back, who to contact if it's urgent, and stop. Anything longer and people stop reading before the useful part.
Should I set an out-of-office for a single day?
Yes, if you won't reply that day. A one-line 'Out today, back tomorrow — [Name] at [email] for anything urgent' beats leaving senders wondering.
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