Out of Office Message Examples: 40 Templates for Every Situation

You are about to take a week off, a sick day has arrived without warning, or the shared support inbox needs to say something over the holidays. Whatever the reason, the automatic reply has one job: tell the sender what happens to their email and what to do if it cannot wait.

Below: what OOO means, the rules for a good reply, 40 numbered templates by situation, and the setup steps for Outlook, Gmail, Teams and Slack, checked on Microsoft's, Google's and Slack's own help pages on 12 November 2026. The last part is for businesses whose customers receive the auto-reply.

What is an out of office message, and what does OOO mean?

An out of office message is an automatic reply your email account sends to people who write to you while you are away. OOO stands for "out of office": the Cambridge Dictionary lists it as the abbreviation for this reply, or for the system that sends it. Outlook calls the feature Automatic Replies; Gmail calls it a vacation responder.

The reply goes once per sender, not to every email: Microsoft says Outlook sends it "once to each person who emails you during your absence", and Google says Gmail replies the first time someone writes, and again only if that person writes after four days or after you edit the message.

Which out of office message should you use?

Pick the row that matches your absence and jump to the template. Each one uses [square brackets] for the parts you replace.

What should an out of office message say?

An out of office message should say when you are away, when you are back, who handles urgent matters, and whether you are reading email in the meantime. Most other details are better left out.

What to include

• The dates, with weekdays, so nobody has to count.
• A reply date you can keep. Back on Monday to 300 emails? Promise Tuesday or Wednesday.
• An urgent contact: a named colleague or a team address. Ask that person first.
• Whether you are reading email. "No access" and "once a day" set very different expectations.
• Whether email is forwarded. If not, say so, so senders write again.

What to leave out

• Where you are going. "In Bali until the 20th" tells strangers your home may be empty.
• Health and family details. "On leave" covers every reason.
• Your personal mobile number. The reply can reach anyone who emails you.
• Internal details in the external version, such as project names and who reports to whom.
• Promises you cannot keep, such as "within the hour" from a beach.

How long should an out of office message be?

Two to four sentences, roughly 40 to 80 words. Put the return date in the first sentence, because many people read email on a phone. Gmail's vacation responder has a subject field; Microsoft's Outlook steps ask only for the message, so the first line carries the dates.

Professional out of office message examples

These seven cover the everyday absences: vacations, short breaks and single days. Change the dates, the colleague and the sign-off, and keep the order of the facts.

1. Standard vacation reply

Subject: Out of office until [weekday, date]

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I'm out of the office from [start date] to [end date] and back on [return date].

For anything urgent, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email]. I'll reply to everything else by [reply date].

Best regards,
[Your name]

The default for most people. The subject line goes in Gmail's subject field; in Outlook, start from "Hello".

2. Vacation with no email access

Hello,

I'm on vacation until [return date] with no access to email, so I won't see your message before then.

If it can't wait, [colleague name] ([colleague email]) is covering for me. Otherwise, I'll reply by [reply date].

Thanks,
[Your name]

For real offline time; saying so stops repeat follow-ups.

3. Vacation while checking email once a day

Hi,

I'm on leave until [return date] and checking email once a day, so replies will be slower than usual.

For anything that needs an answer today, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

Thanks for your patience,
[Your name]

Only send this if you will actually check daily; otherwise use template 2.

4. Away for a few days

Hello,

I'm away from [start day] to [end day] and back on [return day]. I'll reply to your email then.

If you need help sooner, please write to [team email].

Best,
[Your name]

For short breaks, a team address beats one named colleague.

5. Single day off

Hi,

I'm out of the office today, [date], and back tomorrow morning. I'll reply to your message then.

For anything urgent today, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

Set the time range to end at midnight, or the word "today" will be wrong tomorrow.

6. Out for part of the day

Hi,

I'm away from my desk this afternoon and back at [time, time zone]. I'll reply to your email before the end of the day.

If it's urgent, please call [main office number].

[Your name]

For appointments or travel days. Give the office number, not your mobile.

7. Sabbatical or extended leave

Hello,

I'm on extended leave until [month and year] and not reading this inbox.

While I'm away, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] about [topic], or [team email] for anything else. Your email will not be forwarded.

Kind regards,
[Your name]

For a month or more away. "Will not be forwarded" tells senders to write again.

Holiday out of office messages: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year

Holiday replies need the holiday's name and both dates, because senders abroad may not know when your holidays fall. One warm line is enough.

8. Thanksgiving

Hi,

Thank you for your email. I'm out of the office for Thanksgiving from [Wednesday, date] and back on Monday, [date].

For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email]. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

[Your name]

For US teams. Drop the greeting for senders outside the US, or switch to template 11.

9. Christmas and New Year

Hello,

I'm away for the holidays from [date] and back on [weekday, date] in January. I won't be checking email in between.

For anything urgent before then, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

Wishing you a restful break,
[Your name]

Write the return date in full. "Back in the new year" leaves senders guessing between the 2nd and the 12th.

10. Company closed for the holidays

Hello,

Our office is closed from [date] to [date] for the holidays and reopens on [weekday, date] at [time, time zone].

Emails received during the closure will be answered in the order they arrived, within [two] working days of reopening. For anything urgent, please [urgent route, such as an out-of-hours phone line].

Happy holidays from all of us at [Company]

For company-wide closures. Leave room for the backlog.

11. Public holiday

Hi,

I'm out of the office on [date] for [holiday name] and back on [return date]. I'll reply to your email then.

If it's urgent, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

Name the holiday so the absence reads as planned.

12. A local holiday senders may not know

Hello,

Today, [date], is a public holiday in [country or region], so our office is closed. I'll reply to your email on [return date].

For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name in another office] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

For international clients; a colleague in another office makes the best cover.

Out of office messages for sick leave and medical leave

Sick and medical leave replies say as little as possible: you are away, who can help, and roughly when you are back. Never name the illness.

13. Sick day

Hi,

I'm out sick today and not checking email. I expect to be back on [day], and I'll reply then.

For anything urgent, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

Set it from your phone with the mobile steps below. Unsure of the return day? Write "I'll reply when I'm back".

14. Medical leave

Hello,

I'm on leave until [return date or month] and not monitoring email.

[Colleague name] at [colleague email] is handling my work while I'm away, and [team email] can help with anything else.

Thank you,
[Your name]

A month instead of a date is fine when the return is uncertain.

15. Family emergency or bereavement

Hello,

I'm away from work for a family matter and expect to return on [date]. I won't be reading email until then.

Please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] for anything that needs attention.

[Your name]

If you cannot face setting it yourself, ask your manager or IT to do it; they only need the dates and the cover contact.

16. Personal leave with no reason given

Hi,

I'm out of the office until [return date] with limited access to email.

For anything time-sensitive, [colleague name] at [colleague email] can help. I'll reply to everything else when I'm back.

[Your name]

A neutral reply for any absence you would rather not explain.

Parental leave out of office messages

Parental leave is long, so the reply has to route work for months: name an owner per project or account, and say that emails are not forwarded.

17. Parental leave with a return date

Hello,

I'm on parental leave until [return date] and not checking email.

While I'm away, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] about [project or account], or [team email] for anything else. I look forward to catching up when I'm back.

[Your name]

"Parental", "maternity" or "paternity" leave are all fine; use your own word.

18. Parental leave with no fixed return date

Hello,

I'm on parental leave and won't be reading this inbox while I'm away. My return date isn't fixed yet.

Please send anything about [project or account] to [colleague name] at [colleague email]. Your email won't be forwarded, so please resend it there if it needs action.

Thank you,
[Your name]

Leave out an end date in the settings too, and remember to switch it off when you return.

Out of office messages for business travel and conferences

Travel replies differ from vacation replies in one way: you are working, just slower. Say how slow, and do not name your hotel or flights.

19. Business trip

Hi,

I'm on a work trip from [date] to [date] with limited access to email. I'll reply within [two] working days, or when I'm back on [return date].

For anything urgent, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

Give a working-day promise you can keep between meetings and airports.

20. Conference or trade show

Hello,

I'm at [event name] until [date], so my replies will be slower than usual. If you're attending, come and find us at [stand or booth number].

I'll reply to all emails by [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

A public event is safe to name, and the stand number turns the reply into an invitation.

21. Working in another time zone

Hi,

I'm working [number] hours ahead of my usual time zone until [date], so replies may arrive outside your working hours.

I'm still reading email and will reply within one working day. For anything urgent, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

Senders need the time difference, not the city, so leave the destination out.

Out of office messages for limited access and slow replies

These replies say you are around but slower, which is often more useful than silence.

22. Limited access and slower replies

Hi,

I have limited access to email until [date] and will reply within [three] working days.

If your message needs an answer sooner, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] or call [office number].

Thanks,
[Your name]

For moves, workshops, site visits and other weeks with patchy access.

23. Deadline or focus week

Hello,

I'm focused on [project or deadline] until [date] and checking email only at [time] each day.

I'll reply by [date]. If it can't wait, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

Use it sparingly with clients: an auto-reply that says you are too busy can read as "you are not a priority".

24. Part-time schedule

Hi,

Thanks for your email. I work [Monday to Wednesday], so I'll reply on [next working day].

For anything urgent on my days off, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email].

[Your name]

The Outlook and Gmail settings below run by date, not by weekday, so switch this on at the end of each working week.

Out of office messages when you leave a job or change roles

When you leave, the reply's job is routing: who takes over which work, and whether the inbox will be read at all. Check your employer's policy before adding a personal address.

25. Leaving the company

Hello,

[Date] is my last day at [Company], and this inbox will close soon after.

From now on, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] about [projects or accounts], or [team email] for anything else.

Thank you for working with me,
[Your name]

Set it a few days before you go, so regular contacts see it while you can still answer questions.

26. Changed role

Hi,

I've moved to a new role as [new title] at [Company], so I no longer handle [old area].

For [old area], please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email]. I'm still happy to hear from you about [new area].

[Your name]

Keep it on for a few weeks, until regular contacts have updated their address books.

27. Mailbox no longer monitored

Hello,

[Former employee name] no longer works at [Company], and this mailbox is not monitored. Your email has not been forwarded.

Please resend your message to [colleague or team email], or call [main office number].

Thank you,
[Company]

Usually set by IT on a departed colleague's mailbox. "Has not been forwarded" is the sentence that matters.

Automatic replies for support@, sales@ and other shared mailboxes

A shared mailbox's auto-reply is read by customers, so it needs a reply time, a self-service route and, if you have one, an urgent route. The first response time benchmarks show what customers see elsewhere, and why an auto-reply never counts as a first response.

28. Support inbox after hours

Subject: We've received your message

Hello,

Thanks for contacting [Company] support. Our team answers email [Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, time zone], and it's outside those hours now.

We'll reply on [next working day], usually by [time]. Many answers are already at [help center URL].

[Company] Support

Use it only while the team is really offline, or customers read "outside those hours" at 11:00 on a Tuesday.

29. Support inbox at the weekend

Hello,

Thanks for your email. Our support team is off for the weekend and back on Monday at [time, time zone].

We answer weekend messages first, oldest first, and you'll hear from us on Monday, usually by [time]. If your [order or account] issue is urgent, [urgent route].

[Company] Support

"Oldest first" shows the queue is fair.

30. Sales inbox out of hours

Hello,

Thanks for getting in touch with [Company]. Our sales team is offline until [time, time zone] on [next working day], and a person will reply to you once we're back.

If you'd like to talk sooner, you can book a call at a time that suits you: [booking link].

[Company] Sales

A booking link turns an evening enquiry into a meeting instead of a wait.

31. Peak-season delays

Hello,

Thanks for your email. It's our busiest week of the year, so replies are taking up to [48 hours] instead of the usual [same day].

Answers to the most common questions about [orders, delivery and returns] are at [help page URL]. We reply in the order messages arrived, so there's no need to send yours twice.

[Company] Support

For sales and launches; the Black Friday support checklist covers the rest of a peak week.

32. Support team holiday closure

Hello,

Our support team is away for [holiday] from [date] to [date] and back on [weekday, date] at [time, time zone].

Messages sent during the closure will be answered within [two] working days of our return. [Optional: Orders placed during the break will ship from [date].]

[Company] Support

Add the shipping line for a shop; delete it for anything else.

33. Message received acknowledgment

Hello,

This is an automatic reply to confirm we've received your email. A member of our team will reply within [one working day].

To add details, reply to this email rather than starting a new one, so everything stays together.

[Company] Support

The always-on version for a support inbox, sent at every hour, not only when the team is away.

Internal out of office messages for colleagues

Colleagues need more detail than customers: which work is covered by whom and what is waiting. That detail is exactly what must not go outside, which is why Outlook lets work accounts set a separate internal reply.

34. Internal vacation with handover

Hi team,

I'm on leave from [date] to [date] and not checking email or [chat app].

- [Project A]: [colleague name] has the latest files and decisions.
- [Project B]: waiting on [item], due [date]; [colleague name] will follow up.
- Approvals: [manager name] is covering.

Back on [return date].
[Your name]

The handover list saves your cover a dozen questions. Keep it to three lines.

35. Internal sick day

Hi,

I'm off sick today. [Colleague name] is covering [meeting or task], and I'll catch up on email when I'm back.

[Your name]

Two sentences is plenty for colleagues; your manager already knows the rest.

Funny out of office messages that stay professional

A light reply works for regular contacts and informal workplaces, as long as every fact a sender needs is still there. Keep the joke to one line and never at the sender's expense.

36. Light vacation reply

Hi,

I'm away until [return date], somewhere with patchy Wi-Fi and better views than my desk. I'll reply when I'm back.

If it can't wait, [colleague name] at [colleague email] can help, and is much faster than me this week.

[Your name]

The joke gives nothing away about where you are.

37. Friendly reply that still helps

Hi,

Thanks for your email. I'm away until [return date] and recharging, so I won't see it before then.

In the meantime, [resource, such as our FAQ at URL] answers most questions, and [colleague name] at [colleague email] can help with the rest.

Speak soon,
[Your name]

Warm, and it still hands the sender two ways forward.

Should you set different internal and external out of office replies?

Yes, if your email account allows it: colleagues need handover detail, while outside senders need only dates and a contact. Microsoft's Outlook steps show separate messages for inside and outside your organization on work or school accounts; Google's Gmail steps show one message, with an option to reply to your contacts only.

Microsoft's own note is the reason to be careful: a reply to everyone outside your organization "will send your automatic reply to every email, including newsletters, advertisements, and potentially, junk email." If outside senders do not need to know, choose contacts only.

How do you set an out of office message in Outlook?

You set an out of office message in Outlook through Automatic Replies, and the menu depends on your version. These steps come from Microsoft's page on automatic replies in Outlook for Windows and on the web, checked on 12 November 2026.

New Outlook for Windows

1. On the View tab, select View settings.
2. Select Accounts, then Automatic Replies.
3. Turn the Automatic replies toggle on.
4. Select Send replies only during a time period and enter start and end times.
5. Optional: select Send replies only to contacts. Work or school accounts also see Send replies outside your organization.
6. When you're done, select Save.

Microsoft's list for new Outlook has no step for the text itself; type your reply on the same Automatic Replies page before you save. Microsoft notes that new Outlook does not support automatic replies for Gmail, Yahoo or other POP or IMAP accounts.

Outlook on the web and Outlook.com

1. At the top of the page, select Settings, then Account, then Automatic replies.
2. Turn the Automatic replies toggle on.
3. Tick Send replies only during a time period and enter start and end times; without it, the reply stays on until you turn it off.
4. Type your message in the box at the bottom, optionally select Send replies only to contacts, and select Save.

Classic Outlook for Windows

1. Select File, then Automatic Replies.
2. Select Send automatic replies and, optionally, a date range.
3. Type your message. Work or school accounts have Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization tabs.
4. Select OK.

To stop early, select Turn off in the bar under the ribbon. No Automatic Replies button probably means a Gmail, Yahoo, POP or IMAP account; Microsoft's alternative there is a rule, which only replies while Outlook keeps running.

Outlook for Mac

From Microsoft's Outlook for Mac page, for Exchange, Outlook.com, Hotmail and Office 365 accounts (POP and IMAP accounts are not supported):

1. In the navigation pane, select Mail.
2. Open the Tools menu and select Automatic Replies.
3. Choose the account and turn on the toggle next to Send Automatic Replies.
4. Under Message for inside your organization, enter your reply.
5. For dates, turn on Send replies during a specific time period and set the start and end.
6. For outside senders, if your administrator allows it, check Message for outside your organization, choose Send only to my contacts or Send to everyone, enter that reply, and close the window.

Outlook on iPhone, iPad and Android

Microsoft's Outlook mobile page gives one path: tap Settings, tap your account, tap Automatic Replies, turn the switch on, set the time period and the messages for your organization and for external senders, and tap Save.

How do you set up an out of office reply in Gmail?

You set up an out of office reply in Gmail with the vacation responder in Settings. These steps are from Google's help page, Send an automatic reply when you're out of office, checked on 12 November 2026.

Gmail on a computer

1. Open Gmail and, at the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
2. On the General tab, go to the Vacation responder section.
3. Select Vacation responder on.
4. Fill in the date range, subject and message. Optionally tick the box to reply to your contacts only.
5. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

A banner across the top of your inbox shows the reply is on; click End now to stop it early. Google says the reply runs from 12:00 AM on the start date to 11:59 PM on the end date, with your signature under it.

Gmail app on Android, iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Gmail app and, at the top left, tap Menu, then Settings.
2. On Android, choose your account and tap Vacation responder. On iPhone or iPad, tap Vacation responder under Compose and Reply.
3. Turn the vacation responder switch on.
4. Enter the date range, subject and message, with the optional contacts-only setting.
5. Tap Done on Android, or Save at the top right on iPhone and iPad.

How do you show you are out of office in Teams and Slack?

In Microsoft Teams, select your profile picture, choose Set status message, then Schedule out of office, turn on Turn on automatic replies, write the message, set the time period and select Save. Microsoft's Teams out of office page says the message is required and syncs with Outlook's automatic replies, so one setting covers both.

Slack's dedicated out of office status is on Enterprise plans: click your profile picture, click Update your status, choose Out of office, pick when it clears, add a message and click Save. People who mention you in a channel then get a private message with your details. On other plans, schedule a status with a start and end time. Neither replaces the email reply.

What are the most common out of office message mistakes?

The most common mistake is a reply that is still on after you return; the second is a reply that says too much to strangers.

What should a business do when customers get the out of office reply?

When customers get your out of office reply, it should tell them when a person will answer and where they can get an answer now. An auto-reply asks a customer to wait; anything you can answer without a person should not wait at all.

Promise a time you meet in your busiest week. Link one place with real answers, such as your help center. Give one urgent route, if you have one. And never let one person's out of office catch customer email: route it to a team address someone reads.

On your website, the wait can disappear. An AI support agent answers from your own content at any hour and hands the rest to a person with the conversation attached; the guide to 24/7 support without a night shift walks through the routine. PepoChat is one tool of this kind, for website chat rather than email.

Website chat away message examples that fit in 300 characters

A chat away message is the website version of an out of office reply: what the chat says when a visitor asks for a person and nobody can reply live. These three fit PepoChat's 300-character away message field and work in any chat tool. Greetings and "I don't know" replies are different jobs, covered in the chatbot welcome message examples and chatbot fallback messages.

38. Chat away message for nights

Our team is offline for the night and back at [9:00] tomorrow, [city] time. A person will read this conversation then and reply, usually by [12:00].

About 140 characters with the details filled in. Keep the time zone: chat visitors can be anywhere.

39. Chat away message for a holiday closure

Our team is away for [holiday] and back on [weekday, date] at [9:00], [city] time. We answer messages in the order they arrived, within [two] working days of our return.

About 180 characters. Put your usual text back afterwards, or next week's visitors will read about a holiday that has ended.

40. Chat away message when nobody answers live

No one answers this chat live. A person reads every conversation and replies by email within [one business day], Monday to Friday.

About 130 characters, for a solo founder or a team that replies in batches.

Where PepoChat fits

An out of office reply covers your email. On a website, the same moment comes when a visitor asks for a person and nobody is there. PepoChat, an AI support agent for websites, handles it with the Team availability card on the Widget Customization page and its three modes: "My team answers in the chat", "My team answers during business hours" (a timezone, a weekly schedule and an away message of up to 300 characters), and "No one answers live chat, we follow up by email".

The AI agent keeps answering from your knowledge base in every mode, so the away message only appears when a visitor asks for a person or the agent cannot help. In the same message the agent asks once for the visitor's email address and hands the conversation to the team inbox, which is why templates 38 to 40 leave that request out.

The limits: PepoChat has no email channel, so it does not answer your inbox or replace your email auto-reply. Replies typed in the team inbox are not emailed to the visitor; you use the alert's Reply by email button or the inbox's Send Email. The schedule is weekly, so for a holiday you switch that day off and put the return date in the away message. The Free plan includes 100 AI replies a month with no credit card: create a free PepoChat workspace to set up Team availability and test it.

What to do next

• Pick your template, set an end date, and send yourself a test email from another account before you leave.
• For website chat, read the 25 offline chat message examples and the human handoff docs.
• Check what an AI support agent costs on the pricing page: every chat feature is on the free plan, and paid plans start at $39 a month.
• Sign up for PepoChat free and let the agent answer your website visitors while you are out of office.
• Related explainers: Business voicemail greeting examples, What is a help desk? and What is an SLA?.