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Out of office message generator
Fill in your dates once and get three texts: the reply colleagues see, a shorter one for everyone outside the company, and a status line for Teams or Slack. The day you are back is worked out for you.
Your messages
Back on Monday, January 4, 2027
For colleagues
Outlook: Inside My Organization. Gmail: the vacation reply.
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm on vacation from Monday, December 21, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027 and back on Monday, January 4, 2027. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
For people outside the company
Outlook: Outside My Organization. No reason, no plans.
Thanks for your email. I'm out of the office until Friday, January 1, 2027 and back on Monday, January 4, 2027. For anything urgent, please contact Sam Lee at [email protected]. Best, Maya
Status line
Teams or Slack status, 100 characters at most.
On vacation, back Mon Jan 4. Urgent: Sam Lee
Why two replies
An automatic reply is not only read by colleagues. Microsoft's Outlook help says the feature “automatically sends a customized message once to each person who emails you during your absence”, and that “sending replies outside your organization will send your automatic reply to every email you receive”, which is why it offers an option to reply only to your contacts. Gmail, per Google's help, replies the first time someone writes, and again if “the same person contacts you again after four days and your automatic reply is still on”. Its reply runs from 12:00 AM on the start date to 11:59 PM on the end date.
So the outside version here says only when you are back and who to contact. It never names a trip, a conference, an illness or a family event, and it gives the cover person's email, not a phone number. Colleagues get the full version: Outlook keeps the two apart with its Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization tabs (Microsoft's steps).
Slack can switch a status on and off for you: “Scheduled statuses turn on automatically at the time you set”, and you can schedule up to five (Slack help). The status line above is written to fit in a glance, 100 characters at most.
21 out of office messages to copy
Every situation the generator covers, in all three tones, with example dates and a cover person. Each is the colleagues' version; switch the generator to your dates for the outside version and the status line.
Vacation
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm on vacation from Monday, December 21, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027 and back on Monday, January 4, 2027. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. I am on annual leave from Monday, December 21, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027 and will return on Monday, January 4, 2027. During my absence, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). I will respond to your message on my return. Kind regards, Maya
I'm on vacation from Monday, December 21, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027, back on Monday, January 4, 2027. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Public holiday
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm off for the public holiday from Thursday, November 26 to Friday, November 27 and back on Monday, November 30. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. I am out of the office for a public holiday from Thursday, November 26 to Friday, November 27 and will return on Monday, November 30. During my absence, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). I will respond to your message on my return. Kind regards, Maya
I'm off for the public holiday from Thursday, November 26 to Friday, November 27, back on Monday, November 30. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Conference or business trip
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm at a conference from Tuesday, March 9 to Thursday, March 11 and back on Friday, March 12. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. I am attending a conference from Tuesday, March 9 to Thursday, March 11 and will return on Friday, March 12. During my absence, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). I will respond to your message on my return. Kind regards, Maya
I'm at a conference from Tuesday, March 9 to Thursday, March 11, back on Friday, March 12. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Training
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm in training from Monday, February 15 to Tuesday, February 16 and back on Wednesday, February 17. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. I am attending a training course from Monday, February 15 to Tuesday, February 16 and will return on Wednesday, February 17. During my absence, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). I will respond to your message on my return. Kind regards, Maya
I'm in training from Monday, February 15 to Tuesday, February 16, back on Wednesday, February 17. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Sick leave
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm out sick on Monday, November 16 and back on Tuesday, November 17. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. I am on sick leave on Monday, November 16 and will return on Tuesday, November 17. During my absence, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). I will respond to your message on my return. Kind regards, Maya
I'm out sick on Monday, November 16, back on Tuesday, November 17. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Parental leave
Hi, thanks for your message. I'm on parental leave from Monday, April 5 to Friday, July 30 and back on Monday, August 2. While I'm away, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. I am on parental leave from Monday, April 5 to Friday, July 30 and will return on Monday, August 2. During my absence, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). I will respond to your message on my return. Kind regards, Maya
I'm on parental leave from Monday, April 5 to Friday, July 30, back on Monday, August 2. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Last day at the company
Hi, thanks for your message. Friday, January 29 is my last day here. From Monday, February 1, Sam Lee ([email protected]) is taking over my work, so please get in touch with them. It has been great working with you. Best, Maya
Thank you for your email. Friday, January 29 is my last day with the company. From Monday, February 1, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]), who is taking over my work. Thank you for working with me. Kind regards, Maya
Friday, January 29 is my last day here. From Monday, February 1, please contact Sam Lee ([email protected]). Maya
Before you switch it on
- Ask the cover person first, and give them the links they will need.
- Set an end date, so the reply does not keep running after you are back.
- Put the absence in the team calendar too: a reply only reaches people who write to you.
- Working in Jira? Auto-replies can turn into comments and requests. Our post Out of office in Jira explains why and how to stop it.
Show who is out where the work is
OutSync brings leave into Jira and Confluence: requests and approvals, a Who's out panel on the Jira board with the day each person is back, and approved leave in your team's Google Calendar. Sick leave shows only as “out”.
Frequently asked questions
What should an out of office message say?
When you are away, when you are back, and who to contact meanwhile, with an email address. Colleagues can also get the reason. People outside the company only need the return day and a contact; the generator writes that second version for you.
What is a good short out of office message?
“I’m on vacation from Monday, December 21 to Friday, January 1, 2027, back on Monday, January 4, 2027. Urgent: Sam Lee ([email protected]).” Pick the Short tone above for one like it with your own dates.
Should I say why I am out?
To colleagues, if you like. To the outside world, no: in Outlook an outside reply goes, in Microsoft’s words, “to every email you receive” unless you limit it to your contacts, so it reaches strangers and senders of spam. The outside reply here never names the reason, a trip or a conference.
How often does the automatic reply go to the same person?
Outlook sends it once per sender during your absence. Gmail sends it the first time someone writes, and again if they write after four days while the reply is still on, or after you edit it.
Is what I type sent anywhere?
No. The texts are written in your browser; your name, dates and contacts are not sent, logged or stored.
Can Jira show that I am out of office?
Not on its own: Jira has no out of office setting. OutSync, our app, adds leave requests and a Who’s out panel on the board, and can put approved leave into a shared Google Calendar.