{"id":107474,"date":"2026-10-20T07:32:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T07:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/20\/out-of-office-message\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T13:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T13:50:18","slug":"out-of-office-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/blog\/2026\/10\/20\/out-of-office-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Out of office message: 30 examples to copy for vacations, Christmas, sick leave and more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An out of office message is the automatic reply your email account sends to anyone who writes to you while you’re away: it says you’re away, until when, and who to contact if it’s urgent.<\/strong> You set it up once and it works on its own during your vacation, sick leave or a trip.<\/p>\n\n

It may seem like a formality, but it’s the first contact clients, suppliers and colleagues have with you while you’re away. A good message prevents calls, repeated emails in your inbox<\/a> and missed opportunities.<\/p>\n\n

In this guide you’ll find 30 out of office message examples ready to copy, organized by situation. You’ll also see what they should include and how to turn them on step by step in Gmail, Outlook and Teams.<\/p>\n\n\n

What is an out of office message?<\/h2>\n\n

It’s an automatic reply<\/strong> that your email provider sends on your behalf to everyone who writes to you during a specific period. It’s also called an away message, a vacation auto-reply or, for short, an OOO<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

Don’t confuse it with an email marketing autoresponder<\/a>. An out of office message replies<\/strong> to whoever writes to you. An autoresponder sends<\/strong> a sequence of emails to your subscribers when certain conditions are met, such as signing up to your list.<\/p>\n\n

The two complement each other. If your company closes for a few days, the away message takes care of anyone who writes, and a newsletter<\/a> lets all your customers know before you close.<\/p>\n\n

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Let your customers know before you leave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Send a newsletter with your closing dates and schedule it so it goes out even if you’re already on vacation. Free for up to 80,000 emails a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

What should an out of office message include?<\/h2>\n\n

A good message answers the three questions of whoever writes to you: did you get it? When will you reply? And what do I do if it can’t wait?<\/p>\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n
    \n
  1. A short greeting<\/strong> in your company’s tone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The return date.<\/strong> A specific day is better than “in a few days”.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. What will happen to the message:<\/strong> whether you’ll read it when you’re back or whether it’s better to write to you again.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. An alternative contact<\/strong> for urgent matters: name, job title and work email or phone number.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The reason, only if it helps.<\/strong> “I’m on vacation” is enough; there’s no need to share personal details.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Your usual email signature<\/a><\/strong>, so it’s clear the message is yours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    This is the basic template you can adapt to any situation:<\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Subject:<\/strong> Out of office until [date]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Hi,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank you for your message. I’m out of the office until [date] and will read it when I get back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If it’s urgent, you can write to [name] at [email].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Best regards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    [Signature]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Out of office messages for vacations<\/h2>\n\n

    These are the most common. Choose the tone based on who usually writes to you: clients, suppliers or colleagues.<\/p>\n\n

    \"Empty<\/figure>\n\n

    1. Vacation, formal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for your message. I am on vacation from [date] to [date], inclusive, without access to email. I will respond to your inquiry upon my return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For any urgent matter, please contact [name], [job title], at [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    2. Vacation, short<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m on vacation until [date]. I’ll get back to you when I return. If it’s urgent, write to [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    3. Vacation, with contacts by topic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Hi, I’m on vacation until [date].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For quotes and orders: [name], [email].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For billing: [name], [email].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For anything else, I’ll get back to you as soon as I return.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    4. Company closed in August<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for writing to us. Our offices are closed from [date] to [date] for the summer vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We’ll be back on [date] and will reply to your message in the order it was received.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    5. Digital disconnection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m on vacation until [date] and, to truly disconnect, I won’t be checking my email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If your message is still important when I’m back, I’d appreciate it if you could resend it after [date].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    6. Vacation, friendly tone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Hi! I’m recharging my batteries until [date]. Your email is waiting for me here and I’ll read it at my leisure when I’m back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If it can’t wait, [name] will be happy to help you at [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Out of office messages for Christmas and public holidays<\/h2>\n\n

    In December, many companies shorten their working hours or close between Christmas and early January. Use the message to wish people happy holidays, just as you would in your Christmas greetings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    \"Office<\/figure>\n\n

    7. Christmas, formal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office from [date] to [date] for the Christmas holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I will reply to you upon my return. We wish you happy holidays and a prosperous new year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    8. Christmas, friendly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Hi! I’m enjoying the holidays until [date]. I’ll read your message as soon as I’m back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Merry Christmas, and may the new year be full of good news!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    9. Company closed for the holidays<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Our team is taking a break from [date] to [date]. During those days we won’t be answering email or the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Orders placed on our website will be shipped from [date]. Happy holidays!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    10. Easter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m out of the office for Easter until [date]. I’ll get back to you when I return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    11. Long weekend or local holiday<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Today is a public holiday in [city] and our offices are closed. We’ll be back on [date] and will reply to your message as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Out of office messages for sick leave and other leave<\/h2>\n\n

    The rule here is discretion<\/strong>. There’s no need to explain the reason for your absence, let alone share health details.<\/p>\n\n

    12. Sick leave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for your message. I’m temporarily out of the office and won’t be able to answer emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For any matter, please contact [name] at [email], who will take care of your request.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    13. Absence with no return date<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m currently out of the office and don’t have a confirmed return date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To avoid delaying your request, please write to [name] at [email]. Your message will not be forwarded automatically.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    14. Parental leave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Hi! I’m on parental leave following the birth of my child until [date].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During this time, [name] is looking after my projects: [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    15. Personal day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m not in the office today. I’ll reply to your message tomorrow, [date].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If it’s urgent, call [work phone number].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    16. Leave of absence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m on a leave of absence until [date]. During this period, [name] is the contact person for everything related to [area]: [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    \n

    Closing for vacation or the holidays?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let your whole list know in a few minutes and segment by clients, suppliers or distributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    Out of office messages for trips, events and training<\/h2>\n\n

    In these cases you can read your email, even if it takes you longer to reply. Say so, so nobody expects an immediate response. And if you’re the one organizing the event, here’s how to do email marketing for events<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    17. Business trip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m on a business trip until [date], with limited access to email. I’ll reply as soon as possible, although it may take a little longer than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For urgent matters, call [work phone number].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    18. Trade show or event<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    This week we’re at [trade show name] in [city]. If you’re coming, visit us at booth [number].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’ll reply to your message from [date].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    19. Training<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m attending a training course until [date] and will only check my email at the end of the day. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    20. A day of meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    I’m in meetings outside the office today. I’ll reply to your email tomorrow morning.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Out of office messages for a change of company or role<\/h2>\n\n

    If you leave the company or change roles, the automatic message keeps emails from getting lost in an inbox nobody reads anymore. Even so, it’s a good idea to send your main contacts a personal goodbye email beforehand.<\/p>\n\n

    21. Leaving the company<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for your message. As of [date], I’m no longer with [company].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For any questions, you can write to [name] at [email], who now handles [area]. It’s been a pleasure working with you!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    22. Retirement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    As of [date], I’m retired. Thank you for all these years of working together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From now on, [name] will handle your requests at [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    23. Change of role or department<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    As of [date], I’m in charge of [new area] and no longer handle [previous area].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For those matters, write to [name] at [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Out of office messages for businesses and customer service<\/h2>\n\n

    Shared mailboxes, like info@ or orders@, also need their own automatic reply, especially in an online store<\/a>. Here the goal is for the customer to know what will happen<\/strong> and not write again.<\/p>\n\n

    24. Outside business hours<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for contacting [company]. We received your message outside our business hours, Monday to Friday from [time] to [time].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We’ll reply on the next business day.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    25. Weekend<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    We’ve received your message. Our team is off for the weekend and will reply on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the meantime, you may find the answer in our [FAQ].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    26. Online store during a closure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thanks for writing to us! We’re closed for vacation from [date] to [date].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our online store is still open, but orders will be prepared from [date]. You’ll get an email when your package ships.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    27. Moving or stocktaking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    From [date] to [date] we’re moving to our new offices at [address], so service may be slower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We’ll answer all messages in the order they were received. Thank you for your patience.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Bilingual out of office messages and messages in English<\/h2>\n\n

    If you work with clients or suppliers in other countries, add a version in a second language below your main message.<\/p>\n\n

    28. Bilingual Spanish-English<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Estoy fuera de la oficina hasta el [fecha]. Si es urgente, escribe a [email].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I am out of the office until [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    29. English only<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office with limited access to email and will return on [date].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Funny out of office message<\/h2>\n\n

    It works if you know the person writing to you well and your company culture allows it. With new clients, stick to one of the earlier ones.<\/p>\n\n

    30. With humor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Right now I’m somewhere with lots of sun and very little signal. I’ll be back on [date], tanned and full of fresh energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If your message can’t wait, [name] is in the office (and not tanned): [email].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    How to turn on an out of office message in Gmail, Outlook and Teams<\/h2>\n\n

    Each tool calls it something different, but the steps are similar: turn on the reply, choose the dates and write the text.<\/p>\n\n

    \"How<\/figure>\n\n

    In Gmail<\/h3>\n\n
      \n
    1. Open Gmail<\/a> on your computer and click the gear icon in the top right corner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Click See all settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. In the General<\/strong> tab, scroll down to the Vacation responder<\/strong> section.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Select Vacation responder on<\/strong> and choose the first and last day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Write the subject and the message. If you want, check the option to send it only to your contacts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Click Save Changes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

      Gmail sends the reply only the first time<\/strong> someone writes to you. If that person writes to you again after four days, or if you change the reply text, they get it again. It doesn’t reply to emails that land in spam<\/a> or to emails from mailing lists.<\/p>\n\n

      In Outlook (new Outlook and Outlook on the web)<\/h3>\n\n
        \n
      1. Go to View<\/strong> and click View settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Go to Accounts<\/strong> and then Automatic replies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Turn on automatic replies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Select Send replies only during a time period<\/strong> and choose the dates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Write the message. If you want, select Send replies only to contacts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      6. Click Save<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

        With work accounts, you can write a different message for people outside your organization.<\/p>\n\n

        In classic Outlook<\/h3>\n\n
          \n
        1. Go to File<\/strong> and click Automatic Replies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Select Send automatic replies<\/strong> and, if you want, the date range.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Write the message in the Inside My Organization<\/strong> tab and, if needed, another one in Outside My Organization<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Click OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

          This option is available for work or school accounts. For Gmail, Yahoo, POP or IMAP accounts added to classic Outlook, the reply is set up with rules.<\/p>\n\n

          In Microsoft Teams<\/h3>\n\n
            \n
          1. Click your profile picture and choose Set status message<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Click Schedule out of office<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Switch on Turn on automatic replies<\/strong> and write the message.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. If you want, check the option to send replies outside your organization and choose the time period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. Save the changes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

            Teams and Outlook share this setting, so the message appears in both.<\/p>\n\n

            Common mistakes in out of office messages<\/h2>\n\n

            A poorly configured automatic message can cause more problems than not having one at all. These are the most common mistakes:<\/p>\n\n

            \"7<\/figure>\n\n