This address is not monitored until . For anything time-sensitive, please email at ; I will reply to everything else when I return.
Professional · short · 1 of 1
Also for your time off
Now switch it on
At the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
On the General tab, go to the Vacation responder section.
Select Vacation responder on.
Fill in the date range (First day, optional Last day), subject and message.
Optional: check the box under the message to send the reply to your contacts only.
At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
Start
your first day away
End
the morning you are back
Usually only the first time someone messages you. The same person gets it again if they write after four days while it is still on, or after you edit the reply.
The settings link opens your first signed-in account. If you use several, open the right one and follow the steps instead.
Gmail's out of office is the Vacation responder: click Settings, then See all settings, find Vacation responder on the General tab, turn it on, add your dates, a subject and a message such as "This address is not monitored until October 14. For anything time-sensitive, please email Priya Nair at priya.nair@yourcompany.com; I will reply to everything else when I return."
It answers each sender once, then again if they write after four days, and it runs from 12:00 AM on the first day to 11:59 PM on the last, so the last day should be the final day you are away rather than the day you return.
All 6 replies on this page
Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.
Professional 2
Away until [Back on]
This address is not monitored until [Back on]. For anything time-sensitive, please email [Who covers] at [Their email]; I will reply to everything else when I return.
Short
Out of office: back [Back on]
For the period [Away from] to [Back on] I am away and will not be reading this inbox. If your message needs a response before I return, reach out to [Who covers] at [Their email], who is handling my open requests. I will reply to everything else in order once I am back on [Back on].
Longer
Warm 2
Thanks, I will reply after [Back on]
Thanks for the note! I am away until [Back on] and offline for real this time. [Who covers] ([Their email]) can help if it is urgent.
Short
Away from email until [Back on]
Lovely to hear from you. I am stepping away from email from [Away from] to [Back on] to rest and recharge, so my replies will wait until I am back. If you need help before then, [Who covers] knows my work well and answers at [Their email]. Speak soon.
Longer
Funny 2
Gone. Back [Back on].
Gmail says I am on vacation, and Gmail is right. Back [Back on]; until then, [Who covers] at [Their email] handles anything on fire.
Short
Skip if: A client-facing inbox, or a week when the team is under pressure and the joke would land badly.
Auto reply: I am out, my inbox is in
You have found me at my most productive: completely away from email. This lasts from [Away from] until [Back on], at which point I will return, read everything, and pretend it was all very manageable. If your message cannot wait that long, [Who covers] at [Their email] is standing by with actual answers.
Longer
Skip if: A client-facing inbox, or a week when the team is under pressure and the joke would land badly.
How to set it up in Gmail
Steps checked against the official help pages on 2026-10-05. Menus move; if yours differs, the source link has the current wording.
Gmail on a computer
At the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
On the General tab, go to the Vacation responder section.
Select Vacation responder on.
Fill in the date range (First day, optional Last day), subject and message.
Optional: check the box under the message to send the reply to your contacts only.
At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
Start and end time
Yes
Separate reply for coworkers
No
How often it replies
Usually only the first time someone messages you. The same person gets it again if they write after four days while it is still on, or after you edit the reply.
Runs from 12:00 AM on the start date to 11:59 PM on the end date. Mail that lands in spam or arrives via a mailing list gets no reply.
Your signature is appended below the reply. A banner across the inbox has End now to switch it off early.
Work or school (Google Workspace) accounts can limit replies to people in the organization, but there is no separate message for outside senders. The account must be at least 24 hours old.
Open the Gmail app and tap Menu at the top left, then Settings.
Choose your account.
Tap Vacation responder and turn the Vacation responder switch On.
Fill in the date range, subject and message. Optional: check the box to send to your contacts only.
Tap Done.
Start and end time
Yes
Separate reply for coworkers
No
How often it replies
Same as Gmail on the web: first message, then again after four days or after an edit.
If the account is a Microsoft Exchange account added to the Gmail app, the setting is named Out of Office AutoReply in some regional versions of Google's page instead of Vacation responder.
Setting the last day to your return day. The responder runs until 11:59 PM, so anyone writing on your first morning back hears you are still away.
Leaving the subject box empty. Every reply here comes with a subject so the sender sees the return date before opening it.
Counting on it to warn a mailing list. Mail from lists and mail that lands in spam get no reply.
A sign-off in the body. Gmail adds your signature under the reply, so a second name at the bottom reads twice.
Answering every cold pitch. The contacts-only box keeps strangers from learning when you are away.
Filling it in
Fill in your dates and the person covering, choose a tone, and copy the subject and the body separately into the two Gmail boxes. Set the first and last day of your absence, tick contacts only if you want, and click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. The banner across your inbox has End now if you come back early.
Questions people ask
How do I set an out of office message in Gmail?
Click Settings at the top right, then See all settings. On the General tab, find Vacation responder, select Vacation responder on, fill in the dates, subject and message, and click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. In the Gmail app, open the menu, tap Settings and look for Vacation responder under your account.
Does Gmail send the vacation reply to everyone who writes?
Usually only the first time someone writes. If the same person emails again after four days while the responder is on, or after you edit the reply, they get it again. Messages that land in spam and mail from mailing lists get no reply, and a checkbox under the message limits replies to people in your contacts.
When does the Gmail vacation responder start and stop?
It runs from 12:00 AM on the first day to 11:59 PM on the last day you set. Make the last day the final day you are away rather than your first day back, or people writing that morning will be told you are still out. A banner across your inbox lets you end it early.
To
Everyone leaving soon
From
Department of Being Elsewhere
Re
Before you go
The auto reply is one of five things. The other four take about ten minutes and prevent most of the emails you will read when you get back.