Click the Update your status field and choose Out of office from the list.
Open the drop-down below Remove status after... and choose when it clears.
Optional: check Pause notifications, and add an Out of office message.
Click Save.
Start
your first day away
End
the morning you are back
When someone mentions you in a channel, they receive a private message with your out of office status details. The status also shows above the message field in DMs.
Click your profile picture in Slack, click Update your status, paste a status such as "OOO until October 14. For urgent requests, message Priya Nair." with an emoji, then choose when it clears under Remove status after and click Save.
A status sends nobody a message; the native Out of office status that messages people who mention you is on Enterprise plans only, so elsewhere a status plus paused notifications is the whole job.
All 12 replies on this page
Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.
Professional 4
OOO until [Back on]. For urgent requests, message [Who covers].
Short · :date:
Away [Away from] to [Back on]. Not reading Slack. Urgent: [Who covers]
Longer · :spiral_calendar_pad:
Away until [Back on]; [Who covers] has my work in the meantime.
Short · :calendar:
On PTO through [Back on]. For anything urgent, message [Who covers] instead of me.
Longer · :palm_tree:
Warm 4
Recharging until [Back on]. [Who covers] has my back meanwhile
Short · :palm_tree:
Taking a break [Away from] to [Back on]. Back soon! Ping [Who covers] for urgent things
Longer · :sunny:
Recharging until [Back on]! [Who covers] is the person to ping.
Short · :sunny:
Off on a trip, back [Back on]. [Who covers] has my back while I'm gone.
Longer · :airplane:
Funny 4
Unreachable until [Back on]. Please @ [Who covers] instead
Short · :zzz:
Skip if: A client-facing inbox, or a week when the team is under pressure and the joke would land badly.
My laptop and I are seeing other people until [Back on]. Urgent: [Who covers]
Longer · :desert_island:
Skip if: A client-facing inbox, or a week when the team is under pressure and the joke would land badly.
Currently a rumor in this workspace. Back [Back on]. Ask [Who covers].
Short · :ghost:
Skip if: A client-facing channel, or a week when the team is under pressure and the joke would land badly.
Gone fishing, metaphorically. Back [Back on]. Real emergencies go to [Who covers].
Longer · :fishing_pole_and_fish:
Skip if: A client-facing channel, or a week when the team is under pressure and the joke would land badly.
How to set it up in Slack
Steps checked against the official help pages on 2026-10-05. Menus move; if yours differs, the source link has the current wording.
Out of office status (Enterprise plans)
Click your profile picture in the sidebar.
Click the Update your status field and choose Out of office from the list.
Open the drop-down below Remove status after... and choose when it clears.
Optional: check Pause notifications, and add an Out of office message.
Click Save.
Start and end time
Yes
Separate reply for coworkers
No
How often it replies
When someone mentions you in a channel, they receive a private message with your out of office status details. The status also shows above the message field in DMs.
Available on Enterprise plans only (Slack help page, 'Who can use this feature?').
Can sync from Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar: an out of office event turns the status on. Turn syncing on in Agents & tools > Apps > Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar > Settings.
External members may see the status emoji, but the message is visible only to your own organization.
A status with no end. Set when it clears, or schedule it with a start and end time, so it does not outlive your trip.
Writing the email version. A status sits beside your name, where dates and one name are all that fit.
Leaving notifications on. Pause them for the same period; people can still override once a day for something urgent.
Expecting a reply to every direct message. Only the Enterprise out of office status messages people, and only when they mention you in a channel.
A reason in the status. Your whole workspace reads it, so say when you are back, not why.
Filling it in
Enter your dates and who covers, pick a tone, and copy the status; each one here is written to fit Slack's 100-character limit with a typical name and comes with a matching emoji. In Slack, paste it into Update your status, set it to clear the day you return, and pause notifications for the same stretch.
Questions people ask
Does Slack have an out of office auto reply?
Only on Enterprise plans, where the Out of office status sends a private message with your status details to anyone who mentions you in a channel. It can switch on by itself from an out of office event in Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar. On other plans, a status that clears on a set date plus paused notifications is the closest thing.
How do I set an out of office status in Slack?
Click your profile picture in the sidebar, click Update your status, type a status and pick an emoji. Use Remove status after to choose when it clears, or set a start and end time to schedule it, then click Save. Hover over Notifications from your profile picture to pause them for the same period.
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.