Thanks for reaching me. I'm out of the office from to . For urgent matters, please contact at . Replies to everything else will follow my return.
Professional · short · 1 of 2
Also for your time off
Where does it go?
An out of office template is a reply with blanks for the dates, the cover contact and your name, ready to paste into any mail client and fill in there, as in "Thanks for reaching me. I'm out of the office from [Start date] to [Return date]. For urgent matters, please contact [Contact name] at [Contact email]. Replies to everything else will follow my return."
Use a template when you set the reply on a device without this page open or want a reusable version saved in your notes; otherwise the writer above fills the blanks for you.
All 12 replies on this page
Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.
Professional 4
Thanks for reaching me. I'm out of the office from [Away from] to [Back on]. For urgent matters, please contact [Who covers] at [Their email]. Replies to everything else will follow my return.
Short
I am away until [Back on] and not checking email. [Who covers] ([Their email]) is covering my work. I will respond to your message after I am back.
Short
Your email has reached me while I am away from the office, from [Away from] until [Back on], and I will not be reading email during this time. If your request needs attention before I return, please contact [Who covers] at [Their email]. Otherwise, I will reply on [Back on]. Best regards, [Your name]
Longer
Hello, this is an automatic reply. I am away from work until [Back on]. [Who covers] is handling my responsibilities and can be reached at [Their email]. Messages sent to this address will be answered in the order received once I am back. Thank you, [Your name]
Longer
Warm 4
Hi! I am off until [Back on] and away from my inbox. If you need something before then, [Who covers] at [Their email] is happy to help.
Short
Thanks for your message. I am taking [a few days off, optional] and back on [Back on]. Until then, [Who covers] ([Their email]) has you covered.
Short
Hi there, thanks for your email. I am out from [Away from] to [Back on] and taking a proper break from email. I will read your message when I am back and reply within a day or two. If it cannot wait, [Who covers] knows what I am working on and can be reached at [Their email]. Cheers, [Your name]
Longer
Hello, and many thanks for writing. I am away until [Back on], so your note will wait a little before I see it. For anything urgent, please reach out to [Who covers] at [Their email]; they will be glad to help. Otherwise I will get back to you after I return. Warm wishes, [Your name]
Longer
Funny 4
Inbox status: on a break until [Back on]. For emergencies, [Who covers] ([Their email]) is on duty. Everything else gets my full attention when I am back.
Short
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
I am out of office until [Back on], doing [something fun, optional]. [Who covers] at [Their email] is covering urgent matters; I will reply to the rest on my return.
Short
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
Your email has been placed in a very orderly queue. I am away from [Away from] to [Back on] and the queue will not move until I am back. If your message needs to skip the line, [Who covers] is covering and can be reached at [Their email]. Regards, [Your name]
Longer
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
A version of me who was already halfway out the door wrote this automatic reply in advance. I am out until [Back on]. For urgent things, [Who covers] at [Their email] is in charge and fully capable. I will reply to everything else when I return. [Your name]
Longer
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
What to leave out
Sending it with a bracket still in it. Search the text for "[" before you switch the reply on.
Optional brackets you do not need. Delete the whole phrase, not only the brackets.
One template for every absence. A sick day and parental leave need different words.
Your own email as the contact. The template's contact is the person covering, not you.
Saving the filled version as the template. Keep a blank copy so this time's dates do not leak into the next.
Filling it in
Copy a template as it is, paste it into your mail client's automatic reply box and replace each bracket. If you would rather skip that step, type your dates and contact into the writer at the top of the page and every template fills itself in.
Questions people ask
What is a good out of office template?
One with blanks for the start date, the return date, one cover contact and their email, and nothing else that needs editing. The professional templates on this page work for any inbox; the warm and funny ones suit colleagues. Fill the brackets, read it once, and paste it into your automatic reply setting.
How do I fill in an out of office template?
Replace each bracket with your own detail, removing the brackets themselves, and delete any optional bracket you do not need along with its phrase. Then search the text for a leftover bracket before switching the reply on. The writer at the top of this page does the filling for you if you type your dates there.
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.