12 Out-of-Office Message Examples (Copy & Paste)

A good out-of-office message does three things: sets expectations, points urgent matters somewhere useful, and protects your time off. Below are copy-and-paste examples for the most common situations — and a plan for the pile waiting when you get back.

The basic vacation auto-reply

“Thank you for your email. I am out of the office until [date] with limited access to email. For anything urgent, please contact [name] at [email]. I will reply when I return.”

Short and friendly

“Hi! I am away until [date] and slow to reply. I will get back to you as soon as I am back at my desk. Thanks for your patience.”

With a clear backup contact

“I am out of office until [date]. For [topic] questions, reach [name] ([email]). For anything else, I will respond in the order received when I return.”

Sick leave

“I am out sick and away from email today. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email]. Otherwise I will follow up once I am back.”

Parental leave

“I am on parental leave until [date] and not checking email. [Name] ([email]) is covering my work and will be glad to help in the meantime.”

Conference or travel

“I am at [event] this week with limited email access. Replies may be delayed a day or two. For urgent items, [name] ([email]) can assist.”

Quick tips that make them work

• Always include a return date — open-ended replies create anxiety.
• Name a real backup contact for anything that cannot wait.
• In Gmail, limit the responder to your contacts so you do not confirm your address to spammers.
• Keep it short. Nobody reads a five-line auto-reply.

For the step-by-step setup in each app, see our guide on smart auto-replies in Gmail and Outlook.

The real problem: coming back

The auto-reply is easy. The hard part is the hundreds of messages waiting when you return. Instead of a dreaded re-entry day, let an AI reply generator draft a first response to each one in your voice, so you triage and approve rather than write from scratch. Busy founders use it to clear the post-vacation backlog in one sitting. Start free and make coming back painless.