Out of office message for any trip, leave or holiday
Before a vacation you have ten things to wrap up, and the auto-reply is always last. Tell your todo.is agent your dates and who covers for you, and it writes a clear out of office message for internal and external senders, plus a short version for Slack status and a reminder to switch it off.
The prompt
- Write an out of office message for my [REASON FOR ABSENCE] from [FIRST DAY AWAY] to [DAY I AM BACK]. While I am away, [BACKUP CONTACT AND EMAIL] handles [WHAT THEY COVER]. Write 3 versions: one for external senders like clients (professional), one for coworkers (more relaxed), and a one-line Slack status. Say clearly whether I will check email ([CHECKING EMAIL OR NOT]). No jokes for the external one. Keep each under 80 words. Then remind me on WhatsApp the evening before I leave to turn on the auto-reply, and on my first morning back to turn it off.
What to change
- [REASON FOR ABSENCE]: E.g. "summer vacation", "parental leave", "a conference in Berlin" or "sick leave". You can keep it vague: "time off".
- [FIRST DAY AWAY]: E.g. "Monday 4 August".
- [DAY I AM BACK]: E.g. "Monday 18 August". Use the day you are actually back at your desk.
- [BACKUP CONTACT AND EMAIL]: E.g. "Nadia Brooks, nadia@fieldline.com". Ask them first.
- [WHAT THEY COVER]: E.g. "urgent client questions and invoices".
- [CHECKING EMAIL OR NOT]: E.g. "no access to email" or "checking once a day for urgent items".
Example result
- External (clients and partners)
- Subject: Out of office until 18 August
- Hello,
- Thank you for your email. I am out of the office from 4 to 15 August, with no access to email. I will be back on Monday 18 August and will reply then.
- For urgent client questions or invoices, please contact Nadia Brooks at nadia@fieldline.com.
- Best regards,
- Omar Haddad
- Internal (coworkers)
- Subject: Off until 18 August
- Hi! I am on vacation until 18 August and offline. Nadia (nadia@fieldline.com) has the Brennan and Talo accounts. Anything else can wait for me, I promise to read it all when I am back.
- Slack status
- On vacation until Mon 18 Aug. Urgent client things: @nadia
- Other examples
- • Sick day: "I am out sick today and will reply when I am back. For anything urgent, contact Nadia at nadia@fieldline.com."
- • Public holiday: "Our office is closed for the national holiday on 6 January. We will reply to all emails on 7 January."
- • Conference: "I am at a conference until Thursday with limited email access. I will reply by Friday."
- • Parental leave: "I am on parental leave until March. Please contact Nadia for anything about my projects."
- Must-haves in every out of office message
- • The date you are back (not just "next week")
- • One named backup contact with an email
- • Whether you are checking email at all
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your dates, your backup and what they cover in the [brackets].
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent writes three versions and schedules the on and off reminders.
- Copy the text into your email auto-reply settings and your Slack status. Ask for a version in another language if you have international clients.
Tips for a better result
- Give the day you are back, not your last day away. People want to know when to expect an answer.
- Do not share travel details in the external version. "Out of the office" is enough and safer.
- Ask your backup before you name them, and send them a short handover list too.
- Block your first morning back in your calendar. Your agent can add "Inbox catch-up" to Google Calendar for you.
out of office message: FAQ
- What should an out of office message say? When you are away, when you are back, whether you check email, and who to contact for urgent matters. Keep it to three or four short lines.
- Should I say why I am out of the office? You do not have to. "I am out of the office" is fine, especially for external senders. Coworkers may enjoy a bit more detail.
- Can I set a different message for people inside my company? Gmail sends one auto-reply, but Outlook and many work email systems let you set separate internal and external messages. Your agent writes both so you are ready either way.
- Can todo.is turn on my auto-reply? Your agent writes the messages and reminds you to switch the auto-reply on and off. You paste the text into your email settings.
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