How it works

Enter the dates you're away and back, whether you'll check email, and who handles urgent matters, with their contact details.
Pick who will see it (external, internal, or two versions) and a tone, then click Write my auto-reply.
Paste it into Outlook's Automatic Replies or Gmail's Vacation responder, set the dates, and send yourself a test email.

Examples

Sample results for the inputs shown, so you can see the format and quality before you try it.

Example 1: input

Dates, backup contact and anything urgent: Out Dec 22 to Jan 2, back Monday Jan 5. No email access. Urgent billing questions: Jen Park, [email protected]. Internal: Omar is covering the website project.

Who will see it? Internal and external (two versions)

Tone: Professional

Example 1: output

EXTERNAL Subject: Out of office until January 5 Thank you for your email. I'm out of the office from December 22 and back on Monday, January 5, without access to email. For urgent billing questions, please contact Jen Park at [email protected]. I'll reply to other messages after I return. INTERNAL Subject: Out until Jan 5 Hi, I'm out from December 22 and back Monday, January 5, with no email access. For anything on the website project, please go to Omar. Urgent billing questions go to Jen Park ([email protected]). I'll catch up on everything else when I'm back.

Example 2: input

Dates, backup contact and anything urgent: At a conference in Chicago Oct 14-16, checking email in the evenings. Back in the office Oct 17.

Who will see it? External (clients, customers, partners)

Tone: Friendly

Example 2: output

Subject: At a conference until October 17 Hi, thanks for your message. I'm at a conference in Chicago from October 14 to 16 and checking email in the evenings, so my replies may be slower than usual. I'm back in the office on October 17. Thanks for your patience.

Example 3: input

Dates, backup contact and anything urgent: On parental leave from March 3, back around June 16. Not checking email at all. Contact my manager Sara Lim for anything on my accounts. Don't mention the reason externally.

Who will see it? External (clients, customers, partners)

Tone: Brief

Example 3: output

Subject: Out of office until June 16 I'm away from March 3 until around June 16 and not checking email. For anything on your account, please contact Sara Lim at [Sara's email].

Tips for better results

Give the day you're back, not just the last day you're out. Senders want to know when to expect a reply.
Always name a backup for urgent matters, with an email address. It's the line most senders are looking for.
Use two versions. Colleagues need to know who covers which project; clients only need to know who to contact.
Leave the reason out for external senders unless you want to share it. "Out of the office" is enough.

FAQ

Is this out-of-office message generator free?

Yes. Enter your email once to use it (you'll also get Something Big, our free weekly AI newsletter, and you can unsubscribe anytime). There's no account and no credit card.

What should an out-of-office message say?

That you're away, the date you're back, whether you're checking email, and who to contact for urgent matters. Keep it under 80 words; senders skim auto-replies.

Can I have different messages for colleagues and clients?

Yes. Choose Internal and external and you get two versions. Outlook lets you set separate replies for people inside and outside your organization.

Should I say why I'm out?

Only if you want to. The generator includes a reason like vacation or a conference only if you ask it to, and never adds personal details you didn't give.

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