Free out of office message generator
This out of office message generator writes a finished auto-reply from four things: your dates, why you're away, the tone you want and who covers for you. Copy the subject and message straight into Gmail or Outlook. It can also add a booking link and a line asking senders to resend after you're back, which sales teams tend to want. No sign-up, and everything runs in your browser.
How the out of office message generator works
Every message is built from the same parts: a greeting, the dates you're away, a backup contact, a sign-off and your name. The tone picks the wording for each part, so a Professional message and a Light one say the same facts in a different voice. The text updates as you type. It's plain JavaScript on this page: nothing is uploaded, stored or sent to an AI model.
The return date is always written in full with the weekday, such as "Monday, November 30". That one detail matters most. Whoever reads the auto-reply, a colleague, a client or a sales team working through replies, knows exactly when to write back.
| Input | What it changes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| First day away, back in the office | The dates in the message, and the dates to enter in Gmail and Outlook | Enter the day you're back, not your last day off. The tool works out the end date for Gmail |
| Reason | The opening line: vacation, holidays, a work trip, sick leave, parental leave or no reason | "No reason given" is the safe pick for external senders |
| Tone | Professional, Friendly, Short or Light and fun wording | Short drops the greeting and fits a chat status or a busy inbox |
| Backup contact | A line naming who handles urgent requests | Leave both fields empty to skip the line |
| Email while away | Whether the message says you have no access or check now and then | "No access" sets the clearest expectation |
| Resend line | Asks senders to send again on your return date | Their message then sits at the top of your inbox, not under the backlog |
| Booking link | Adds a link to book a call after you're back | Block your days off in the calendar first, so nobody books a slot while you're away |
When the dates fall in two different years, the year is added to every date.
Where to paste it in Gmail and Outlook
Copy the subject and the message, then switch on the auto-reply in your email app. The tool shows the exact dates to enter for each one under the message.
Gmail
On a computer, open Gmail and click Settings, then See all settings. On the General tab, find the Vacation responder section and select Vacation responder on. Fill in the date range, subject and message, then click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. There's an optional box to send the reply only to people in your contacts.
Gmail starts the reply at 12:00 AM on the start date and stops it at 11:59 PM on the end date, so the end date is the day before you're back. If you have a Gmail signature, it shows below the reply, so you can delete your name from the message. Our step-by-step guide to the Gmail auto reply also covers the phone apps and auto replies to specific senders.
How to make an out of office message in Microsoft Outlook
In new Outlook for Windows, open the View tab and select View settings, then Accounts and Automatic replies. Turn the toggle on, select Send replies only during a time period, enter the start and end times, paste your message and select Save. Outlook on the web and Outlook.com work the same way from Settings, then Account, then Automatic replies.
In classic Outlook, select File, then Automatic Replies, then Send automatic replies. Work and school accounts get two tabs, Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization, so you can paste a fuller message for colleagues and a shorter one for everyone else. Microsoft warns that replying to everyone outside your organization also answers newsletters, ads and possibly junk email, and recommends replying to your contacts only. Automatic replies in Outlook don't work for Gmail, Yahoo or other POP and IMAP accounts.
| Gmail | Outlook | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting name | Vacation responder | Automatic replies |
| Where | Settings, See all settings, General | Settings, Account (web) or File (classic) |
| Dates | A start date and an end date, whole days | Start and end, with times |
| Who gets it | Everyone, or contacts only | Contacts only, or everyone outside your organization (work accounts) |
| Turning it off | Ends after the end date, or click End now on the inbox banner | Ends at the end time, or switch the toggle off |
Steps from the Gmail Help Center and Microsoft Support pages linked at the bottom.
Worked example: a Thanksgiving out of office message
Alex is an account executive who takes the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off, plus the Thursday and Friday, and is back the next Monday. Alex sells, so prospects and clients email every day, and a few of them want calls. Below are the inputs and the exact message the tool prints. Click "Load the worked example" in the tool to get the same message and edit it.
Inputs
- Dates: away from Wednesday, November 25, back Monday, November 30
- Reason: Holidays
- Tone: Professional
- Backup: Sam Lee, sam@example.com
- Email while away: No access
- Sales options: resend line and booking link on
Gmail dates to enter: start date Wednesday, November 25, end date Sunday, November 29.
Subject: Out of office: back on Monday, November 30
Hello,
Thank you for your email. I am out of the office for the holidays from Wednesday, November 25 and will be back on Monday, November 30. During this time I will not have access to email. I will reply to your message when I return.
For anything urgent, please contact Sam Lee at sam@example.com.
If your message is still open after I return, please send it again on or after Monday, November 30 so it does not get lost in the backlog.
If you would like to talk after I return, you can book a time here: https://example.com/book
Best regards,
Alex Rivera
Account Executive, Northwind
Why each line is there: the subject tells people the return date before they open the email. The backup line keeps urgent work moving. The resend line saves Alex digging through a week of mail on Monday, and the booking link turns "let's talk" into a slot on the calendar. Switch the tone to Short and the same facts fit in a few lines. For more seasonal wording, see our 25 holiday out of office message examples.
Tips for a good out of office message
Write the return date in full
"Back on Monday, November 30" beats "back next week". Nobody has to work out which week you meant, and anyone sorting replies can file it under a date.
Ask your backup first
Name a person who agreed to cover, with their email. A backup who doesn't know they're covering is worse than none.
Keep it short
Dates, backup, sign-off. Put the return date in the first sentence, where nobody can miss it.
Always set an end date
Both Gmail and Outlook can switch the reply off on their own. A forgotten auto-reply still running a week later looks careless.
Pick who gets it
Send the fuller version to contacts and colleagues. Replying to every outside sender also answers newsletters and junk.
Pause your own outreach
If you send cold email from this mailbox, pause your sequences while you're away. Otherwise every reply to your outreach gets your auto-reply, a point our guide to building a cold email sequence covers under stop rules.
When the out of office reply comes from a prospect
Run cold email for long enough and these auto-replies pile up, especially around the holidays. Each one is a lead who didn't say no. They're away, and the reply often tells you the day they're back and who covers for them in the meantime.
The right move is to wait, then write back in the same thread a day or so after they return. Our cold email follow up guide has the wording and timing for that note. Tracking return dates by hand works for a few leads. Across several sequencers and clients, they slip.
Revbound pulls every reply from Instantly, Smartlead, Email Bison, PlusVibe, SendKit and ArcSend into one inbox and sorts each one with AI: interested, meeting requested, out of office, referral, not interested. Its out-of-office follow-up writes back when the lead returns, and its referral follow-up contacts the person a lead points you to. It drafts or sends the answer, offers times that are actually free on your Cal.com or Google Calendar, and books the meeting when the lead says yes. Plans start at $49 a month with the AI included, and the Revbound pricing page has all three.
Out of office message questions
How to set a professional out of office message?
Write three or four lines: thank the sender, give the dates you're away with the return date in full, name a colleague and their email for urgent requests, and sign off with your name and role. Then turn on the vacation responder in Gmail or automatic replies in Outlook, enter the dates and save. Set an end date so the reply switches off by itself.
What should an out of office message say?
An out of office message should say that you're away, the date you're back, if you'll read email in the meantime and who to contact for anything urgent. Sales teams can add a link to book a call after the return date and ask senders to resend their message once they're back.
What is a fun out of office message?
A fun out of office message keeps the facts, return date and backup contact, but adds one light line, such as "my laptop is taking the time off too". Keep the joke short and save it for people who know you. For prospects, new clients or anyone outside your company, a professional or friendly version is the safer choice.
How to make an out of office message in Microsoft Outlook?
In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, go to Settings, then Account, then Automatic replies, turn the toggle on, set a time period, type the message and save. In classic Outlook, select File, then Automatic Replies. Work accounts can set one message for colleagues and another for people outside the organization.
Does an out of office message go to everyone who emails me?
In Gmail, the vacation responder usually replies to each person once, and again if they write after four days while it's still on. Emails that land in spam or come from mailing lists don't get a reply. Both Gmail and Outlook let you limit the reply to people in your contacts.
How do I write an email to my manager requesting PTO?
Keep the request short and send it early. Give the exact dates, say how your work will be covered and who your backup is, mention anything you'll finish before you go, and ask if the dates work. Once approved, block the days in your calendar and set your out of office message for the same dates.
Should I add a booking link to my out of office message?
A booking link helps if people often email you to set up calls, as in sales or account management. Point it at times after your return date and block your days off in the calendar first, so nobody books a slot while you're away.
Is the Revbound out of office message generator free?
Yes. The Revbound out of office message generator is free with no sign-up, and it runs entirely in your browser. Your name, dates and contacts are never uploaded, stored or sent to an AI model.
Gmail and Outlook are trademarks of their owners, and Revbound is not affiliated with them. Setup steps come from the Gmail Help Center and Microsoft Support.
On the receiving end of out of office replies?
Revbound follows up with each lead when they're back, and books the meeting when they say yes. Every feature, free for 3 days.