What is an out of office message?
An out of office message – often abbreviated as OOO message – is a widely used form of automatically generated email reply. This informs the recipient that you are not able to answer them immediately and provides a time in the future when they can expect a reply. Some OOO messages include details for an alternative contact person, which can be useful if the person contacting you has an urgent query or problem.
When is an out of office message necessary?
There are several scenarios in which you or your employees may need to set an OOO message. Common reasons for unavailability may include:
- Holiday or other annual leave
- Bank holidays
- Illness, injury or scheduled medical care
- Business travel
- Courses, workshops or conferences
- Off-site days or projects
- Entire office closures for bank holidays or team-building days
- Extended leave: e.g. parental leave or taking a sabbatical
What to include in an out of office message
Depending on the nature of your work and how long you are expected to be absent for, your OOO message may differ. However, most auto reply emails tend to include the following elements:
- A professional greeting
- A statement regarding your absence (you may or may not want to provide a reason)
- The start and end date of your absence
- Information on whether you are checking your emails during this period
- A name and contact details for an alternative person
Out of office message templates
The nature of your absence and your role and industry can dictate which OOO message format is the most appropriate. Below, we break down seven types of OOO messages and provide a sample template for each one.
1. Basic message template
This straightforward template can be used if you do not wish to provide additional information about your absence, access to emails or alternative contacts. It may be suitable for short absences or if you do not typically receive a high volume of emails:
Subject: Out of office
Thank you for your email. I’m currently [out of the office/on holiday] until [date] and will respond as soon as possible upon my return.
2. Unavailable or not checking emails template
You can use this template to let senders know that you cannot respond until you are back in the office, nor will you see their email.
Subject: I’m out of office until [date]
Thank you for your email. I’m out of the office until [date] and will have no access to email during this time. I’ll respond as soon as possible upon my return.
3. Checking emails occasionally template
If you are planning to check messages during your absence but will not be at your desk during your usual hours (e.g. you are in meetings or travelling) you can send an OOO message that alerts senders to a possible delayed response.
Subject: Out of office – thank you for your patience
Thank you for your email. I’m out of the office until [date/time] with limited access to email. I’ll come back to you as soon as I can, but my response may be delayed. Thank you for your patience.
4. Alternative contacts templates
If you are away and have appointed a colleague to cover your duties or respond to urgent correspondence on your behalf, you can include their contact information in your OOO message (see Template 1). If your duties are being covered by multiple colleagues, you can provide contact information for all of them. This may be a good idea if you typically receive a high volume of emails that a single colleague might not be able to adequately cover (see Template 2).
4.1 Template 1
Subject: Out of office until [date]
Thank you for your email. I’m currently away from the office until [date] and will respond as soon as possible upon my return. If you have an urgent request, please get in touch with my colleague, [name and email/contact number] or call our main switchboard for assistance at [number].
4.2 Template 2
Subject: I’m out of office, but my colleagues can assist you
Thank you for your email. I’m away from the office until [date] with no email access. If you require assistance before my return, my colleagues are happy to help. Please contact:
[Name] for general inquiries: [email address]
[Name] for advertising inquiries: [email address]
[Name] for sales support: [email address]
You can also visit our website at [URL] for more information about our company.
5. Away on extended leave template
If you are away on extended leave (e.g. medical, parental or sabbatical leave) you may want to have your emails forwarded to the person who is covering your role or a trusted colleague. Including an OOO message to clarify the arrangements can demonstrate transparency and reassure people that you have not permanently left the company.
Subject: On leave until [date]
Thank you for your email. I’m currently on [parental/medical leave/sabbatical] until [date]. Your email has been automatically forwarded to my colleague, [name], who is handling my accounts during my absence. [Colleague’s name] will get back to you shortly, but if you require an immediate response, please call them on [phone number].
I look forward to connecting with you when I’m back at work.
Related: The employer’s ultimate guide to compassionate leave
6. Company-wide holiday template
When your company is closed for a bank holiday, team event, the period between Christmas and New Year or some other reason, an OOO message lets the sender know when they can expect a reply or when they should try to get in touch again.
Subject: Our offices are closed from [insert dates]
Thank you for your email. Our offices are closed for the holidays from [day; date] December to [day; date] January. We look forward to assisting you in the new year. In the meantime, please visit our website at [URL] for more information or to sign up to our newsletter.
Happy holidays!
7. Internal OOO template
Sometimes, it may be beneficial to have two out of office messages, one for external emails and another for your internal team that provides additional details and/or other colleagues to contact. An internal email could look as follows:
Subject: OOO Notification: returning [date]
Thank you for your message. I am out of the office for [reason] and will return on [date]. If you’re emailing about any of the following projects, please see alternative contacts you can reach out to in my absence:
Project A: Contact name/email
Project B: Contact name/email
Project C: Contact name/email
Otherwise, I will respond to you as soon as I am back in the office.
How to set up an out of office message
The procedure for setting up an OOO message varies by email platform and version. Here is the standard process for creating an auto reply on MS Outlook*.
- From the menu bar, select File
- Select Automatic Replies (Out of Office)
- Click the dialogue box for Send Automatic Replies
- Click the check box for Only Send During This Time Range
- Enter the date and time you want the OOO message to begin
- Enter the date and time you want the OOO message to end
- Enter your message in the content box
- Create a separate message for internal and external email addresses, if necessary
- Click OK
If you are uncertain about the length of your absence, you do not need to select an end date and time. However, you will need to remember to manually deactivate your OOO message upon your return.
*If you use Outlook’s web app, the process differs slightly. Here, you would go to Settings (gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Automatic Replies. In this section you can toggle the feature on, set date ranges and customise the messages for internal and external recipients.
If you are using the mobile app, go to Settings tab within the mail account, select Automatic Replies and configure the responses accordingly.
Bear in mind that your OOO message reflects on your company, so it is important to aim to ensure that it reads professionally, is free from spelling or grammatical errors and does not include any unnecessary or overly personal information. A message crafted with a touch of creativity or humour can be appropriate for certain fields, but if in doubt, we recommend sticking to a classic format and customising one of our templates.
Related:
- Unlimited paid holiday policies in the UK
- Guide to building an effective internal communications strategy
- The employer’s ultimate guide to compassionate leave
- Carer’s leave entitlement: a guide for employers
Out of Office Message Templates for PDF & Word
Use these templates to create out of office messages that effectively notify people that you aren’t working and may be slow to respond.
*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.
