How to Write an Out-of-Office Message (15 Templates for 2026)
A good out-of-office message sets expectations and points people somewhere useful — in two or three sentences. Here is the structure, plus 15 templates you can copy.
Every out-of-office message needs five things: your dates away, whether you have email access, a backup contact, when to expect a reply, and a polite close. Copy one of the 15 templates below, swap in your details, and you are set.
What every out-of-office message should include
An out-of-office (OOO) auto-reply has one job: tell the sender what to expect so they are not left wondering. The best ones answer five questions in a couple of lines:
- When are you away? Give a clear return date, not just “I’m out.”
- Will you see email at all? “Limited access” vs. “no access” changes how people plan around you.
- Who should they contact instead? A name and email for anything urgent.
- When will they hear back? Set the expectation: on your return date, or within a day or two after.
- A polite close. One friendly line keeps it human.
Basic out-of-office message templates
These cover the everyday cases. Copy, paste, and swap in the bracketed details.
Vacation out-of-office message
Sick-day out-of-office message
Parental / extended leave out-of-office message
Out-of-office message for a conference or business trip
Mistakes to avoid
- No return date. “I’m currently away” tells the sender nothing. Always give the date you’re back.
- A dead-end with no backup. For work email, always route urgent matters to a real person.
- Oversharing. The reason for your absence is rarely needed — “out of office” is enough.
- Forgetting to turn it off. Auto-replies that fire a week after you’re back look careless.
Let your inbox handle it for you
Writing the message is the easy part — remembering to set it, route urgent threads, and turn it off on time is what slips. Tomorrow is the AI inbox that drafts your out-of-office reply in your own voice, recognizes which incoming threads are genuinely urgent while you’re away, and prepares responses for the moment you return — all with your approval before anything sends. And because it works on any IMAP mailbox, you get this whether you’re on Gmail, Outlook, Fastmail, or a custom domain.
Frequently asked questions
What should an out-of-office message include?
Five things: the dates you are away, whether you will have any email access, who to contact in your absence (name and email), when the sender can expect a reply, and a polite closing. Keep it to two or three short sentences.
How do I write a simple out-of-office message?
Use this structure: "Thank you for your email. I am out of the office until [date] with limited access to email. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email]. I will reply to your message when I return." Swap in your details and you are done.
Should I include a backup contact in my out-of-office reply?
For work emails, yes — give a colleague's name and email for anything urgent so the sender is not stuck waiting. For personal email you can skip it and just state your return date.
Can AI write my out-of-office message?
Yes. Tomorrow can draft an out-of-office reply in your voice and set it up across your inbox in seconds, then return to normal when your dates end — and because it works on any IMAP mailbox, it is not limited to Gmail.
Let Tomorrow write the email for you
Tomorrow is the AI inbox that works on any email address. It drafts replies in your voice, handles follow-ups, and waits for your approval before sending.
