An out-of-office message should give the date you're back (a real date, not "next week"), say whether you'll see email before then, and name one person to contact for anything urgent, with their email address. Three or four lines is enough. If your email client allows it, set a shorter version for people inside your company.
Standard vacation auto-reply
Works for internal and external senders. The subject line is usually generated by your email client.
Hi, I'm out of the office until [day, date] with limited access to email. For anything urgent about [area], please contact [Name] at [email]. Otherwise I'll reply when I'm back. Thanks, [Your name]
Short internal out-of-office
Colleagues need less. Outlook's Automatic Replies has separate inside and outside messages; in Gmail, you can limit the vacation responder to people in your contacts or organization.
Out until [date]. [Name] is covering [project/area] while I'm away. Anything else can wait for me, and I'll catch up on [day].
Extended leave out-of-office
For parental leave, medical leave, or a sabbatical. You don't owe anyone the reason. Say you won't be checking email so nobody waits.
Hello, I'm on leave until [date] and won't be checking email during that time. While I'm away: - For [area], contact [Name] at [email] - For [area], contact [Name] at [email] If your email needs my attention after I return, please resend it after [date] so it doesn't get lost. Thank you, [Your name]
Conference or travel auto-reply
For when you're working but slow. Set expectations on reply time rather than saying you're unreachable.
Hi, I'm at [event / traveling] through [date] and replying more slowly than usual, usually within [one or two business days]. If it can't wait, [Name] ([email]) can help, or text me at [number] for anything time-sensitive. [Your name]
When to turn on an auto-reply
- Turn it on for any full business day you won't read email, and for longer stretches of slow replies.
- Skip it for a half day or a single afternoon of meetings. A calendar block is enough.
- Tell your backup contact before you name them in the message.
What to avoid
- "I'll respond as soon as possible." Give the date instead.
- Your personal phone number in an external auto-reply. It goes to every newsletter and cold emailer too.
- Oversharing where you are. "Out of the office" is enough for senders you don't know.
- Forgetting to turn it off. Set an end date when you set it up.
What Synced does while you're away
Synced doesn't set your auto-reply, so use the built-in setting in Gmail or Outlook. It helps on the other end: messages that arrive while you're out still get Action Plans (up to your plan's weekly limit), so you come back to drafted replies waiting in Decide instead of a raw pile. The guide on catching up after vacation covers the manual method too.