A free tool from Zentor

Free out of office message generator

Say when you're away, when you're back and who covers for you. Get an auto-reply that answers the questions people actually have.

Example email
From
you
To
[recipient]
Subject
Out of office until August 18

Hello, Thank you for your email. I am out of the office from August 4 to August 15 and will not be checking email. I will be back on August 18. If your message is urgent, please contact Lena Ortiz at lena@company.com. Otherwise, I will reply when I return. Best regards, [your name]

Zentor drafts replies and follow-ups inside your Gmail, in your voice — you approve before anything sends.
  1. Give the dates and the cover
  2. Pick a tone
  3. Paste it into your auto-reply

See it in action

A two-week holiday

Two weeks away with no email. Anyone who writes needs three facts: when you're back, whether you'll see this, and who to ask instead.

You typed

On holiday Aug 4 to Aug 15, back Aug 18. No email access. Urgent things go to Lena Ortiz, lena@company.com.

You asked: Professional tone.

To
[recipient]
Subject
Out of office until August 18

Hello, Thank you for your email. I am out of the office from August 4 to August 15 and will not be checking email. I will be back on August 18. If your message is urgent, please contact Lena Ortiz at lena@company.com. Otherwise, I will reply when I return. Best regards, [your name]

Parental leave

Six months away. Existing clients and new enquiries need different contacts, and nobody should wait for a reply that isn't coming.

You typed

Parental leave from March 3 until early September. Client accounts are covered by James Okafor, james@company.com. New enquiries go to hello@company.com.

You asked: Friendly tone. Two contacts.

To
[recipient]
Subject
On parental leave until September

Hi, Thanks for getting in touch. I'm on parental leave from March 3 and expect to be back in early September, so I won't see your message until then. If you're a current client, James Okafor is looking after my accounts and will be glad to help: james@company.com. For anything new, please write to hello@company.com. Speak to you in the autumn, [your name]

Three days at a conference

You're not really away, just slow. The message should say that, so people don't assume silence means no.

You typed

At a conference Oct 21 to Oct 23. Checking email once in the evening, replies will be slow. For anything urgent call the office on 555-0142.

You asked: Concise tone.

To
[recipient]
Subject
Slow to reply until October 24

Hello, I'm at a conference from October 21 to 23 and checking email once a day, so my reply may be slow. For anything urgent, please call the office on 555-0142. Back to normal on October 24. [your name]

The auto-reply covers you while you're away. The backlog is waiting when you're back.

Zentor works in your Gmail: it sorts what arrived, drafts replies in your voice for the threads that need one, and holds them for your approval. Coming back takes an hour instead of a day.

See the AI email assistant

What a good out of office message has to say

An out of office message has one job: to save the sender from waiting on a reply that isn't coming. To do that it needs to answer three questions, in this order:

  1. When are you back? A date, not "next week".
  2. Will you see this before then? Say plainly whether you're checking email.
  3. Who can help in the meantime? A name and an address or number, for urgent things.

Everything else is optional. The messages this out of office message generator writes cover those three points first and stop soon after.

What to leave out

Auto-replies go to everyone who writes to you, including people you've never met and automated senders. That changes what belongs in them:

  • Where you are. "On holiday" is enough. The destination is nobody's business and tells strangers your home is empty.
  • Why you're away, if it's personal. "On leave" covers medical and family reasons.
  • Your mobile number, unless you want calls from anyone on your mailing lists.
  • Apologies. You are allowed to be away. "Sorry for the inconvenience" adds length and nothing else.
  • Jokes about not working. They read badly to a customer with a problem.

Out of office email examples by situation

The right out of office email depends on how long you're gone and who usually writes to you:

  • Holiday of a week or more: dates, no email access, one cover contact.
  • Long leave: the return month instead of an exact date, and separate contacts for existing work and new enquiries.
  • Travel or a conference: say you're reachable but slow, and give a phone number for urgent matters.
  • Public holidays: one line with the date you're back is plenty.
  • Leaving the company: say the address is no longer monitored and who to contact instead.

The three examples above cover the first three. For the others, describe the situation in the box and the generator adapts.

Setting it up in Gmail

In Gmail on a computer, open Settings, then See all settings, and scroll to Vacation responder at the bottom of the General tab. Turn it on, set the first and last day, paste the subject and message, and save. On the phone app it's under Settings, your account, Vacation responder.

Set the last day to your actual last day away. Gmail turns the responder off automatically at the end of that day.

The part an auto-reply doesn't solve

The message tells people you're away. It does nothing about the two hundred emails that pile up. Zentor's AI email assistant reads what came in, drafts replies for the threads that need them, and leaves each one for you to approve, so the first morning back is spent deciding instead of typing.

Questions

Is the out of office message generator free?

Yes, the out of office message generator is free. Generate opens Zentor, where you sign in or start a free trial and the message is drafted for you.

Do I need to sign up?

Yes. Generate hands off to Zentor, where you sign in or start a free trial and the message is drafted for you.

What should an out of office message include?

The date you're back, whether you're checking email, and who to contact for urgent matters. That covers what almost every sender needs.

Should I say why I'm away?

Only in general terms. "On holiday" or "on leave" is enough. Avoid your location and personal or medical details, since the message goes to everyone who emails you.

How long should it be?

Three to five sentences. The drafts here stay in that range.

Can I use different messages for colleagues and external contacts?

Some mail apps let you set separate internal and external replies. Generate one of each: a fuller version for colleagues, and a shorter one with fewer details for everyone else.

How do I turn on an out of office reply in Gmail?

Go to Settings, See all settings, then Vacation responder on the General tab. Set the dates, paste the subject and message, and save.

Does it work for long leave, like parental leave or a sabbatical?

Yes. Give the month you expect to return and who covers which kind of request. The parental leave example on this page shows the pattern.

Is what I type private?

Keep what you paste generic where you can: names and rough details are fine, skip confidential terms and personal data. The privacy policy covers how Zentor handles data.

Let Zentor write the next one for you.

Continue in Zentor

See how it works in Gmail