TL;DR:
A useful auto-reply names your dates, an alternative contact and what can wait.
Say what to do in an emergency, and what will happen to messages sent during your absence.
Switch it on before you leave and test it by emailing yourself or a friend.
You get back from a week away to find a dozen replies that start "I saw your auto-reply but..." Often the auto-reply said only "I am out of the office". It did not say when you return, who could help, or whether the message would be read. The sender had to guess, so they wrote again.
What the sender wants to know
Are you away right now, and until when?
Will my message be read, or ignored?
Is there someone else who can help me today?
What should I do if it is urgent?
Answer those four questions in a few lines, and your auto-reply has done its job.
The three essentials: dates, alternative contact, what can wait
Dates. Give the first day you are away and the day you are back, written out in full, such as "away from 18 to 22 November, back on 25 November". Avoid "next week". The reply could be read much later than you wrote it.
Alternative contact. Name one person with their email address, plus what they can help with. A single named person is better than "my team". Ask them first, and tell them what you wrote.
What can wait. Say clearly that the message will not be read until you return, and whether it will be answered then. If the matter is time sensitive, tell the sender to contact your backup instead. This is how you avoid the "I saw your auto-reply but" email.
Setting it up, in general terms
Every mail app has its own name for the feature, often "automatic replies", "vacation responder" or "out of office". Menus move around between versions, so look in your app's settings or help pages for those words. These are the steps that apply almost everywhere.
Find the auto-reply setting: Search the settings for "out of office", "automatic replies" or "vacation".
Set the start and end dates: If the app has date fields, fill them in, so the reply turns itself off. If it does not, put a reminder in your calendar for your first morning back.
Write a subject and message: Use the template below. Keep the subject clear, such as "Out of office until 25 November".
Check who gets the reply: Some apps let you limit it to people in your contacts, or to people inside your organization. For a public role, send it to everyone. For a private matter, limit it.
Test it: Ask a friend or a second account of yours to send a message, and check the reply they get.
Worked example: an out-of-office with dates and a backup contact
Imagine you are away from Monday 18 November to Friday 22 November and back on Monday 25 November. Here is a reply that covers the three essentials.
Subject: Out of office until 25 November
Thank you for your message. I am away from 18 to 22 November and back at my desk on 25 November. I will not be reading email while I am away.
If your message is urgent, please contact Omar Haddad at omar@example.com, who is covering my projects.
Otherwise I will reply within two working days of my return, so you can expect an answer by 27 November.
Best,
SamCheck the dates. Away Monday 18 to Friday 22 is five working days. Back on Monday 25. Replying within two working days of return gives Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27, so "by 27 November" is accurate. The sender knows when you are gone, who to ask, and exactly how long matters will wait.
If you cannot promise a response time, leave it out. A promise you keep is better than one you drop.
Tone and length
An auto-reply is read by people in a hurry, so write it as plain text in short sentences. Skip long greetings and jokes. A friendly sentence is fine, but the dates and the contact must be impossible to miss, so put them in the first lines and not after a paragraph about how busy you are.
Think about who will receive it. Colleagues already know your plans and can ignore most of it. Customers and outside contacts need the most detail. If your app lets you write one message for people inside your organization and another for people outside, use that to keep each one short and relevant. If it does not, write for the outside reader.
If you are not sure you will manage to check mail at all, say so honestly, and say what to do instead. If you may check mail once in a while, do not promise it. Senders will plan around what you write, so write only what you are sure you will do.
Mistakes to avoid
Leaving no dates. Senders will not know when to try again.
Naming a backup who does not know. Ask them first.
Sharing private details such as where you are traveling. Say "away" and nothing more.
Forgetting to turn it off. Use end dates.
Writing a long apology. Keep it to four or five lines.
Promising to read mail while away, then not doing it.
Before you leave
Handle any open conversations first. If someone is waiting on you, hand off the thread so your colleague has context. A short inbox sweep the day before you leave also helps, so you return to fewer surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Should I name where I am?
No. Say you are away and when you are back; there is no need to share anything else.
Do I need an auto-reply for a single day?
Only if people would otherwise expect a quick answer from you. For a short absence, a calendar entry may be enough.
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