What should an out of office message include?

That you are away, when you are back, whether you will check messages, and an alternative contact for urgent matters. A vague "I am away" leaves people guessing.

Why include an alternative contact?

So genuine emergencies get handled without you, which is the whole point of switching off. A message with no path forward just delays every problem until you return to a flooded inbox.

How formal should the message be?

Match the context: polished for client-facing roles, warmer for a casual internal team. A generator gives you a baseline to adjust; replace its generic return and contact lines with your real dates and a named contact, and proofread before setting it.

Out of Office Message Generator: Auto-Replies That Cover You

What a Good Auto-Reply Does

An out-of-office message has a simple job that people often get wrong: tell the sender you are away, when you are back, and what to do in the meantime. A vague "I am away" leaves people guessing. An out of office message generator gives you a clear starting draft that covers those essentials.

The best auto-replies manage expectations precisely. Stating your return date and whether you will check messages at all stops the anxious follow-ups and lets senders plan around your absence instead of wondering whether you are ignoring them.

Always Include a Way Forward

The single most useful element is an alternative contact for urgent matters. Pointing senders to a colleague (with their permission) means genuine emergencies get handled without you, which is the whole point of being able to switch off. A message that offers no path forward just delays every problem until you return to a flooded inbox.

Be clear about your actual availability. If you will not be checking email, say so plainly rather than implying you might reply; if you will check occasionally, set that expectation. Honesty here protects both your time off and the sender's patience.

Match the Tone to the Context

A formal client-facing role calls for a polished message; a casual internal team can take something warmer or lighter. The generator offers four tones, from Professional to Humorous, and seven reasons for absence, giving you a baseline that fits your workplace. Note that the Minimal tone leaves out the urgent-contact line, so add one yourself if you need it.

Generated messages are free to use and adapt. The return and urgent-contact lines are deliberately generic ("next week", "our team inbox"), so replace them with your real dates and a named contact, keep it short, and proofread before you switch it on. A typo-ridden auto-reply sent to everyone for two weeks is an avoidable embarrassment. For more on wording and setup, see the out of office message guide or browse the other business generators.

Frequently asked questions

What should an out of office message include?: That you are away, when you are back, whether you will check messages, and an alternative contact for urgent matters. A vague "I am away" leaves people guessing.
Why include an alternative contact?: So genuine emergencies get handled without you, which is the whole point of switching off. A message with no path forward just delays every problem until you return to a flooded inbox.
How formal should the message be?: Match the context: polished for client-facing roles, warmer for a casual internal team. A generator gives you a baseline to adjust; replace its generic return and contact lines with your real dates and a named contact, and proofread before setting it.