What an out of office message does
An out of office message is an automatic reply that Gmail sends to anyone who emails you while you are away. When someone sends you a message, they get your reply when ready, letting them know you are not checking email and when you might return. The person who emailed you still sees their message in your inbox — the auto-reply just tells them not to expect an when ready response from you.
Gmail calls this feature "Vacation responder" and it lives in your Settings. You can turn it on for a specific date range, write your own message, and choose whether to reply to everyone or only to people in your contacts.
Key Takeaways
- The vacation responder is found in Gmail Settings under the Vacation responder tab, not in your inbox or compose window.
- You must set both a start date and an end date — Gmail will not send replies after the end date you choose.
- You can write a custom message or use Gmail's default text, and you can choose to reply only to your contacts to reduce spam replies.
- The vacation responder sends one reply per person, not one reply per email, so someone who emails you five times gets one auto-reply total.
How to turn on the vacation responder
Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. Click the "Vacation responder" tab at the top of the settings page.
Check the box next to "Vacation responder on". Two date fields will appear below it. Click the first field and enter the date you are leaving. Click the second field and enter the date you return and will be checking email again. Gmail uses your local time zone, which you can verify or change in the General settings tab if needed.
If you do not know your exact return date, pick a date a few days after you expect to be back. You can always turn the responder off early by unchecking the box and saving.
Writing your out of office message
Below the date fields, you will see a text box labeled "Subject" and another labeled "Message". The subject line is what appears in the email subject when someone receives your auto-reply — something like "Out of office: I will return on January 15" works well.
In the message box, write what you want people to know. A straightforward message might be: "Thank you for your email. I am out of the office until January 15 and will respond when I return. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [email address]." Keep it brief — most people just need to know you are away and when you will be back.
If you leave the message box blank, Gmail sends a default reply that says you are out of the office. You do not have to write anything custom.
Choosing who receives your auto-reply
Below the message box, you will see a checkbox that says "Only send a response to people in my Contacts". If you check this box, Gmail sends your out of office message only to people you have emailed before or added to your contacts. Everyone else who emails you gets no reply.
This option is useful if you want to avoid auto-reply spam — some automated systems and mailing lists will email you, and replying to all of them can clutter inboxes. Unchecking this box means everyone gets your message, including people emailing you for the first time.
Saving and turning off the responder
Once you have filled in your dates and message, scroll to the bottom of the settings page and click "Save changes". Gmail saves your settings when ready. The vacation responder is now active and will send your message to incoming emails until the end date you set.
When you return and want to stop the auto-replies, go back to Settings, click the Vacation responder tab, and uncheck the box next to "Vacation responder on". Click "Save changes" again. You can also let the responder turn off automatically on your end date — it will stop sending replies at midnight on that day.
What happens to your email while you are away
The vacation responder only sends automatic replies. It does not delete, archive, or filter your incoming email. Every message that arrives while you are away stays in your inbox, and you will see all of it when you return. If you want to organize your email while you are gone, you can set up filters or labels before you leave, but the responder itself does not touch your messages.
Some people create a filter to automatically label vacation emails so they can review them separately when they return, but this is optional and requires a separate step in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses.
Common situations and what to expect
If someone emails you multiple times while you are away, they receive your auto-reply only once — Gmail tracks who has already gotten your message and does not send it again to the same person. This prevents someone from getting five copies of your out of office message if they send you five emails.
If you receive an email on your last day away, you will still get the auto-reply sent, because the responder is active until midnight on the end date you set. If you want to be sure the responder is off by a certain time, turn it off manually rather than relying on the automatic cutoff.
If you change your mind about your return date while you are away, you can log into Gmail from anywhere and adjust the end date in Settings. You do not need to be back at your desk to turn the responder off early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send different out of office messages to different people?
No. Gmail's vacation responder sends the same message to everyone, or to contacts only. If you need to send different messages to different groups, you would need to manually email those people before you leave, or use a third-party tool that integrates with Gmail.
What if I forget to turn off the vacation responder when I return?
It will keep sending auto-replies until the end date you set. If you return early and forget to turn it off, go to Settings and uncheck the vacation responder box. There is no penalty for leaving it on too long — it just means people will keep getting your out of office message.
Does the vacation responder work on my phone?
You can turn the responder on or off from the Gmail app on your phone, but the process is the same as on a computer — you go to Settings and find the Vacation responder tab. Once it is on, it works whether you check email on your phone, computer, or anywhere else.
Can I schedule the vacation responder in advance?
No. You must manually turn it on in Settings. Gmail does not have a way to schedule it to turn on automatically on a future date. You can turn it on the day before you leave, or the morning you leave, but you have to do it manually.
Will the vacation responder reply to mailing lists or automated emails?
It will reply to any email address unless you check the "Only send a response to people in my Contacts" box. Mailing lists and automated systems will get your auto-reply, which is why many people use the contacts-only option to avoid cluttering those systems.