How to use the out of office message generator
- Choose the first and last day you are away. The return date is worked out for you as the next day, or the next Monday if you tick the weekend option.
- Add your name, the reason, a tone and how much email access you will have.
- Enter a backup contact with an email or phone number, and an optional extra sentence.
- Edit the subject and message if you wish, then copy each one into your email program's auto reply.
Away June 3 to June 10
With a last day away of June 10, 2026, the return date is the next day, Thursday, June 11, 2026. The formal message says you are out of the office from June 3 to June 10, 2026, names the backup contact with their email in brackets, and says you will return on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
If your last day away were Friday, June 12, the day after would be Saturday. Ticking the weekend option moves the return date to Monday, June 15.
Choosing wording and tone
The formal version suits clients and colleagues you do not know well. The friendly one is warmer and shorter, and the brief one is a few lines. All three state when you are away, when you will be back and who to contact. A backup name makes it easy for people to get help, so give someone who has agreed to cover for you.
Keep personal details out. Most people do not need to know where you are going or why, and a message sent to everyone who emails you is visible to strangers and to senders of unwanted mail. A date and a contact are enough.
How the dates work
The return date is the calendar day after your last day away, unless you ask to skip weekends, in which case a Saturday or Sunday becomes the following Monday. Holidays are not known to the tool, so check the date if your return falls on one. Dates run through month and year ends and leap days correctly.
The wording is a template filled in with what you enter, and you can edit the text before copying it. Changing a field above writes the text again, replacing edits. Turning on the automatic reply is done in your own email program, and the message is never sent from here. Text stays in your browser. For related tools see the email signature generator, the vacation day planner, the payment reminder generator and the word counter.
Assumptions and limits
- The return date is the day after the last day away, or the next Monday if you choose to skip weekends.
- Public holidays and your own schedule are not known to the tool.
- The message is a template, and you are responsible for checking names, dates and contact details.
- Nothing is sent. You turn on the auto reply in your own email program.
Frequently asked questions
What should an out of office message include?
The dates you are away, when you will return, and who to contact for urgent matters. Keep it short and leave out personal details.
How is the return date calculated?
It is the day after your last day away. If that falls on a weekend and you tick the option, it moves to the next Monday.
Can I edit the message?
Yes. The subject and message boxes are editable. Changing any field above them writes the text again, so finish the fields first.
Does this send the reply for me?
No. It writes text for you to copy. Set up the automatic reply in your email program.