Out-of-Office Message Generator
Enter your dates, an optional cover contact, and choose a tone. Your out-of-office reply is ready to copy and paste.
Thank you for your email. I am out of the office from Friday, September 11 and will return on [date]. I will have limited access to email during this time and will respond as soon as possible on my return. Thank you for your patience.
A good out-of-office reply does three things: confirms you received the email, tells people when you return, and redirects urgent matters if needed. Everything beyond that is optional.
Most OOO messages are either too sparse to be useful or too long to be read. This generator covers the standard content in three tones: professional for formal contexts, casual for everyday communication, and playful for workplaces where that is appropriate and the stakes are low. All three include the essential information.
Tips for a good out-of-office reply
Include your return date (not just "I am out of the office" with no end date). Be specific about limited access to email rather than promising you will not reply — you might. Only include a cover contact if that person is genuinely available and expects to receive redirected queries. Keep it short.
Questions
Should I include my return date or my last day out?
Your return date. Senders want to know when you will respond, not when you left. "I return on Monday 10 March" is more useful than "I am out until Sunday 9 March."
Is it worth setting up an OOO for short absences?
For anything more than a day, yes. It sets expectations and reduces the pressure to check email. Even a one-sentence reply saying you are back tomorrow is better than silence.
Can I use this for internal and external replies?
Yes. Most email clients let you set different OOO messages for internal and external senders. The professional tone works for both. The playful tone is probably better kept for internal, depending on your workplace.
OOO is set. You are officially on research time.