Free tool
Free out of office message generator
Evoriqa's free out of office message generator writes three ready-to-send replies. Choose email, SMS, a WhatsApp Business away message or Instagram. Pick a situation, such as Christmas or vacation, add a return date and a contact, then copy the one you like. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Your messages
Vacation · Email · Warm
- Option 1 · Standard
Subject: Out of office Hi, I'm out of the office on vacation. I'm not checking email much while I'm away. I'll reply as soon as I'm back. Best, [Name]
- Option 2 · Reordered
Subject: Out of office Hi, I'm out of the office on vacation. I'll reply as soon as I'm back. I'm not checking email much while I'm away. Best, [Name]
- Option 3 · Opens with thanks
Subject: Out of office Hi, Thanks for getting in touch. I'm out of the office on vacation. I'll reply as soon as I'm back. Best, [Name]
Let an AI agent answer while you're away
An out of office message tells people you are gone. Evoriqa’s AI agent answers their questions on chat, SMS, WhatsApp and Instagram DMs from your own content. It hands over to your team when a person is needed. See the after-hours answering service.
Evoriqa is not affiliated with Google, Microsoft, WhatsApp or Meta. Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp and Instagram are trademarks of their owners, named here only to say where the messages go.
100+ out of office message examples, by situation
A warm and a formal message for every situation, on email, SMS, WhatsApp Business and Instagram. Email examples end with [Name]: swap in your name. Add your dates, then check the wording is true for you.
How to write an out of office message
- 01
Pick the situation, channel and tone
Choose why you are away and where the reply will be sent. Warm sounds like you, formal suits a firm or a first contact, and short keeps to a line or two. - 02
Add the date and a contact
A return date and one person to contact are what make an out of office message useful. Type them as you want them to read, such as Monday, January 6. - 03
Check the wording
Three options appear. Read the one you like once, and change anything that is not true for you, such as limited access to email. - 04
Copy it, paste it, and switch it off
Paste the message into your email, SMS or WhatsApp Business settings, or into Instagram. Turn it off the day you are back, or customers keep hearing you are away.
How to set an out of office reply in Gmail, Outlook and WhatsApp Business
Checked against Google's, Microsoft's and WhatsApp's own pages in October 2026. Menus change, so follow your app if a label differs.
Gmail
- On a computer, open Gmail, select the gear icon and choose to see all settings.
- On the General tab, find Vacation responder and select Vacation responder on.
- Enter the dates, a subject and your message. Paste the message you copied.
- Optionally tick the box to reply to your contacts only. Select Save Changes.
The reply starts at 12:00 AM on the start date and ends at 11:59 PM on the end date. Most people get it once, and again if they write after four days.
Outlook
- In Outlook on the web, select the Settings gear, then Account, then Automatic replies.
- Turn on Automatic replies.
- Select Send replies only during a time period and enter the start and end times.
- Type your message, optionally select Send replies only to contacts, then select Save.
In classic Outlook, select File, then Automatic Replies, then Send automatic replies. In new Outlook for Windows, open Settings, then Accounts, then Automatic Replies.
WhatsApp Business
Away messages are a feature of the WhatsApp Business app. WhatsApp describes them as a way to respond automatically to messages received outside your business hours.
Menu path: not verified. WhatsApp’s help pages could not be read in October 2026, so look for Away message in the app and paste your text there.
For Instagram, see the Instagram auto reply generator. SMS auto replies are set up in your texting or phone system, and we have not verified those steps.
Frequently asked questions
What should an out of office message include?
Say that you are away, when you will be back and who to contact about anything urgent. Keep it to a few sentences. Leave out travel plans and personal reasons, because a stranger who emails you does not need them.
Is an out of office message the same as an auto reply?
In practice, yes. It is an automatic reply your email or messaging app sends while you cannot answer. Outlook calls it automatic replies, Gmail calls it a vacation responder, and WhatsApp Business calls it an away message. The examples here work in all of them.
How do I set an out of office reply in Gmail?
On a computer, open Gmail settings, go to the General tab, turn on Vacation responder, enter the dates, a subject and your message, then save. Gmail sends the reply once to most people. The steps above are checked against Google's own help page.
How do I set automatic replies in Outlook?
In Outlook on the web, open Settings, then Account, then Automatic replies, and turn them on. Set a time period if you want one, type your message and save. Classic Outlook uses File, then Automatic Replies. Microsoft's help page has the details.
Can I set an away message in WhatsApp Business?
Yes. The WhatsApp Business app has away messages, which WhatsApp describes as automatic replies to messages received outside your business hours. We could not read WhatsApp's help pages for this page, so the menu path is not listed. Look for Away message in the app.
How long can an SMS auto reply be?
A standard text holds 160 characters in a single message, or 153 per part when split. A message with an emoji or curly quotes holds 70 in a single message, or 67 per part when split. Every SMS option here fits in 160 characters, and the counter shows the length as you add details.
Can an AI agent answer customers while I am away?
Yes, on some channels. Evoriqa's AI agent answers customers on website chat, SMS, WhatsApp and Instagram DMs from your own content, and hands the conversation to your team when it needs a person. Email is human-first: it goes to your team, so an email out of office message like these stays with you.
Does the tool save what I type?
No. The messages are written in your browser from the options you pick and the details you type, and nothing is sent or stored. Site analytics records only the situation, channel and tone you chose when you copy a message, never the name, date or contact.
Keep reading
Or let an AI agent answer while you're away
Evoriqa answers your customers on chat, SMS, WhatsApp and Instagram from your own content and hands over to your team when it should. Free to start, no credit card.