Auto reply templates after leaving a company
When you leave a job, your inbox usually stays open for a few weeks so nothing gets lost. The auto-reply's job is to redirect every message to the right person on the first try. This template states that you've left, names who now owns your work, and optionally gives a personal contact for people who want to stay in touch. Check with your employer before adding personal details; some companies set this message themselves.
;ooo-left;ooo-left in any app.Variations
The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.
If your employer allows it and you want contacts to be able to reach you.
For a generic redirect, often set by IT or a manager after you've gone.
When to use it
- Your last day at a job, while your mailbox stays active for a transition period.
- Managers setting a redirect on a departed colleague's inbox.
- Internal moves to another team, with the successor line changed to your new role.
What to avoid
- Don't say why you left or where you're going unless you're comfortable with every sender knowing.
- Don't add a personal email without your employer's agreement; client contact rules may apply.
- Don't point to a shared inbox nobody reads. Name a person.
The fields in this template
Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.
- Last day
{fill:Last day} - Your final working day.
- Company
{fill:Company} - The company name.
- Your area
{fill:Your area} - What you looked after, e.g. "the Acme and Globex accounts" or "payroll".
- Successor name
{fill:Successor name} - The person who has taken over.
- Successor email
{fill:Successor email} - Their email address, or a team address that's actually monitored.
- Personal contact
{fill:Personal contact} - A LinkedIn URL or personal email, only if you choose to share it.
Tips
- •Agree the successor and the wording with your manager on your second-to-last day, not at 5pm on your last.
- •Send a short goodbye email to key contacts as well. An auto-reply only reaches people who write to you.
- •If you move teams internally, keep the message but swap the first line for your new role and team.
Works in Outlook, Gmail and every other app
Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.
Questions
What do you put in an auto reply when you leave a job?
That you've left, the date, and who now handles your work, with their email. A personal contact is optional and should be cleared with your employer.
How long should a leaving auto reply stay on?
Usually as long as the mailbox stays open, often 30 to 90 days. Your employer's IT policy decides.
Related templates
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;ooo-leaveEmail & out of office
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Type ;ooo-left, get the whole reply
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