Slack out of office status messages
Slack and Teams statuses are short, so the out of office message there has to be shorter still. Most people will see it next to your name before they message you, which makes it more effective than an email auto-reply: it prevents the message rather than answering it. These versions fit comfortably in a status field and point people to someone who can help.
;ooo-slack;ooo-slack in any app.Variations
The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.
When requests should go to a team channel rather than a person.
One line for an unplanned day off.
For a pinned message or a reply to a DM that arrived anyway.
When to use it
- Any time you set an email auto-reply: set the matching Slack or Teams status at the same time.
- Short absences, such as a half day or an appointment, where an email auto-reply is overkill.
- Replying to the DM that arrives despite your status.
What to avoid
- Don't rely on the status emoji alone. A palm tree doesn't say when you're back.
- Don't write a paragraph. Slack shows statuses truncated in many places.
- Don't forget to set it to clear automatically on your return date.
The fields in this template
Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.
- Return date
{fill:Return date} - Short form works best here, e.g. "Mon 8 Jun".
- Backup name
{fill:Backup name} - Their Slack handle or first name, e.g. "@priya".
- Channel
{fill:Channel} - A team channel such as #design-requests.
- Date in 1 days
{date+1} - Inserts the date 1 days from today, worked out when the snippet expands. Useful for deadlines and return dates.
Tips
- •Make this a per-app snippet: limit ;ooo-slack to Slack and Teams, so the trigger never fires in an email by mistake.
- •Slack has no auto-reply of its own, so your status and a quick DM reply are all people see. Retext types both.
- •If you dictate, say "insert snippet ooo-slack" (a beta voice command) while the status field is focused.
Works in Slack, Microsoft Teams 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
How long can a Slack status be?
Slack custom statuses are limited to 100 characters, and they're often shown cut short. Put the return date first so it survives truncation.
Does Slack have an out of office auto-reply?
Not built in for direct messages. A clear status plus a short reply snippet for DMs that arrive anyway covers most cases.
Will these work in Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Teams has a status message field and can show your Outlook automatic reply. The short versions here fit either.
Related templates
Out of office message
;ooo-stdEmail & out of office
Hi, Thanks for your email. I'm out of the office until [Return date] and won't be checking email regularly. If it's urge…
Sick day out of office
;ooo-sickEmail & out of office
Hi, I'm off sick today and not checking email. I'll reply when I'm back, which I expect to be [date in 1 days]. If this…
Vacation auto reply
;ooo-vacEmail & out of office
Hi, I'm on vacation and back at work on [Return date]. While I'm away, [Backup name] ([Backup email]) is looking after a…
Type ;ooo-slack, get the whole reply
Retext expands your snippets in every Mac app and fills in names, dates and order numbers for you.
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