Gmail vacation responder message templates
Gmail's vacation responder lives in Settings, See all settings, General, near the bottom. You pick a first and last day, a subject and a message, and can limit replies to people in your contacts or, on Google Workspace, to people in your organisation. Gmail answers each sender once rather than on every email, and again only if they write more than four days later. The message itself is the part people get wrong: it needs your return date, who to contact instead, and when you'll actually reply.
;gm-away;gm-away in any app.Variations
The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.
Use with "Only send a response to people in my Contacts", where you can be warmer.
For the Google Workspace option that only replies to colleagues, where you can name projects.
When to use it
- You're taking time off and want Gmail to answer for you.
- You run your own business on Gmail and need clients to know who to call while you're out.
- You're on Google Workspace and want different messages for colleagues and everyone else.
What to avoid
- Don't leave the last day blank, or the responder runs until you remember to turn it off.
- Don't put a personal phone number in a responder that goes to everyone, including newsletters and strangers.
- Avoid saying exactly where you are. "Away" is enough, and safer.
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} - The first day you're back at work, written out: "Monday 6 January".
- Backup contact
{fill:Backup contact} - The name of the person covering for you.
- Backup email
{fill:Backup email} - Their email address.
- Reply by date
{fill:Reply by date} - When you realistically expect to reply, usually a day or two after you return.
- Project or area
{fill:Project or area} - The thing people are most likely to email you about.
- Team chat space
{fill:Team chat space} - The Google Chat space or Slack channel that's covering for you.
Tips
- •Click into the vacation responder message box in Gmail's settings and type ;gm-away. Retext asks for the dates and backup contact, then you save the setting.
- •The responder uses one subject line for everyone, so pick something plain like "Away until [date]".
- •The Gmail app on your phone has a vacation responder setting too. If you forget before you leave, copy the template as plain text from this page and paste it there.
Works in 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
How do I set an out of office in Gmail?
On the web, open Settings, See all settings, and scroll to Vacation responder on the General tab. Turn it on, set the first and last day, add a subject and message, and save changes.
Does Gmail send the vacation reply to every email?
No. Gmail replies to a sender the first time they write, and again only if they write after four days and the responder is still on. People who email you ten times in a day don't get ten replies.
Can I send a different message to people outside my company?
Not at the same time. Gmail has one responder message; on Google Workspace you can limit it to people in your organisation, but it can't send colleagues one message and everyone else another the way Outlook can. Choose who gets a reply, then use the variant written for them.
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…
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…
Outlook automatic reply
;ol-autoOutlook
Hi, I'm out of the office until [Return date] with limited access to email. For [Topic], contact [Backup contact] ([Back…
Type ;gm-away, 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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