35 ideas for your next automated out-of-office message

Why write an out-of-office message?

It fosters better communication within work teams as well as with clients or suppliers. You can even add your own touch by personalizing it.

Make your absence memorable 😉

Need inspiration? We're giving you tips and suggestions right here.

1. Concision and essential information

Keep it short! Beyond clearly stating that you're currently away, your automated message should, in just a few lines, provide the essential information to the recipient:

• Until what date will you be away? According to a study by Columbia University, people tend to be more patient when they know how long they'll have to wait. So, by specifying your return date, you help manage expectations about your reply to their email.
• Will you have access to your emails during this period, or should people wait for your return to receive a reply?
• Is there someone taking over your files if needed, or a person to contact if the request requires immediate assistance? If so, who? And how can they be reached (email or phone number)?
• You can of course end with a closing formula ("Thank you", "Have a good day", "Best regards", etc.).

Reminder: in many cases, the automated message does not keep the thread of previous messages. It may then be worth mentioning to your recipient the elements to provide to the person who will take over.

The order of these elements can be adjusted to whatever feels most natural to you.

2. Gratitude and transparency

To foster better communication, it can be recommended to include a warm thank-you such as "Thank you for your message". In other words, your out-of-office message should show kindness.

You can also add the reason for your absence, which adds honesty to your message.

Whether you're travelling, on sick leave or on holiday, these are reasons that will be readily accepted by your clients or colleagues. This practice is of course optional!

These two elements can simply strengthen the bond of trust between you and the person you're writing to. Indeed, you thereby demonstrate your politeness and the importance you place on your communications with them.

What's more, your contact may feel valued by your gratitude for their message. Feeling heard is always appreciated and reinforces a positive experience in relationships. Your authenticity may also please them.

A few pitfalls to avoid when writing your out-of-office message:

• A message that's too long and packed with too many details: your readers may risk losing the gist of your message or losing interest before reaching the end of the email. If you want to add several elements, make sure the important points appear at the start of the message or can be found easily, by putting them in bold for example.
• Giving the contact details of a colleague who isn't aware they'll be taking over your files during your absence: confirm with that colleague that you'll be sharing their contact details and that you have their permission. Depending on the case, take the time to pass on the required information if you're expecting particular emails, so they can follow up.
• Creating false expectations about how quickly requests will be handled: depending on the nature of the messages you receive, you could add a note such as "For any request requiring a quick reply, you can contact this address [email]. Please note that response times may be longer during this holiday period and we thank you in advance for your understanding."
• Typos or grammar mistakes: you're in a hurry to leave on holiday, which is completely understandable! Still, take the time to reread and correct your automated message before activating it, ensuring it's error-free. This will maintain your professional image and help avoid any confusion.

3. Adapt the message to your audience

Email platforms like Outlook let you create a distinct out-of-office message depending on where the email comes from.

The automated reply can then differ depending on whether the email comes from outside or inside your organization. You could, for example, write a more classic message for your suppliers and a more informal, humorous or original message for your colleagues.

Reminder: you know best the people likely to try to reach you during your absence! Can you allow yourself a touch of humour? Or should you stay more conservative?

By anticipating potential messages, you'll be able to tailor your out-of-office email while making sure to maintain your professional image and the bonds of trust with your contacts.

4. Translate the message

To ensure your message is properly understood by your colleagues, clients, partners or suppliers, don't forget to include a translated version according to the language of your contacts (English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese…).

The following elements let you personalize your automated message further with a touch of originality. Just keep in mind that your out-of-office message should remain professional!

In other words, the content you add should remain appropriate. It should be obvious that it's humour (by using emojis for example) and must never damage anyone's reputation. Your contact must not get the impression that you're making fun of them or of their message.

5. Add a touch of humour

You can add a funny line or a lighter wink to your out-of-office message to stand out. Here are some examples of humorous phrases that fit easily:

You can also add funny images or GIFs:

• An image of your vacation destination.
• "I'll surely come back tanned; here's the weather forecast for the next few days where I am:"
• "On the road to my vacation"

6. A little philosophy can also be in order

For the more philosophical among you, here are a few quotes or reflections about holidays that you could add to your message:

If you send a message to someone who's out of the office, will that message really be received? I'll tell you when I'm back from vacation on [date].

Is a challenge giving you a hard time at work and you feel like being a bit bolder? Why not use your out-of-office message meant for your colleagues to lay out your issue to them? Who knows, maybe an innovative solution will be waiting in your inbox when you get back!

Want to go further? The Amélio platform offers just such an Innovation module that lets everyone submit suggestions and thus contribute to the organization's success.

7. Reveal a bit more about yourself

Another element that can be interesting to add to your out-of-office message is a glimpse of the activities you'll be doing during your holidays.

Do you have books you absolutely want to read? A TV series that's been waiting for weeks? Are you thinking of trying a new sport? Or visiting a new museum? Do you want to try a restaurant?

Why not share it all by mentioning it in your out-of-office message? It may help spark nice conversations when you return. Or it will simply give your recipients a chance to learn a little more about you.

Torn between a classic out-of-office message and an original one?

An out-of-office message that steps off the beaten path lets you bring in your personality and can certainly make your colleagues or clients smile.

You should nonetheless keep in mind that memorable out-of-office messages have the flaw of their quality: they're memorable. On your next leave, it may then be advisable to change your auto-reply to keep the element of surprise.

Do you feel more comfortable with a more classic out-of-office message? No worries. It's not a contest! And the goal remains the same in every case: to give notice of your absence and your return date, while being polite and professional.

8. Other types of absences, other automated messages

Are you away for a reason other than holidays? Don't hesitate to review and then activate your automated out-of-office message in those cases too! The elements, such as your return date and the person to contact in an emergency, are also to be indicated.

A single-day absence

Whether it's due to a cold, a mental-health day, a medical appointment or any other short absence, an automated message is just the thing. A few inspirations:

Leave of indefinite duration

It can happen that you have to take an extended leave, with no set return date. Here's a template for such a situation:

For the year-end holidays

The year-end holidays can be exhausting, with the many family gatherings or ski trips. It's completely understandable that you've decided to take a few days of rest for the occasion. You just have to remember to notify your contacts with an automated message!

Just as for annual holidays, you can write a more classic or more humorous message.

If all of your organization's offices are closed during this period, it's worth mentioning it in your message as well. For example:

Reminder: the year-end holidays can be a sensitive subject, because of the religious traditions or emotions associated with them. It is therefore suggested to pay particular attention to potential recipients who may not celebrate these holidays or for whom the subject may be delicate. For example, some will avoid naming the holidays to "work around" the religious side of these celebrations and to avoid risking offending people who don't observe them.

Parental leave

Has your family welcomed a new member? What wonderful news, congratulations! Here are a few inspirations to announce it, while giving notice of your absence at the same time:

In short…

Whatever the reason for your absence or its duration, your automated out-of-office reply should not be neglected! Indeed, we recommend taking the time to write it and activate it in order to foster good relationships with your colleagues, clients or partners. This will at the same time help manage expectations about your response time.

To make sure you don't forget anything when activating your out-of-office message, we've prepared a little checklist for you (available only in the downloadable version of the guide):