Best Out-of-Office Email Templates14 min read

It’s finally that time of the year — you’re supposed to go on a much-needed vacation, and it’s time to sort out your work before you go. 

Even if you have opted for a staycation, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take some time off and disconnect from work, by muting your email notifications and staying out of your business inbox for a couple of weeks.

One of the most important things to do when leaving the office is to create an auto-responder email and let your business associates and colleagues know how and when they can reach you again. 

Yes, even if you’re at home and perfectly capable of checking your email and responding to messages.

Why Your Out-of-Office Message Matters

Out-of-office emails are a must, especially if you have long-lasting relationships with customers who need a prompt response. It would be very unprofessional to just leave without explaining why you aren’t answering.

You also don’t want to be stuck in the office on your last day before vacation trying to figure out how to set up and write an out-of-office email. 

This is why we decided to help you by providing examples of the best out-of-office emails.

What Should an Autoresponder Email Look Like?

As you probably received a number of these emails, you might be familiar with the type of information out-of-office emails provide.

For example, each out-of-office email should state

• how long you will be unavailable
• when the return date is 
• whom to contact in your absence.

Emails can range from strictly formal to funny, depending on the occasion and intent. 

They can be composed in a way that drives traffic to your website or can serve as an instrument to form a better bond with your customers.

This is especially useful since a lot of your out-of-office emails will go to people you communicate with regularly. 

Writing something about yourself, a funny note or a joke gives them an opportunity to develop a more personal relationship with you.

Don’ts of an OOO Email Message

While an out-of-office message can be a useful way to inform your contacts that you are away and when you will return, there are some things that you should avoid including in your message. 

Here are some common don’ts of OOO emails.

Don’t be too vague or too detailed

You want to strike a balance between giving enough information to set expectations and not oversharing personal or sensitive details. 

For example, don’t say, “I’m out for a while,” or “I’m attending my cousin Becky’s wedding in Vegas.” The latter can be okay in an intentionally funny email, but this level of detail isn’t exactly what your customers expect to see in business correspondence.  

Instead, say something like, “I’m on vacation until July 10th,” or “I’m attending a conference from June 26th to June 30th.”

Don’t forget to include an alternative contact

If you are expecting urgent or important emails while you are away, you should provide an alternative contact who can handle them in your absence. 

This way, you can avoid missing deadlines, losing opportunities, or frustrating your clients or colleagues. 

For example, don’t say, “I’ll deal with your email when I get back,” or “Please wait until I return.” 

It’s much better to say something along the lines of “For urgent matters, please contact John Smith at [email protected]” or “For immediate assistance, please reach out to Jane Doe at [email protected].”

However, before you do that, you should always check with a coworker you want to list as an alternative contact before you include their name and email in your message. 

By doing so, you can make sure they are available and willing to handle your emails while you are away. You can also give them a heads-up on what to expect and how to handle certain situations.

Tips for Crafting an Effective Out-of-Office Email

1. Set the right tone

• Consider your audience. Tailor your tone to the recipients. A playful message might work for colleagues, but a more formal tone may be suitable for clients.
• Make sure to follow your brand voice. If your company has a specific brand voice, let that shine through in your out-of-office message.

2. Keep it concise

• Get to the point right away. Clearly state your unavailability dates and when you’ll return.
• Avoid unnecessary details. Don’t overload your message with irrelevant information. OOO emails should be informative and to the point.

3. Use a clear subject line

• Indicate your absence. Use a subject line like “Out of Office Auto-Reply” or “OOO: [Your Name].”
• Include the return date. If possible, mention your return date in the subject line for easy reference.

4. Proofread carefully

• Avoid errors. Just like with any other email, double-check for spelling and grammar mistakes. You don’t want to come across as sloppy.
• Test your autoresponder. Ensure your message is set up correctly and works as intended. Send an email from another address to see whether you’ll get an immediate response, and check whether everything is right with your copy, subject line, and links. 

5. Don’t overpromise

• Be realistic about response time. Don’t promise to respond immediately upon your return if you’re unsure that it will be possible. It’s better to say you’ll get back to them “as soon as possible.” Otherwise, your prospects will expect you to respond on the date of your return, and it won’t be professional if you fail to do so.
• Manage expectations. If you’ll have limited access to emails while you’re away, mention that in your message.

The Classic Out-of-Office Email Template

In case you want to keep things short and don’t have enough time to compose a creative email, go with the always popular formal option.

Also, if you work in an industry where humor would be perceived as unprofessional, stick to the classic autoresponder emails.

Lead Generation Out-of-Office Emails

Just because you are away, it doesn’t mean you can’t inspire others to take action. 

Use the end of your message for a call to action, whether you want your recipients to sign up for a course, read your latest blog, promote a demo, create a compelling brochure, or get involved in your business community.

This type of email can be perfect for driving sales, promoting your content, and escaping the typical out-of-office email form.

Out-of-Office Emails With Gifts

People love free things. 

Once they receive a cold automatic out-of-office email, it would be nice to surprise them by adding a little something unexpected. It can be anything from a free ebook, a download of your latest case study, or a code for a trial version of your product.

Your customers will feel less frustrated because they can’t reach you at the moment, and you will get an opportunity to share and promote your work.

Event Promotion Out-of-Office Email

In case you are visiting a conference or a business event and that is the reason for your absence, just say it. 

You can use the opportunity to promote the event with people of the same industry or let them know you are a speaker as well, thus engaging in a bit of self-marketing.

Out-of-Office Message Offering an Alternative Point of Contact

Let’s be honest – people are impatient, and they want answers to their questions and solutions to their problems right away. 

So, no polite and informative out-of-office message will do if they can’t reach you regarding a certain pressing issue. 

And that will make them frustrated. 

That’s why you should have a backup person who will take over your prospects and help them instead of you. 

This approach will remove any friction and provide great customer service, as your prospects will be covered until you return.

Boosting Your Social Media Channels

When you’re away on holiday, you might not want to receive business emails that will distract your attention. 

But, you most certainly still check your social media channels. 

That’s why it’s a good idea to direct your recipients to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, where they can get in touch with you. 

Of course, very few people would be so pushy as to send you a private message about a business issue while you’re on holiday – but they will most likely click on the social media link.

Out-of-Office Message as a Networking Opportunity

It’s very likely that you’ll set up an OOO message while you’re at a conference or any other business event. 

And what’s also very likely is that some of your prospects will be there too, so why not use an opportunity to meet them in person and build an even more meaningful relationship?

Out-of-Office Message for Driving Traffic

Using your OOO to refer your prospect to a new content piece or feature that you want to promote is low-hanging fruit. 

The fact that you can’t respond immediately can be an excellent opportunity to send traffic to your website. The idea is to pique your prospect’s interest and get them to explore your company further. 

You can come up with different messages depending on what you want to promote.

Personalize Your Out-of-Office Message With Video

Your OOO doesn’t have to be robotic and generic. 

You can add a personal touch to your auto-responder email and humanize it by adding a one-to-one video. It’s always great to put a face to a name and greet your prospects personally. 

This way, you’ll make it more engaging than plain text.

Humorous Out-of-Office Examples

Funny emails are getting popular, and people are using a variety of methods to turn the bland, automatic email into the one that makes you giggle.

You can get creative and figure it out by yourself or use some of these examples and get inspired right away.

So, what can you do? 

Add a GIF or a meme, some interesting facts, and a short and amusing story from your trip. 

However, make sure to know your audience well enough to avoid crossing any lines or causing unintentional offense.

Check out our top picks below.

Closing Words

Don’t let your prospects slip through the cracks while you’re sipping a cocktail on the beach! Create a killer OOO message and keep them engaged until you come back to the office.

It’s a good place to mention that Autoklose comes with many different email sequence templates that you can adjust and personalize to your own needs. Check them out, and maybe you can find some creative ideas to implement in your out-of-office emails. 

We can also offer you additional resources for crafting any email message template that you need; check out our blog post for useful examples that you can easily implement within your email strategy, as well as our Free Email Template Library.