Free tool · No sign-up

Out of office message generator.

Polished vacation auto-reply emails in thirty seconds. Pick a tone, set dates, optionally route to a colleague. Copy and paste. Done. No watermark, no email capture, no sign-up.

Who's away
When
Tone
Formal Warm Playful Brief Firm
Urgent contact (optional)

↑ Updates live as you type. Click "Copy" on any card to grab it.

// Want more than a polished message?

The message is passive. We have the version that actually routes the emergency.

A polished out-of-office reply tells people you're gone. OutOfOfficePro takes it further: a live page at yourname.outofofficepro.com that callers tap to instantly reach the right person — automatically, by issue type, with a logged paper trail emailed to whoever's handling it. You stop being the laptop-on-beach person. Your business actually runs without you.

How to write a good out of office message

A good out-of-office message does three things: tells people when you're away, tells them who to contact in your absence, and sets realistic expectations about your response time when you return.

It does not apologize for being unreachable. It does not promise to check email periodically. It does not over-explain. The American instinct is to soften the absence with caveats — resist that.

Five elements every OOO message needs

Choose your tone deliberately

The tone of your auto-reply tells the recipient what to expect on your return. Formal works for cold inbound from clients. Warm is for ongoing relationships. Playful is for industries that allow it (creative, marketing, indie SaaS). Firm is for setting boundaries you've struggled to set in person — "I am not checking email and will not be reachable."

Don't pick the tone you think you should use. Pick the one that matches how you want to be received.

Stop being the laptop-on-beach person

Forty-seven percent of Americans don't use all their vacation days. The ones who do still check email, take "quick calls," and bring their laptop in case something needs them. That's not vacation — it's a slightly nicer office.

The auto-reply is supposed to be the firewall between you and your inbox. Instead, it's become a soft suggestion. People still email. You still see the count climb. You still open one — just to check — and three hours later you've answered fifteen.

The real fix isn't a better-written message. It's making "checking" pointless. If urgent things route to someone else automatically, there's nothing to check. That's what OutOfOfficePro does.

Common questions

What is a good out of office message?

A good out-of-office message states when you're away, when you'll be back, and who to contact for urgent matters. Keep it short. Set clear expectations. Resist the urge to apologize for being unreachable.

How do you write a professional out of office message?

A professional out-of-office message includes: your absence dates, your return date, an alternate contact for urgent matters, and a clear note about response timing on your return. Avoid over-explanation. Avoid promising to check email.

Should I check email on vacation?

No. The reason vacations don't restore you is that you keep checking email. The point of an out-of-office message is to make checking unnecessary — route urgent things to someone else, then actually disconnect.

What's the difference between a formal and a warm out of office message?

Formal messages are direct and impersonal — best for cold inbound or external clients you don't have a relationship with. Warm messages acknowledge the recipient (e.g., "Thanks for your note!") and are best for ongoing client relationships and colleagues.

Should my out of office message mention emergencies?

Yes — but only if you have a real plan for them. A vague "in case of emergency, contact [me]" defeats the purpose. Either route emergencies to a specific contact who can actually help, or use a service that does the routing automatically.

Is this generator really free?

Yes. No sign-up, no email capture, no watermark on your message. Generate as many as you want. The tool is free because we sell a separate paid product (OutOfOfficePro) that actively routes urgent inquiries while you're gone.

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