Setting Up Out of Office in Gmail Print

Gmail's vacation responder automatically replies to incoming messages when you're away.

Enabling Vacation Responder

1. Open Gmail
2. Click the gear icon in the top right
3. Click See all settings
4. Scroll down to the Vacation responder section
5. Select Vacation responder on
6. Set your date range:
   • First day – When the auto-reply starts
   • Last day – When it ends (check "Ends" to set a date, or leave unchecked to turn off manually)
7. Enter a Subject (e.g., "Out of Office" or "Away Until January 15")
8. Write your Message with relevant details
9. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page

What to Include in Your Message

• The dates you'll be unavailable
• When you'll respond to their message
• Who to contact for urgent matters (name and email)
• Keep it brief and professional

Example:

Thank you for your email. I'm currently out of the office from January 10-17 with limited access to email. I'll respond to your message when I return.

For urgent matters, please contact Jane Smith at jane@company.com.

Additional Options

Only send a response to people in my Contacts – Check this to avoid auto-replying to newsletters, spam, or unknown senders.

Turning It Off

1. Return to Settings → See all settings
2. In the Vacation responder section, select Vacation responder off
3. Click Save Changes

Gmail will also display a banner at the top of your inbox reminding you that vacation responder is on, with a quick link to end it.