Holiday Out-of-Office Message Templates for Every Occasion

You’re about to leave for vacation and you need an out-of-office message. You stare at the blank auto-reply field, wondering if “I’m out of the office” is too boring and whether you should try to be funny.

Here are ready-to-use templates for every situation. Copy the one that fits, customize the bracketed parts, and go enjoy your time off.

Standard vacation

Professional:

Thank you for your email. I’m currently out of the office from [start date] through [end date] with limited access to email.

For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [email]. I’ll respond to all other messages when I return.

Casual:

I’m on vacation until [date]. I won’t be checking email, but I’ll get back to you when I return.

If it’s urgent, reach out to [colleague] at [email].

Short and direct:

Out of office until [date]. Back to you then.

Holiday breaks

Christmas / Year-end:

Our team is off for the holidays from December [start] through January [end]. I’ll reply to your email when we’re back on [return date].

For anything urgent during the break, contact [emergency contact] at [email].

Thanksgiving (US):

I’m away for the Thanksgiving holiday and will return on [Monday date]. I’ll reply to your email then.

If you need immediate help, [colleague] at [email] can assist.

Generic holiday:

I’m out of the office for [holiday name] and will be back on [date]. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Extended leave

Parental leave:

I’m currently on parental leave and will return on [date]. During my absence, [colleague name] ([email]) is handling my responsibilities.

Please direct all [project/area] questions to them. Thank you for your understanding.

Sabbatical:

I’m on sabbatical from [start date] through [end date]. For any matters related to [area], please contact [colleague] at [email].

I won’t be checking email during this time. I’ll follow up on any outstanding items when I return.

Medical leave:

I’m currently away from the office and will return on [approximate date]. For immediate needs, please contact [colleague] at [email].

Thank you for your patience.

Conferences and travel

Conference:

I’m attending [conference name] from [dates]. I’ll have limited access to email and may be slow to respond.

For urgent items, reach out to [colleague] at [email]. I’ll catch up on everything by [date].

Business travel:

I’m traveling for work this week with limited email access. I’ll respond as quickly as I can, but expect delays.

For time-sensitive matters, contact [colleague] at [email].

Remote/flexible work

Working different hours:

Thanks for your email. I work [time zone] hours ([start time] to [end time]). If you’re writing outside those hours, I’ll respond the next business day.

Reduced hours:

I’m currently working a reduced schedule ([days of the week]). I’ll respond to your email on my next working day.

Creative and personality-driven

Use these only if they match your workplace culture.

Minimalist:

Away. Back [date].

Honest:

I’m on vacation and not checking email. Genuinely. I’ll respond on [date].

Helpful redirect:

I’m out until [date]. Before you wait for my reply:

• Sales questions: [name] at [email]
• Support issues: [support URL]
• Everything else: I’ll handle it when I’m back.

Tips for better out-of-office messages

Include the return date. “I’m out of the office” without a date is useless to the sender.

Name a backup person. If someone needs help before you return, tell them who to contact. Check with that person first.

Set expectations. “Limited access” means you might reply. “Not checking email” means you won’t. Be clear so people know whether to wait or find another path.

Keep it short. Nobody reads a four-paragraph auto-reply. Three to four sentences is the sweet spot.

Set it up once, use it forever

If you update your out-of-office message several times a year (vacations, holidays, conferences), creating it from scratch each time is unnecessary.

A text expansion app lets you store templates and customize them on the fly. In TypeSnap, you could create a snippet with fill-in fields:

• Trigger: ;ooo
• Content: “I’m out of the office from {{input:Start date}} through {{input:End date}}. For urgent matters, contact {{input:Backup name}} at {{input:Backup email}}.”

Type ;ooo and a prompt asks for the dates and backup contact. The message writes itself. You can keep templates for different situations (vacation, holiday, conference) and pick the right one in seconds.

TypeSnap’s date macros can also insert dynamic dates. Set up a snippet for your regular holiday break, and the dates update automatically each year without editing the template.