Auto-reply and away message generator

• Simple: “Subject: Out of office until Monday, Oct 12. Hi, thanks for your email. I’m out of the office until Monday, October 12 and will reply when I’m back. For anything urgent, contact Jess at jess@yourbusiness.com. Sam”
• Vacation: “Subject: On vacation, back Oct 12. Hi, I’m on vacation with limited access to email until October 12. If it can’t wait, our team at hello@yourbusiness.com can help. Otherwise I’ll get back to you when I return. Sam”
• With a booking link: “Subject: Away until Friday. Hi, this is an automatic reply. I’m away until Friday. Want to get on my calendar now? Pick a time here: [booking link]. I’ll see you then. Sam”
• Conference or training: “Subject: At a conference this week. Hi, I’m at a conference until Thursday and checking email once a day. For quick questions, call the office at [phone]. Sam”
• Short: “Subject: Out today. Out of the office today, back tomorrow. For anything urgent, email hello@yourbusiness.com.”

• After hours: “Thanks for your message. Our office is closed for the day. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and we’ll reply the next business day. Need to book now? Use [booking link].”
• Holiday closure: “Thanks for reaching out. We’re closed for the holiday from December 24 to January 1 and back on January 2. We’ll reply in the order messages arrive.”
• New inquiry received: “Thanks for your inquiry. This is an automatic note to say it came through. We’ll reply with dates and pricing by the next business day. Want to see the space sooner? Book a tour here: [booking link].”
• Busy season: “Thanks for your message. It’s our busiest time of year, so replies are taking up to two business days. Our FAQ answers the most common questions: [FAQ link].”
• Parental leave: “Hi, I’m on parental leave until March. While I’m out, Jordan (jordan@yourbusiness.com) is looking after my clients and will get back to you.”
• Text message: “Hi, you’ve reached Rosewood Manor. We’re away until Monday. For tours, book here: [booking link]. We’ll text you back when we’re in.”
• Instagram or Facebook DM: “Thanks for the message. We check DMs on weekdays. For pricing and open dates, head to [link in bio], or leave your email here and we’ll reach out.”

• When you’re back, or when they can expect a real reply. A date beats “soon”.
• Who can help now, with a way to reach them.
• One useful next step: a booking link, a price list or an FAQ.
• Honesty that it’s automatic. People forgive a short wait. They don’t forgive a promise nobody keeps.
• No sensitive details. Auto-replies go to everyone who writes, including strangers and spam, so skip travel plans and personal phone numbers.

• Gmail: open Settings, then See all settings. On the General tab, turn on the Vacation responder, add your subject, message and dates, and save.
• Outlook: open Settings and search for Automatic replies. Turn them on, set the dates, and write separate messages for people inside and outside your company.
• Text messages: most phones can’t auto-reply to every text on their own. A business texting app or your phone system usually handles it.
• Instagram and Facebook: business accounts can set instant replies and away messages in the Meta Business Suite inbox, under automations.

An out-of-office is fine for existing clients. For a new lead, it’s a polite way of saying “please wait”, and waiting is when leads go cold. An HBR study of 2,241 US companies found that firms that contacted a lead within an hour were about 7 times more likely to qualify it than those that waited longer.

In weddings and events, WeddingPro reports that up to 50% of bookings go to the first vendor to respond. An auto-reply doesn’t count as a response to the buyer. A real answer to their question, with a next step, does.