Set Up Gmail Vacation Responder

Heading out of town? A vacation responder automatically replies to incoming emails so people know you're not ignoring them. Here's how to set it up in Gmail and Google Workspace.

Set up on Gmail (web)

1. Open Gmail in your browser
2. Click the Settings gear (top right)
3. Click See all settings
4. Stay on the General tab
5. Scroll all the way down to Vacation responder
6. Select Vacation responder on
7. Set First day (when you leave)
8. Set Last day (optional but recommended)
9. Add a subject line like "Out of Office"
10. Write your message
11. Optional: tick Only send a response to people in my Contacts to avoid replying to spam
12. Scroll down, click Save Changes

Set up on the Gmail mobile app

1. Open Gmail app
2. Tap the three-line menu (top left)
3. Scroll down, tap Settings
4. Tap your account
5. Scroll to Vacation responder, tap it
6. Toggle on, set dates and message
7. Save

A good vacation message format

Keep it simple. Here's a template:

Subject: Out of office

Hi,

I'm out of the office until [date] and will have limited email access. I'll respond when I'm back.

For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [email].

Thanks,
[Your name]

Tips

• Don't say where you're going. "I'm in Cancun for two weeks" tells burglars your house is empty
• Set the end date. Otherwise you have to remember to turn it off when you return
• Add a backup contact for urgent matters
• Only reply to contacts if you get a lot of spam. Auto-replies to spam confirm your email exists

Send different responses to colleagues vs. external

Gmail lets you do this:

1. In Vacation responder settings, tick Only send a response to people in [your organization] (only works in Google Workspace)
2. Or use Filters: Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter. Match emails from a domain, then "Send canned response" with a different template

Turn off vacation responder

If you set an end date, it turns off automatically. Otherwise:

1. Settings gear > See all settings
2. Scroll to Vacation responder
3. Select Vacation responder off
4. Save

Gmail also shows a yellow banner at the top of inbox when vacation responder is on, with a quick "End now" link.

How Gmail handles repeat senders

Gmail only sends one vacation response to each sender every 4 days. So if your team member emails you ten times, they get the responder once (or twice if it's spread across a week).

Google Workspace (business email) extra features

If you use Gmail for business through Google Workspace:

• Option to send different messages internally vs. externally
• Admin can set company-wide vacation policies
• Calendar integration auto-sets your status as Out of Office