How to set out of office in gmail calendar

Leaving the office? before you go to rest and relax, you deserve it! — there are a few things to configure in google calendar and gmail for best working practices, using our good friend: automation.

keep reading to learn:

• how to add out-of-office time to google calendar
• how to set up an autoresponder on your gmail account (plus a blank out-of-office message if you don’t sure what to type!)
• the easiest way to sync an out of office event with your team’s shared calendar and slack status

Are you curious to create more time in your workday? clockwise optimizes your calendar to create a smarter calendar. you can learn more here. If you want to learn how to implement a set of time management tools for your team, we also offer team solutions.

how to use out of office feature in google calendar

When you add ooo (out of office) as a calendar event in google calendar, your calendar will automatically decline invitations for events that match it. that way, you protect your time away from the office with little effort on your part. allow yourself to truly unplug, knowing you won’t need to constantly monitor and RSVP for incoming meeting requests.

here’s how to do it, whether you’re using your computer or mobile device (android, iphone and ipad users – we’ve got you covered too).

note: out of office scheduling is only available for google workspace (formerly g suite) accounts through work or school, not personal google accounts.

on a computer

1. open google calendar.

• tip: chrome users can easily access all google apps on new window and new tab page.

1. On the calendar, click the first day you will be out of the office.
2. Click out of office.
3. enter the dates of your event. you can also enter a specific time.
4. If you want this out-of-office event to repeat, click the dropdown menu next to doesn’t repeat and choose a frequency.
5. You can also change your reject settings and edit your reject message.
6. click save.

on a mobile device (android and ios)

1. open the google calendar app.
2. tap the + icon at the bottom right of the screen.
3. tap out of office.
4. enter the dates of your event. you can also enter a specific time.
5. If you want this out-of-office event to repeat, tap the dropdown menu next to doesn’t repeat and choose a frequency.
6. You can also change your reject settings and edit your reject message.
7. Tap save.

how to set auto reply in gmail when you are not in the office

When you know you won’t be available for an extended period of time, remember to set up your email account with an autoresponder (sometimes called a vacation reply). In this section, we will show you how to do it with your gmail account. (if you use another email service, don’t worry, most email providers offer an autoresponder feature!)

important things to know about gmail vacation replies:

• Your autoresponder response lasts from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. m. from the first day until 11:59 p.m. m. on the last day, unless you turn it off earlier.
• Messages that end up in your spam folder will not receive your auto-reply. The same applies to messages you receive as part of a mailing list.
• If you have an organizational Google Workspace account, you can decide if you only want people in your organization to see your autoresponder.
• If the same person contacts you more than once, they will likely only receive your automated reply after the first time they email you. there are a few exceptions, including:
• if you are contacted again four days after the first email was sent and you are still out of the office
• if you edit your status out of – message from the office and the person contacts you again

on a computer

1. open gmail.
2. open your settings by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner.
3. click view all settings.
4. scroll down until you see the vacation responder section.
5. select vacation responder on.
6. Enter the date range, subject line, and message.
7. Under your message, check the box if you only want contacts to see your reply on vacation.
8. click save changes.

on a mobile device (android and ios)

1. open the gmail app.

• note for ios users: this step will not work on the mail app that comes pre-installed on apple devices!

1. Tap the ≡ menu icon at the top left.
2. scroll to the bottom and select settings.</ li
3. tap the account you want the autoresponder to come from.
4. tap vacation responder.
5. use the switch to activate the responder vacation.
6. enter the date range, subject line, and message.
7. tap save (ios) or done ( android).

out of office message example

You can easily find templates all over the web if you’re not sure what to write in your autoresponder. here’s a friendly, yet professional, complete, and concise example (feel free to swipe!). of course adjust it to your own preferences.

hello!

Thank you for your message. I will be out of the office from [start date] to [end date] and will get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, existing customers can contact [name] at [email address] for assistance. looking to book a meeting? you can schedule a call with me directly at [insert booking link].

thank you!

[your name]

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how clockwise makes leaving the office easier

Tired of handling the logistics of leaving the office? clockwise helps by automatically syncing out-of-office events with a shared team calendar, keeping everyone on the same page. clockwise also integrates with slack to send daily updates to a channel of your choice letting you know who’s working from home and who’s out of the office. Plus, clockwise links automatically take into account your vacation and out-of-office hours so you can avoid unnecessary back-and-forth when scheduling meetings.

Interested in implementing a smarter schedule for your workday?

• Clockwise – Get started clockwise with focus time, flexible meetings, scheduling links, and powerful integrations here.‍
• Smart Calendar for Teams: Teams on a paid plan see 44% more focus time created on average. See a demo of our shared calendar app or contact us for a tutorial.

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