SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Guide: Automatic Out of Office (OOO) Reply (Autoreply) URL: https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/guide-automatic-out-of-office-ooo-reply-autoreply/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2023-08-16 UPDATED: 2026-02-09 READING: 3 min SUMMARY: The Automatic Out of Office (OOO) Reply turns on an email autoreply for the duration of an approved leave, using a template you edit ahead of time. # Guide: Automatic Out of Office (OOO) Reply (Autoreply) # Guide: Automatic Out of Office (OOO) Reply (Autoreply) Automatic email autoreply during your leave, using a template you edit ahead of time. 3-minute read The Automatic Out of Office (OOO) Reply, also called Autoreply, turns on an email auto-responder for the duration of a User's approved leave. It uses a template the User can edit, so anyone who emails them while they're away gets a sensible reply automatically. No forgetting to set it before vacation, no embarrassing radio silence. ## What the OOO Autoreply does - Activates at the start of leave: when an approved leave begins, the autoreply switches on in the User's mailbox - Replies with your template: anyone who emails the User receives the template message - Deactivates when leave ends: the autoreply switches off on the return day, so there's no lingering "I'm still away" message - Works with the leave you already booked: no separate dates to enter; the autoreply follows your approved leave window ## The template Each User has a personal autoreply template they edit ahead of time from Account Settings. The template is the message that goes out, and it can include the dates of the leave and the name of a backup contact. Admins don't write each User's message for them. ## Where it works The autoreply is set in the User's mailbox, so it works when Vacation Tracker can manage that mailbox: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, as long as the right connection is in place. On integrations where Vacation Tracker doesn't have mailbox access, the feature isn't available; in that case, Users can still configure an autoreply manually in their email client. ## Why it matters - No more "did I set it?": the autoreply is tied to the approved leave, not to the User's memory - Consistent voice: the template keeps every message intentional, not improvised at the airport - Fewer urgent escalations: a clear backup contact in the template routes urgent items to someone who can help, instead of leaving them in an empty inbox ## What each role does - Administrator: enables the OOO feature at the workspace level and may need to grant mailbox permissions during setup, depending on the integration - Approver: doesn't manage other Users' templates. Worth knowing the feature exists so you can recommend it when a team member forgets to set one - User: edits their template once, and it goes out for every leave from then on ## Common Questions Does the autoreply go out for every leave type? Typically yes for full-day absences. Hourly or short leaves may or may not trigger an autoreply depending on how your workspace is configured. Admins can decide which leave types trigger it. Can I include a backup contact in the template? Yes. The template is plain text, and a line like 'For urgent items, please contact at ' is one of the most useful patterns to include. What if I forget to edit the template before my first leave? A default template goes out so the autoreply still works. You can edit your template at any time, and the next leave uses the latest version. ### What's Next? How Can I Turn Out of Office (OOO) Reply On / Off? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-can-i-turn-out-of-office-ooo-reply-on-off/) How do I enable the OOO autoreply feature (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-do-i-enable-the-ooo-out-of-office-autoreply-feature/) How do I edit the templated OOO message (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-do-i-edit-the-templated-ooo-out-of-office-message/) Need help? Contact our Support team via email or chat, Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST.