Set-up an Out of Office Reply for Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail

6 Parts:

Things to Consider for Your Auto Reply

Setting Up Out of Office Reply in Gmail

Setting Up Out of Office Reply in Hotmail

Setting Up Out of Office Reply in Yahoo Mail

Questions and Answers

Comments

There will often be times you have to take off of work for a few days. Whether it be a sick day, a personal day or a planned vacation, it's always good to inform your fellow workers and bosses that you are taking a break from work. There are also other people who you communicate with regularly for work, but who do not work in your office or company. Some of them may need to know that you are out, as well as whom they can contact while you are away. While it is unnecessary, and many people will find it impolite, to contact everyone you know about your absence, you also don't want to cause trouble or miss a big opportunity by leaving without notice. The best thing you can do is set up an "out of office" message on your phone, and on your email. By doing so, you can make sure if someone needs to contact you, they will know that you are unavailable, and will be able to help them when you return, and if they need immediate assistance, they can contact someone else in your office. This is necessary for maintaining a good business relationship and taking care of your clients. In this article, you will learn how to set up one of these automatic email replies if you have a Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Hotmail account.

1. 1
   Keep it brief

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   When someone emails you, they do not want a three-paragraph reply. They just need to know you are away from the office. Be respectful of their time by keeping your email reply short.

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2. 2
   Don't be too detailed

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   Those emailing you are doing so for business, so they do not need to know everything about why you are absent. You can mention the length of time that you will be gone, but you don't need to say why. As everyone emailing you will get the same message, they don't need to know about your back pains, or your cruise to a foreign country.

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3. 3
   Include the necessary information

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   In your auto-reply, you need to include everything the person trying to contact you may need to know.  

   1. Obviously, you will say that you are out of the office.
   2. You can then say how long you will be gone.
   3. Give them the name and contact information for the co-worker who is taking on your duties while you are gone.

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4. 4
   Do not include your cell phone number

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   This is a common mistake. Often, people think that they need to give their number so that whoever needs to contact them may do so. Unfortunately, this can result in you spending your entire time off either answering or ignoring your constantly ringing phone. If you are sick, you need the rest, and if you are on vacation, you need to have fun, not be disturbed for work matters. So you can leave your number with your co-worker who is stepping in for you, or with your boss, so that they can call you if an emergency arises, or to consult on a critical matter.

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1. 1
   Log in to your Google account

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2. 2
   Click on the "Settings" menu (gear icon)

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3. 3
   Click on the "General" tab

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4. 4
   Under "Vacation Responder", make sure that it is turned on.

   

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5. 5
   In the message box, enter your "Out of Office" reply

   .

   

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6. 6
   Set the dates for starting and ending the reply

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   Click a start date under "First Day". Tick on "Ends:" and set a date for the auto-reply to stop.

   

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7. 7
   You have the option to reply to those who are only in your contact list, or include people who are not on your contacts

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   You can check or uncheck the box next to "Send A Response To People In My Contacts".

   

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8. 8
   When you are happy with your auto-replay message, click on "Save Changes"

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Turning Off Out of Office Reply in Gmail

1. 1
   Log in to your Gmail account.

   

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2. 2
   Click on the "Settings" menu (gear icon)

   .

   

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3. 3
   Click on the "General" tab

   .

   

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4. 4
   Under "Vacation Responder", make sure that it is turned off

   .

   

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5. 5
   Don't forget to click "Save the Changes"

   .

   

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1. 1
   Log in to your Hotmail email account.

   
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