Emails, emails, emails. We can't predict next week's weather, but our forecast for your inbox next week is straightforward:

You'll get plenty of new office emails tomorrow, with chances of junk mail.

Your emails take up more than a quarter of your workweek, so it’s a no-brainer that you would have a lot of catching up to do after a week-long vacation.

Fortunately, nowadays, you can set up an automated office email reply to save you time and manage your emails. Automated email replies can provide information needed by the sender while you are unavailable, or respond to business inquiries or job applications you receive.

You don’t want to mess it up and send an automated email saying you might not ever respond or set it up to reply to all the emails you’ve received (we wonder why that’s even possible).

You can thank us later, but we made sure we covered the basics, including the best templates and do’s and don’ts. Also, we included a section on setting up Gmail or Outlook for automated email replies. You'll save time managing emails and you can go on a vacation without having to check your inbox.

What is an Automatic Email Reply?

An automatic email reply or out-of-office email is an automated response sent on your behalf when receiving messages that meet certain conditions.

Most email clients let you set up auto-replies to answer emails automatically within a set period using a pre-written email template. In other words, your emails will answer themselves with a pre-written message when this feature is on. For example, an out-of-office reply informs the sender of your absence, the duration, and a contact person while you are away.

An automatic email reply can be used for various situations like being sick, out to a conference, on vacation, on maternity leave, or on annual leave. It can also be used for business inquiries or job applications. Whether you're out of the office or you don’t want to always type the same reply to every email while analyzing the inquiry or application, automatic email replies are for you.

Best Automatic Email Reply Templates

An automatic email reply is only as good as the template. We’ve created templates for common situations when automatic email replies are useful. In addition, our templates use variables to personalize your emails in Missive.

The great thing about Missive is that you can create rules to decide when to send your out-of-office email (the dates you will be away) or choose specific people or conditions to send your responses (for example, only people within your company like template #3).

Setting up auto-replies in Missive is easy. Just follow this guide.

Here are the best auto-reply email templates to start using for professional replies.

1. Out-of-Office Auto-Reply Email Template for a Holiday

Holidays are the times in a year when you see distant family and get long weekends, not reply to emails. Different businesses have different holiday policies, so it's important to set up an automated ooo messageto let others know when you start and return from a holiday.

2. Out-of-Office Auto-Reply Email Template for a Vacation

Who doesn’t need a vacation sometimes? Well this ooo message is perfect for that, and we made sure it is professional; no need to mention the piña colada here.

3. Out-of-Office Auto-Reply Email Template for Internal Emails

Whether you are on holiday or you are on a sick leave, you might need to let your colleagues know of your absence. Here, make sure you use a rule to send this ooo message only to emails coming from within the company (e.g., emails with the domain @companyname.com) to avoid sending this template to external parties.

4. Out-of-Office Auto-Reply Email Template for Maternity Leave

The gift of life grants some well-deserved time off work. Depending on your line of work and company policy, you might have a shorter or longer maternity (or paternity) leave, and it's important to notify people. Try this autoresponder:

5. Out-of-Office Auto-Reply Email Template for a Sick Leave

When you get sick, the best thing is to stay at home. Whether you will be out of office for a long period or just for the day, it is best to let people contacting you there will be a delay in your response.

6. Auto-Reply Email Template for Someone No Longer With Company

Imagine still receiving emails from your old job. It would be weird, right? Well, if someone isn’t on the payroll anymore, you better make sure the sender that the ex-employee person won’t be replying to any of those emails anymore.

7. Out-of-Office Auto-Reply Email Template Offering Alternative Contact Methods

Sometimes your email may not be the best way to reach you. You might be out of the office or in a meeting only reachable by phone. If you want to offer another way to get in touch, this is it. This autoresponder template is best for situations where the recipient may need to reach the sender urgently, even if you’re out of the office.

8. New Support Request Auto-Reply Email Template

This one is handy if you’re on the support team. People who require immediate assistance want help and they want it FAST. If you reply right away saying you will look into their urgent problem, it gives the sense you are caring.

9. General Business Inquiry Auto-Reply Email Template

This one will usually be used to reply to your general business email. Replying right away gives a sense that you care about the inquiry, but it also gives you time to give a more personal reply to the inquiry.

10. New Lead Auto-Reply Email Template

New leads are not customers yet. You want to make the best impression to maximize your chances of turning a lead into a client. Make sure you set up an automated reply and show you care for potential customers.

11. Job Application Auto-Reply Email Template

Candidates for open positions are harder to come by these days. It can also be a stressful process for candidates. A quick reply will show you care and that you are interested in the application.

Thank you for your interest in {{ company_name | description: "company name" | confirm }}. We aim to get back to potential candidates for the {{ job_name | description: “job title" | confirm }} position within {{ number_day | description: “Number of business days to reply" | confirm }}.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

[Your signature]

How to Create Professional Automatic Email Reply Templates?

When writing an automatic email reply, keep it short and professional. You might be on a vacation drinking mojitos, but the sender still expects a professional response.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing an automated email reply:

• Keep it short: You should keep it simple and only include all the information necessary to the sender, including why you are away, the period you are away for, and how to contact you or who to contact during your absence.
• Keep it professional: do not include unnecessary details about your absence. Remember, this is a professional email. You might be on vacation enjoying the minibar, but you have to remain professional while using your work email.
• Warn the person you are redirecting emails to: You don’t want to be leaving extra work for your colleagues while you're away. Remember, you wouldn’t drop a ton of paperwork in their office, so don’t do it when you're away!
• Check for grammar mistakes: You might consider yourself the grammar god, but we are never immune to a typo or a grammar mistake, especially if you write your reply in a rush. Reread and double-check with an online corrector. You wouldn’t want to look bad for a tiny typo in your automatic reply.
• Be clear about the alternative contact method: You want to include who to contact or how to contact you while you are away. You also want to include whether you will monitor your emails or not.
• Include a professional email signature: this will give all your information to the sender and make it look more professional.

Now that we have covered what to do, let's go over a few common mistakes you should avoid when creating your auto-replies:

1. Turn off your automatic email reply when you come back to work. You would not want clients or colleagues to get that reply while you are sitting in your office.
2. Do not include the option of urgent contact if you do not want to be disturbed. If you allow this option, you might receive calls for things you don’t judge urgent but that the sender does.
3. Do not try to be funny. You might be the funniest person in the office, but a joke on paper is rarely as good as it is when you tell it in person. Imagine trying to make a joke on dinosaurs and coming upon a grumpysaurus (see how awful it is when it’s written instead of told).

Automated Email Replies Made Simple

Writing an automatic email reply is about keeping it short, concise, and professional. If used when you’re out-of-office, you want the recipient to know how long you'll be away, why, and who to contact.

If you are not using Missive, you can easily set up automated email replies in Outlook and Gmail.

Setting Up Automated Email Replies in Outlook

Setting up in Outlook has fewer steps, but more limited options compared to Google and Missive. Here's how to set up an automated reply:

1. Select file → Automatic reply → Send automatic replies
2. Choose when to send by these messages by clicking Only send during this time range
3. Choose date and times for the automatic reply
4. Use one of our templates or type your own reply
5. Click OK

Setting Up Automated Email Replies in Gmail

Setting up in Gmail is very easy. Here’s how to create one:

1. First, you’ll need to enable templates. For this, go to Setting → See all settings → Advanced → Templates
2. Click on Enable
3. Now, it’s time to compose your template (or use one of ours). To do so, in the Compose field, type your template
4. Click on the three dots → Templates → Save draft as template → Save as new template
5. Type the template name and click on Save

You can also create filters so your templates only send when an incoming message meets certain criteria. You can use a common word that will appear in the email, specific senders, or subject that will trigger your automated email reply.

Here’s how to create a filter:

1. In the search bar (on main page), click on Show search options
2. Choose your common word, sender or object and type it in the search bar, then click on Search
3. Check if you have satisfying results → Search bar → Show search options → Create filter → Send template → Select your template → Create filter

Now that you have the basics and the best templates, it’s your time to shine and increase productivity. You’ll save time using those templates and automated email replies.

Feel free to use and adapt the templates to your context. You can also modify the used variables to fit your needs.

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When I started my career, my first experience with team emails was chaotic. We had multiple inboxes, scattered conversations, and constant back-and-forth about who was handling what. It was a nightmare.

At my last job, we used Missive, and it was like night and day compared to my previous experience. However, it wasn't until I discovered some of its hidden features that things really clicked for me.

Over the past few years, I've used Missive daily, and for the last year, I've been helping Missive customers uncover all its hidden gems. Today, I want to share the five features that transformed how I handle communication. These aren't the flashy features – they're the practical, everyday tools that can make a difference.

1. Merging Email Threads

You know when someone starts a new email thread about something you're already discussing in another thread? This used to drive me crazy. But in Missive, you just drag one conversation onto the other, and they merge into a single thread. Everything stays in order, nothing gets lost, and suddenly all your context is in one place.

Real-world examples where this shines:

• When a customer replies to an old email instead of the original thread for the same issue
• Multiple customers reporting the same issue
• Getting quotes from different suppliers
• Project discussions that branch off and need to be reconnected

Pro tip: You cannot undo the merging. BUT you can move messages of merged conversations to new private or shared ones.

2. Your Sidebar, Your Rules

At first glance, customizing your sidebar might not sound revolutionary. But trust me – it's like finally organizing your desk after years of chaos.

Here's what makes it special:

• Move your most-used mailboxes to the top
• Hide the stuff you rarely touch
• Group things however they make sense to YOU
• Create separate sections for different projects or clients

Here's how different teams use this:‍

Support Teams:

• Support Team Inbox at the top
• Urgent issues section with labels
• Team chat of the Support team
• Archived mailbox hidden but accessible

Sales Teams:

• Hot lead labels front and center
• Separate sections for each pipeline stage
• Quick access to Sales team room
• 'Follow-up' label visible pinned

Project Managers:

• Project-specific inboxes grouped
• Client communication sections
• Team room easily accessible
• Deadline-sensitive items labels

Pro tip: You can also create whole new sections. Just drag an item on top of the +More button in the sidebar.

3. Type # and Save Hours

This feature is really powerful: inserting canned responses inline. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Just type a hashtag followed by your response name, and boom – your full message appears right where you're typing. No more copying and pasting, no more digging through templates.

My team's favorite uses:

• #hi: Personalized welcome messages for new email requests
• #followup: 'Thanks for reaching out'
• #lmka: 'Let me know if you need anything else, I'd be happy to help'
• #meet: Inserts a link with my Calendly availability link
• #thanks: Thank you messages with next steps

Power User Tips:

1. Create variations of common responses (formal vs casual)
2. Include variables for personalization
3. Set up team-wide responses for consistency
4. For intensive-use phrases, use short, memorable hashtags
5. Create responses in multiple languages

4. The Command Bar (Ctrl/Cmd + K)

If you learn one keyboard shortcut in Missive, make it this one. Press Cmd+K on Mac (or Ctrl+K on Windows), and you've got instant access to pretty much everything.

Things you can do from the command bar:

• Create new emails, events, or tasks
• Access settings and preferences
• Switch between 1:1 rooms
• Search for specific messages
• Manage rules and labels
• Open contact books
• Set a status
• And much more!

If I were to time-track myself for a week with and without using the command bar. The difference? About 3 minutes saved each day just from reducing mouse usage and menu navigation. Compound this to a year, and you'll see how powerful it can be.

5. Custom Thread Names That Actually Make Sense

This last one's simple but brilliant. You can rename your email threads to whatever you want.

Smart ways to use this:

• Add project phase indicators (e.g., "Brand Design - Phase 2 Feedback")
• Include priority levels (e.g., "URGENT: Server Issue Resolution")
• Add dates for time-sensitive stuff (e.g., "Q4 Planning - Due Oct 30")
• Tag conversations by department (e.g., "HR: New Hire Onboarding - Sarah")

Putting It All Together: Power User Workflows

The real magic happens when you combine some of these features.

Here's how I handle an inbound request from big leads:

1. Pin 'Big Leads' label to the sidebar
2. Merge all email communication and Calendly invites
3. Use the command bar for quick navigation between my other tasks

For support teams, try this workflow:

1. Merge support requests from the same customer
2. Rename threads with issue types and status
3. Use canned responses for common solutions
4. Organize sidebar by priority levels

The Impact on Your Daily Work

Let's talk numbers. Depending on your use case, after implementing these features across your team:

• Email response time will drop by at least a few minutes per day
• Context switching will be reduced significantly
• Team coordination will improve

Getting Started

Don't try to implement everything at once. Start with the feature that addresses your biggest pain point:

• Drowning in split conversations? Start with merging
• Spending too much time on repeated responses? Focus on creating/using inline canned responses
• Can't find anything? Organize that sidebar
• Lost in endless threads? Start renaming conversations

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Give them a shot. Start with one, get comfortable, then move on to the next. You might be surprised at how much time you save.