Can AI write my out-of-office message?
Yes. Give it your dates, who covers for you and your tone, and you get a coworker version and a client version in under a minute.
01Why bot
- An out-of-office reply follows a short, fixed pattern that AI handles well.
- It keeps the return date and backup contact up front, where people look first.
- You supply the facts; it only has to phrase them.
Sponsor slot · openFeatured tool for this task. A labeled card for one relevant tool.
Book this spot →02The prompt
Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your own details, then paste it into your AI app.
You are an executive assistant who writes clear, friendly out-of-office replies. Dates I'm away: [FIRST DAY OFF, DAY I'M BACK] Why I'm out (optional): [VACATION, CONFERENCE, LEAVE, OR LEAVE BLANK] Who covers for me: [NAME, EMAIL, WHAT THEY HANDLE, OR NOBODY] My job and who emails me: [JOB, CLIENTS OR COWORKERS] Tone: [FORMAL OR CASUAL] Your task: write my automatic out-of-office reply. Rules: - MUST state the exact date I'm back. - MUST keep each version under 80 words. - MUST include the backup contact exactly as I gave it; if I said nobody, NEVER invent one. - NEVER promise I will check email while away unless I said so. - If anything is missing, ask me up to 3 short questions first. Give me, in this order: an internal version for coworkers, an external version for clients, and a one-line subject.
03Steps
- Check your return date and confirm your backup agreed to cover.
- Fill in the brackets and paste the prompt into your AI app.
- Paste the reply into your email's vacation responder and send yourself a test.
04What can go wrong
- Don't list personal details like where you're traveling; auto-replies go to strangers and spammers too.
- Turn the responder off when you're back, or people keep getting the old dates.
05What to use
Any major AI chat app: ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. The free tier works.
06Our test runs
2 runs, each with a different made-up sample. 0 of 2 passed every check.
Run 1 · Llama 3.3 70B · graded by GPT-OSS 120BOct 14, 2026Passed with a catch
The made-up sample:
[FIRST DAY OFF, DAY I'M BACK]June 10, 2026 – June 19, 2026 (back on June 19)[VACATION, CONFERENCE, LEAVE, OR LEAVE BLANK]VACATION[NAME, EMAIL, WHAT THEY HANDLE, OR NOBODY]Emily Rivera, emily.rivera@example.com, handles project queries and approvals[JOB, CLIENTS OR COWORKERS]Senior Marketing Manager, internal team members and external agency partners[FORMAL OR CASUAL]CASUAL
- Must state the exact date I'm back
- Must include the backup contact exactly as given
- Never promise to check email while away
- Didn't make up details we never gave it
What came back (excerpt):
Internal: Out from June 10-19, back on June 19. For project queries, contact Emily Rivera, emily.rivera@example.com.
Read the full answer
Here are the out-of-office replies: Internal: Out from June 10-19, back on June 19. For project queries, contact Emily Rivera, emily.rivera@example.com. External: Out from June 10-19, back on June 19. For urgent matters, contact Emily Rivera, emily.rivera@example.com. Subject: Out of Office - Returning June 19
Ensure the backup contact matches exactly, including the description.
Run 2 · Llama 3.3 70B · graded by GPT-OSS 120BNov 10, 2026Passed with a catch
The made-up sample (a messier one):
[FIRST DAY OFF, DAY I'M BACK]June 10, 2026 – back on June 18, 2026[VACATION, CONFERENCE, LEAVE, OR LEAVE BLANK]vacation (family trip, details TBD)[NAME, EMAIL, WHAT THEY HANDLE, OR NOBODY]Jordan Lee, jordan.lee@example.com, covers project updates and urgent client matters[JOB, CLIENTS OR COWORKERS]Senior Product Manager – internal team members and external partners email me[FORMAL OR CASUAL]casual
- State exact return date
- Include backup contact exactly as given
- Provide internal, external, subject in order
- Version under 80 words (17 words, counted by code)
- Version under 80 words (18 words, counted by code)
- Didn't make up details we never gave it
What came back (excerpt):
Internal version: Out from June 10-18, back on June 18. For urgent matters, contact Jordan Lee at jordan.lee@example.com.
Read the full answer
Internal version: Out from June 10-18, back on June 18. For urgent matters, contact Jordan Lee at jordan.lee@example.com. External version: I'm out from June 10-18, back on June 18. For urgent matters, contact Jordan Lee at jordan.lee@example.com. Subject: Out of Office until June 18
Check that the backup contact includes its full description.
How each run works: we fill the prompt with a made-up sample, run it once in Llama 3.3 70B, and GPT-OSS 120B grades the answer against the prompt's own rules. Word limits are counted by code, and every quote flagged as made up is checked against the full answer. Your results can differ. How we test.
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