# Set an auto-reply or out-of-office

alfred_ sets a date-bounded out-of-office responder for trips directly in Gmail or Outlook. For common questions, a rule drafts the answer for you to approve.

Source: https://get-alfred.ai/docs/prompt-book/email/auto-reply-and-ooo  
Updated: 2026-10-24

Works in: Chat, Text

## The prompt

- Set an out-of-office reply from \[START] to \[END] saying: \[MESSAGE]

There are two ways to handle replies while you're busy: **OOO mode** (your provider's own responder, date-bounded, replies to everyone) and a **rule that drafts the answer** to one kind of email for you to approve.

## OOO mode (date-bounded)

The classic vacation responder. Give alfred_ start, end, and the message body.

> "Set an automatic reply on my email from now until May 8. 'I am traveling until May 8 and will have limited ability to check emails. For parts and service, please reach out to Donnie Boyd at <dboyd@iconicmachinery.com>. For Sales, please reach out to Tim Cantu at <tcantu@iconicmachinery.com>.'"

alfred_ sets it up directly in your provider (Gmail or Outlook). To turn off:

- "Turn off my OOO"
- "End my auto-reply"
- "Cancel the vacation responder"

## A rule that drafts the answer

For inboxes that get the same question over and over, write a rule that drafts the reply when a matching email arrives:

> "When someone asks for our opening times, draft a reply saying we open at 8am and close at 6pm every day."

The draft waits for your OK, like every reply alfred_ writes. The rule stays on until you turn it off. An email rule can forward, file or text you on its own; it never sends a reply by itself.

## Multi-account

If you have multiple email accounts connected, be specific:

- "Set OOO on my work account only"
- "Auto-reply on my @get-alfred.ai account"

## What alfred_ won't do

- **Won't set OOO retroactively**: it kicks in from when you set it forward
- **Won't reply to every single email if you don't want that**: use a rule that drafts the answer instead
- **Won't send a rule's reply on its own**: the draft waits for your approval
- **Won't bypass your provider's spam filters**: emails in spam never trigger the out-of-office reply

## Related

- [Create an inbox rule](https://get-alfred.ai/docs/prompt-book/email/inbox-rules)
- [Forward an email with added context](https://get-alfred.ai/docs/prompt-book/email/forward-with-context)

## Variations

- Set an automatic reply on my email from now to the end of my England trip next week
- When someone asks for our opening times, draft a reply saying we open at 8am and close at 6pm
- Turn off my OOO
- End my auto-reply

## Best for

Trips, vacations and parental leave, plus a ready answer for the question a support inbox gets every day.