The Steps to Implementing a Gmail 'Out of Office' Message

Our modern society is infamously connected, especially in the business sense; this fact can make not receiving a reply back from an email jarring. While we all need a break every now and then, we also need to reply to our contacts efficiently, which is where the ‘out of office’ message in Gmail comes into play.

How to Set Up Your Gmail Auto-Response Message

• In Gmail, access the Settings menu by clicking the cog icon at the top-right of your display.
  
  In the mobile application, select the Settings option from the hamburger menu at the top left and scroll to the bottom of your options. If you have more than one address connected to your Gmail application, you will have to confirm which of your accounts you want to change the settings of.
• Find the Vacation responder section. On the desktop version, this can be located at the very bottom of your Settings.
  
  In the app, this can be found about two-thirds of the way down, under General.
• On the desktop Gmail application, you can set up your responder from there. The responder automatically begins at midnight on the given day, and ends at midnight on the last specified day (if you provide one). From there, you can write your response like it’s any other message. Ensuring that the Vacation responder on radio button is selected, activate your response by pressing the Save Changes button.
  
  If using the mobile version of Gmail, access the Vacation responder section by pressing the option. Then you can switch your responder on (again providing the first and last days that it will come into effect) and compose your message.
  
  Once you are satisfied, select Done to save your changes. A yellow bar will appear on top of your Gmail inbox, allowing you to deactivate these features while saving your message in the desktop application. In the mobile app, you have to navigate back to the specified account’s General settings to review whether or not your responder is active.

You are now able to set up any message you want to share with someone trying to reach you while you aren’t in the office.

Things to Be Aware Of
It is also imperative to remember that each person who sends you an email will only see this message once every four days. Depending on your role, your mobile working capabilities, and the purpose for your absence, you may want to consider providing your mobile device number in the auto response, or contacts in your organization who can help in your absence.

While it is vital to remain in communication with your business associates, there are times that it just isn’t practical. This is where this feature comes in handy. At Macro Systems, we specialize in providing businesses with the solutions they need to achieve success. Give us a call at 703-359-9211 to chat about what we can do for you!