How to manage Slack's Out of Office Message

Taking time off shouldn't mean leaving your team in the dark. A well-crafted Slack out of office message ensures colleagues know when you're unavailable, prevents unnecessary delays, and helps maintain smooth team communication while you're away.

Whether you're heading on vacation, attending a conference, or simply taking a personal day, this guide walks you through every option Slack offers for managing your availability—from quick status updates to automated workflows.

How Slack Handles Out of Office Communication

Unlike traditional email, Slack doesn't have a built-in "out of office auto-reply" feature in the classic sense. Instead, it offers several tools that work together to communicate your availability:

• • Custom status messages that display next to your name
• • Pause notifications to avoid disturbances during time off
• • Status scheduling to automate when your status changes
• • Workflow Builder for automated responses (on paid plans)
• • Third-party integrations that add auto-reply functionality

Understanding these options helps you choose the right approach for your situation.

Setting Your Slack Status to Out of Office

The simplest way to indicate you're away is by setting a custom status. This message appears next to your name throughout Slack, giving teammates immediate context about your availability.



Step-by-Step Instructions

• Click your profile picture in the top-right corner of Slack
• Select Update your status
• Choose a preset like "Vacationing" or create a custom message
• Pick an emoji that represents your situation (🌴, 🏖️, or ✈️ work well)
• Set a Clear after time so your status resets automatically
• Click Save


Writing an Effective Status Message

Your status has limited space, so make every character count. A good out of office status includes:

• • Your return date: "Back Jan 15"
• • Who to contact: "Ping @Sarah for urgent items"
• • Brief context: "On vacation - limited access"

Examples of effective status messages:

Status	When to Use
🏖️ OOO until Jan 20 - @Mike for urgent	Vacation with backup coverage
🏥 Medical leave - back next week	Health-related absence
✈️ At conference - slow replies	Partially available
🔕 Focus time until 3pm	Short-term unavailability

Pausing Slack Notifications

Setting a status is visible to others, but you'll still receive notifications unless you actively pause them. This step is essential for truly disconnecting during time off.

How to Pause Notifications

Click your profile picture

Select Pause notifications

Choose a duration: 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or until a specific time

For extended absences, select Custom and set an end date

When notifications are paused, Slack displays a "Notifications paused" indicator on your profile. Direct messages will show senders that you have notifications paused, prompting them to find alternative help if urgent.

Scheduling Do Not Disturb Hours

For regular out-of-office hours (like evenings and weekends), set up a recurring Do Not Disturb schedule:

Go to Preferences > Notifications

Under Notification schedule, define your working hours

Slack automatically pauses notifications outside these times

This ensures you're not disturbed during personal hours without manually pausing notifications each day.

Scheduling Status Changes in Advance

Planning ahead? Slack allows you to schedule status changes so your out of office message activates automatically when your time off begins.

Using Slack's Built-in Scheduling

Currently, Slack's native status scheduling is limited to the "Clear after" option, which removes your status after a set time. For more advanced scheduling, consider these approaches:

Option 1: Set your status the night before Update your status before leaving and set "Clear after" to your return date.

Option 2: Use Slack's Workflow Builder (Paid plans) Create a workflow triggered by a specific date/time that updates your status automatically.

Option 3: Third-party scheduling tools Apps like Clockwise or Reclaim can sync your calendar with Slack status, automatically showing you as out of office during blocked calendar events.

Creating Automated Out of Office Replies

For teams that need true auto-reply functionality—where Slack automatically responds to direct messages—there are several solutions available.

Using Workflow Builder for Auto-Replies

Slack's Workflow Builder (available on Pro, Business+, and Enterprise plans) can create automated responses:

Open Tools > Workflow Builder

Click Create Workflow

Choose From a link in Slack or When a message is posted

Add a Send a message step with your out of office response

Publish the workflow

Limitations: Standard workflow triggers don't automatically respond to all DMs. This approach works best for channel-based notifications or when you share a workflow link.

Third-Party Auto-Reply Apps

Several Slack apps provide genuine auto-reply functionality:

Popular options include:

• Out of Office Assistant: Sends automatic replies to DMs

• Vacation Responder: Schedules OOO periods with custom messages

• Slack Status Tools: Syncs calendar events with auto-responses

To install, visit the Slack App Directory, search for "out of office," and follow the setup instructions for your chosen app.

Best Practices for Slack Out of Office Messages

A thoughtful out of office setup prevents confusion and helps your team operate smoothly in your absence.

Before You Leave

Update your status with return date and emergency contact

Pause notifications for your entire absence

Inform key stakeholders directly about your time off

Set up auto-replies if available and appropriate for your role

Update your calendar so Slack integrations reflect your availability

Crafting Your Message

Keep your out of office message professional yet approachable:

• Be specific about dates: "Out Dec 23-Jan 2" beats "on holiday"

• Provide alternatives: Name a colleague who can help with urgent matters

• Set expectations: Clarify if you'll have limited access or none at all

• Keep it brief: Long messages get skimmed or ignored

What to Avoid

• Vague return times: "Back soon" leaves teammates guessing

• No backup contact: Forces people to wait or guess who to ask

• Overly detailed explanations: No one needs your full itinerary

• Forgetting to clear the status: An outdated OOO message confuses everyone

Managing Out of Office Across Multiple Workspaces

If you belong to several Slack workspaces, remember that status updates are workspace-specific. You'll need to update each workspace individually unless you use tools that sync across workspaces.

Tips for Multi-Workspace Users

• Use consistent messaging across workspaces for clarity

• Prioritize workspaces where your absence has the biggest impact

• Consider workspace-specific contacts for backup coverage

Some Enterprise Grid organizations can sync statuses across workspaces within the same organization—check with your Slack admin about available options.

Returning from Out of Office

Coming back to work involves more than clearing your status. A smooth return prevents the post-vacation message avalanche.

Steps for a Clean Return

Clear your status or let the automatic clearing handle it

Resume notifications if manually paused

Review important channels for mentions and key updates

Check direct messages and prioritize responses

Disable any auto-reply workflows you set up

Catching Up Efficiently

Use Slack's built-in features to catch up quickly:

• Threads view: See all conversations where you're mentioned

• Saved items: Review anything colleagues saved for your return

• Search filters: Find messages during your absence with "during:last_week"

• Channel summaries: Some paid plans offer AI-powered catch-up summaries

Alternatives When Standard Options Aren't Enough

Sometimes teams need more sophisticated out of office solutions than Slack provides natively.

Integrating with Calendar Apps

Connecting Google Calendar or Outlook to Slack provides automatic status updates based on your calendar events. When you block time for vacation, your Slack status reflects it automatically.

To connect your calendar:

Visit the Slack App Directory

Search for "Google Calendar" or "Outlook Calendar"

Install and authorize the app

Configure automatic status sync in the app settings

Custom Slackbot Responses

Workspace admins can configure Slackbot to respond to specific keywords. While not a true out of office solution, it can help direct people to resources when someone is away.

Enterprise Solutions

Larger organizations might consider:

• Custom integrations via Slack's API

• Third-party workforce management tools that sync with Slack

• SSO-connected status management for organization-wide visibility

Conclusion

While Slack doesn't offer a traditional out of office auto-reply like email, combining status updates, notification pausing, and available integrations creates an effective system for communicating your availability. The key is choosing the right combination of tools for your situation—a quick status update might suffice for a half-day absence, while extended leave might warrant automated replies and calendar integration.

Set your out of office message before you leave, clearly communicate your return date and backup contacts, and enjoy your time away knowing your team has the information they need.