How to Set Your Google Workspace Auto-Reply (Out of Office) – Pacific Debt

Applies To	All Pacific Debt Relief Employees
Platform	Google Workspace (Gmail)
Difficulty	Easy — 5 minutes or less
When to Use	Any planned PTO, sick time, or extended absence

Setting Your Auto-Reply (Desktop / Browser)

Open Gmail (mail.google.com) and sign in with your Pacific Debt Relief account.
Click the gear icon (⚙) in the top-right corner and select “See all settings.”
Scroll down to the “Vacation responder” section at the bottom of the General tab.
Select “Vacation responder on.”
Set your First day (the day your OOO begins) and Last day (your return date).
Enter a Subject line, for example: “Out of Office — Returning [DATE]”
Enter your auto-reply message in the body (see approved template below).
Check “Send a response to people in my Contacts only” if you want to limit replies to known contacts. Leave unchecked to reply to all senders.
Click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page.

✅ Tip: Setting a Last day ensures your auto-reply turns off automatically. Always set this so you don’t forget to disable it on your return.

Setting Your Auto-Reply (Gmail Mobile App)

Open the Gmail app on your phone.
Tap the three-line menu (☰) in the top-left corner.
Scroll down and tap “Settings.”
Select your Pacific Debt Relief email account.
Tap “Vacation responder.”
Toggle it on, set your dates, subject, and message body.
Tap “Done” to save.

⚠️ Note: If you are calling in sick and cannot access a desktop, use the mobile app to set your auto-reply as soon as possible. If you are unable to do so, notify your manager and they will coordinate.

Approved Auto-Reply Template

Use the following template for your auto-reply message. Customize the bracketed fields:

Subject: Out of Office — Returning [DATE]

Thank you for your message. I am currently out of the office and will return on [DATE].

For urgent matters, please contact [MANAGER NAME] at [MANAGER EMAIL] or our sales team at [SALES TEAM EMAIL].

I will respond as soon as possible upon my return.

Turning Off Your Auto-Reply

When you return to work, disable your auto-reply immediately:

Desktop: Gmail will show a yellow banner at the top that says “Vacation responder is on.” Click “End now.”
Mobile: Go to Settings > your account > Vacation responder and toggle it off.
If you set a Last day, it will turn off automatically at 11:59 PM on that date. However, best practice is to manually disable it on your first morning back.

Q: Do I need to set an auto-reply for a single sick day? A: Yes. Any time you are unavailable during business hours, an auto-reply should be active so clients and colleagues know you are out and who to contact.

Q: What if I can’t access Gmail to set it? A: Notify your manager immediately. They can coordinate with IT if needed for extended absences.

Q: Can I customize the template? A: Keep it professional and include all required elements (return date, alternate contact). Do not include personal details about why you are out.

Q: Does the auto-reply go to every email I receive? A: Gmail sends the auto-reply once to each sender every 4 days. It will not spam repeat senders.

Need Help?

If you experience any issues setting up your auto-reply, contact IT via the IT Support email: itsupport@pacificdebt.com or submit a ticket via pacificdebt.zendesk.com