Gmail, Outlook and Slack each handle being away differently: Gmail and Outlook send a real automatic reply, while Slack shows a status and, in channels, a private note. If you work across all three, you need to set each one, because none of them copies your setting to the others. Below are the steps, the limits and the one tool that writes the text for you.
How do Gmail, Outlook and Slack compare when you are away?
Gmail and Outlook on the web send an automatic reply to people who email you, Slack does not reply in direct messages, and of the three only Outlook's page describes blocking your calendar. The table was built on October 27, 2026 from Google Gmail Help, Microsoft Support and the Slack help center.
| Feature | Gmail | Outlook on the web | Slack |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it sends | Automatic email reply | Automatic email reply | Status; private note when mentioned in a channel |
| Where to set it | Settings, See all settings, General | Settings, Accounts, Automatic replies | Profile picture menu, status field |
| Start and end | First day 12:00 AM to last day 11:59 PM | Optional time period; otherwise stays on | Choose when the status clears |
| Repeat replies to one sender | Once, again after four days or after an edit | Once per person while you are away | Not applicable |
| Limit to contacts or outside senders | Contacts-only checkbox | Option to reply outside your organization | Not applicable |
| Pauses notifications | Not described | Not described | Optional Pause notifications box |
| Blocks or declines meetings | Not described | Three calendar options | Not applicable |
| Sets itself from your calendar | Not described | Not described | Out of office sync, Enterprise plans |
How do you turn on the Gmail vacation responder?
Open Settings, choose See all settings and stay on the General tab. Turn on the vacation responder, enter the dates, a subject and your message, and click Save Changes. Gmail Help, which we read on October 27, 2026, lists an optional checkbox under the message to send replies only to your contacts, and shows your signature below the reply if you have one.
The timing is exact: the reply starts at 12:00 AM on the start date and ends at 11:59 PM on the end date. Gmail sends the reply once to most senders. It sends it again to the same sender if they write after four days while it is still on, or if you edit the reply. Gmail Help also says messages sent to a spam folder or to a mailing list you subscribe to do not get your reply.
How do you set automatic replies in Outlook?
In Outlook on the web, select Settings, then Accounts, then Automatic replies, and turn on the toggle. Choose Send replies only during a time period if you want it to end by itself, type the message and select Save. Microsoft Support, which we read on October 27, 2026, says that without a time period the reply stays on until you turn it off.
Outlook adds three calendar options that the Gmail help page does not mention: block your calendar for the period, automatically decline new invitations, or decline and cancel your meetings in that period. A separate checkbox sends the reply to people outside your organization. Microsoft says the message is sent only once to each person who writes while you are away. The classic Outlook for Windows and Mac steps differ, so check the Microsoft page for your version.
What does Slack do instead of an auto-reply?
Slack shows an out of office status instead of replying to direct messages. In the status field you choose the out of office option, pick when it clears under Remove status after, and optionally add a message that appears on your profile and when someone mentions you in a channel. The Slack help center, which we read on October 27, 2026, says the mention triggers a private message to the sender with your status details, and in a direct message your status shows above the message field.
In Slack, two settings matter for a founder who cannot afford to be pinged on holiday. The Pause notifications box turns off notifications until your status clears. Calendar sync, which sets the status when an out of office event starts in Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar, is listed as available on Enterprise plans. Slack's updates page also lists scheduled statuses (July 2026) and focus mode that follows your Google calendar (September 2026).
What should the message say?
Say when you are back, whether you read mail while away, and who to contact instead. Those three lines cover what a sender needs. The free out of office message tool builds the text from an occasion (vacation, holidays, conference, parental leave, sick leave or sabbatical), your dates, a tone (warm, neutral or short) and a choice between not reading email and checking it now and then. The tool adds a colleague to contact if you enter one, writes in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese, and runs in your browser, so nothing you type leaves the page.
What happens to everything that arrived while you were away?
The auto-reply only handles the sender. Your inbox, Slack and Teams still fill up, and the first morning back is where the backlog bites. Nolario pulls Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, Slack, Teams and Google Calendar into one feed and scores each item from 0 to 100 with the reasons, so the item that needs you is on top. It does not switch on the auto-reply for you and it never sends a message; you review the drafts it prepares in your voice. For the routine around this, see how to triage 200 messages a day, how to track sent emails nobody has answered and how to check Gmail, Slack and Teams without missing a client. See also the integrations and pricing pages.
Limits of this guide and of Nolario
We covered Gmail on the web, Outlook on the web and Slack. Microsoft Teams, classic Outlook for Windows and Mac, and Slack plans other than those named were not checked for this article. Nolario is a desktop web app with no mobile app, has no shared inbox or assignment, and access is by waitlist.
