Set up an away message for Gmail

This article first appeared on January 24th, 2012.

If you’re on leave then you’ve probably familiarised yourself with the automatic response feature on your email client. However, many Gmail users don’t realise this feature is also available in Google’s free email service.

To set up an away message, head to the settings menu by clicking on the little gear in the top-right corner of the inbox.

There, on the front page, you’ll see a “vacation responder” down the bottom. First, turn it on, then select the date from which you would like the responder to begin, and when you would like it to end.

Then, put a subject line and then a message. When you turn it on, it’ll work exactly like the responder in your normal email client.