Out-of-office and auto-reply email templates
Ready-to-use British-English auto-acknowledgement and out-of-office templates for the times nobody is at the inbox: out of hours, bank holidays, a sudden surge of messages, and the simple we-have-received-your-message reply. Copy any of them and adapt, set a response window you can actually meet, and swap the placeholders for your own details before they send.
How to use these
A good auto-reply confirms, sets a time, and points the way
An auto-reply is the one support message you write once and let send itself, so it has to earn its keep without anyone checking it first. The job is narrow: tell the customer their email arrived, give a realistic time for a human reply in your real business hours, and offer one clear next step for anything that truly cannot wait.
Every template below is written in plain British English with a calm, specific tone. Where a detail changes from inbox to inbox you will see a placeholder in square brackets, such as [customer name], [reopening date], [response window] or [urgent phone line]. Those brackets are a writing convention that shows where your own information goes. They are not a Solves feature and they will not fill themselves in, so read each template through and replace every bracket before it goes live.
Two habits keep auto-replies honest. First, only promise a response window you can meet on your worst day, not your best: a realistic next working day beats a cheerful within the hour that you miss. Second, keep the urgent route real. If you offer a phone number or an emergency contact, make sure someone is genuinely there, otherwise leave it out.
Set your real business hours and bank holidays
Auto-replies live or die on the dates inside them. Decide your support hours (for many UK teams that is Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) and note the bank holidays where your team works. England and Wales have eight bank holidays in 2026: New Year's Day on 1 January, Good Friday on 3 April, Easter Monday on 6 April, the early May holiday on 4 May, the spring holiday on 25 May, the summer holiday on 31 August, Christmas Day on 25 December and the Boxing Day holiday on 28 December. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ, so use the dates for wherever your team actually works and update them each year.
These templates pair naturally with the way Solves measures time. Solves does not yet send scheduled out-of-hours auto-responders for you, so a true unattended auto-reply is still configured on your mail provider. What Solves adds is first-response and resolution SLA timers, with per-brand targets and a breaching view that surfaces overdue tickets, so the response window you write into an auto-reply is the same window your reports hold you to.
The templates
Pick the moment, copy the words
Four scenarios, each with ready-to-use copy and a short note on tone.
Out of hours
Evenings, weekends and anything outside your support hours, with the next working day made clear.
Bank holiday
A dated auto-reply that names the holiday and the day you reopen.
High volume
For a surge of messages, when replies are slower than usual and honesty beats silence.
Message received
The simple, always-on acknowledgement that confirms an email landed safely.
Scenario 1
Out of hours
For messages that arrive in the evening, at the weekend, or any time outside your support hours. The aim is to reassure without pretending anyone is reading right now.
Template: standard out-of-hours reply
Subject: We've got your message (currently out of hours) Hello [customer name], Thank you for getting in touch. You've reached us outside our support hours, so nobody is at the inbox right now, but your message is safely in the queue and we have not lost it. Our support hours are [support hours, for example Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm UK time]. We'll reply to you by [response window, for example the end of the next working day] at the latest, and usually sooner. If your enquiry is about [urgent topic, for example a live order or an account you cannot access], reply to this email with the word URGENT in the subject and we'll prioritise it when we're back. Thanks for your patience. Best wishes, [brand name] support team
Tone: warm but matter-of-fact. The key move is naming your hours and a concrete response window in the same breath, so the customer knows exactly when to expect a human. Only offer the URGENT route if you will genuinely watch for it.
Template: out-of-hours reply with a self-serve next step
Subject: Thanks for your email, we're back [reopening time] Hi [customer name], Thanks for writing in. Our team is offline at the moment, but your message is in the queue and we'll get to it as soon as we're back, which is [reopening time, for example 9am tomorrow]. In the meantime, a few things you may be able to sort straight away: - Track or amend an order: [self-serve link or instruction] - Reset a password or sign-in: [self-serve link or instruction] - Common questions and answers: [help page or instruction] If none of those fit, no problem at all. Leave your message with us and we'll reply by [response window]. Kind regards, [brand name]
Tone: helpful and light on apology. This version suits teams with a few genuine self-serve options. Keep the list short, three at most, and make sure every link or instruction actually works before you set it live.
Scenario 2
Bank holiday
For UK bank holidays and other planned closures, when a same-day reply is not realistic. Always name the date and the day you reopen, then adjust your response window to match.
Template: bank holiday auto-reply
Subject: We're closed for the [holiday name] bank holiday Hello [customer name], Thank you for your message. Our support team is closed today for the [holiday name] bank holiday on [holiday date], so replies will be slower than usual. We reopen on [reopening date, for example Tuesday] and will work through messages in the order they arrived. You can expect a reply from us by [response window, for example the end of [reopening date]]. Your email is safely in the queue, so there's no need to send it again. If anything is genuinely time-critical, [urgent next step, for example reply with URGENT in the subject and we'll triage it first when we're back]. Thanks for your patience over the break. Best wishes, [brand name] support team
Tone: calm and clear, with the closure dates doing the work. Naming the holiday and the reopening date removes the guesswork that makes people resend or chase. Set this one a day or two ahead so it is live before the holiday starts.
Template: long weekend or extended closure
Subject: Quick note: our support team is away until [reopening date] Hi [customer name], Thanks for getting in touch. We're away from the inbox over the [period, for example late May bank holiday weekend] and will be back on [reopening date]. We'll reply to your message as soon as we can after we return, and by [response window] at the latest. There's no need to resend, as everything that arrives is kept in order. If you need an answer before then, [self-serve or urgent option, for example our common questions page may help: [link or instruction]]. We appreciate your patience and look forward to helping when we're back. Kind regards, [brand name]
Tone: relaxed and reassuring, suited to a planned multi-day break such as a long bank holiday weekend or a seasonal closure. Spell out the full away period and the return date so nobody is left guessing whether you are open.
Keep your dates current
Bank holiday dates change every year and differ across England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Set the dates in these templates to wherever your team actually works, and review them at the start of each year so an out-of-date closure note never goes out.
Scenario 3
High volume
For a surge of messages, after a product issue, a busy sale, or a backlog, when replies are genuinely slower than your usual standard. Honesty here protects trust far better than silence.
Template: higher-than-usual volume
Subject: We've got your message (replies are a little slower right now) Hello [customer name], Thank you for your email, which has reached us and is in the queue. We're dealing with a higher number of messages than usual at the moment, so our replies are taking a bit longer than we'd like. We're currently replying within [realistic response window, for example two working days] and we're working through everything in the order it arrived. There's no need to send your message again, as that only adds to the queue. We're sorry for the wait and we'll be with you as soon as we can. Best wishes, [brand name] support team
Tone: honest and apologetic without panic. The single most useful line is the realistic response window: stretch it to what you can actually meet while busy. Asking people not to resend genuinely helps, because duplicates make the backlog worse.
Template: known incident causing the backlog
Subject: Thanks for your patience while we work through a busy spell Hi [customer name], Thanks for writing in. You may have reached us during [brief, honest reason, for example a recent issue with [affected area]], which has meant a lot more messages than usual and slower replies from us. Here's where things stand: - Your message is in the queue and we have it. Please don't resend. - We're replying within [realistic response window] and catching up steadily. - If there's a wider update on [affected area], you'll find it here: [status or update link or instruction]. We know waiting is frustrating and we're grateful for your patience. We'll get to your message as soon as we can. Kind regards, [brand name]
Tone: transparent and accountable. Use this when a specific, nameable cause is driving the surge. Keep the reason brief and factual, never defensive, and only link a status update if one really exists and stays current.
Scenario 4
We have received your message
The simple, always-on acknowledgement that fires the moment an email arrives, whatever the hour. It confirms the message landed and sets a default expectation, so it needs to be short and dependable.
Template: standard message-received acknowledgement
Subject: Thanks, we've received your message Hello [customer name], Thank you for getting in touch with [brand name]. This is a quick automatic note to let you know your message has arrived safely and is in our queue. We aim to reply within [response window, for example one working day] during our support hours, which are [support hours]. There's no need to reply to this message or send your enquiry again. We'll be in touch soon. Best wishes, [brand name] support team
Tone: brief, warm and reliable. This is the workhorse acknowledgement, so resist padding it. One confirmation, one response window, one reassurance that they need not resend. If it includes a ticket or reference number, mention where to find it.
Template: acknowledgement with a reference number
Subject: We've received your message [reference number] Hi [customer name], Thanks for contacting [brand name]. We've logged your message under reference [reference number], so please quote that if you need to follow up. A member of the team will reply within [response window] during our support hours of [support hours]. Everything you've sent is with us, so there's no need to send it again. If you have anything to add in the meantime, just reply to this email and it will join the same conversation. Kind regards, [brand name]
Tone: organised and reassuring. The reference number is the difference here: it gives the customer something concrete to hold and makes follow-ups easy to match up. Tell them that replying keeps everything in one thread so they do not start a second one.
Make them yours
Three quick adjustments before you set any of these live
- Set a response window you can meet on a busy day, not a quiet one, then make sure your SLA target matches the same number.
- Replace every square-bracket placeholder, and double-check the dates, hours and any phone number or link actually work.
- Send the auto-reply to yourself first. Reading it as a customer would catches stiff phrasing and any bracket you missed.
Once a template earns its place, save the wording so you are not rewriting it next quarter. Solves ships saved replies, so the high-volume and message-received versions in particular make excellent saved replies an agent can drop into a ticket in a click. The bank holiday and out-of-hours versions usually live on your mail provider as scheduled auto-responders, with Solves keeping the response time honest through first-response and resolution SLA timers and a breaching view that surfaces overdue tickets.
FAQ
Out-of-office template questions
What is an out-of-office auto-reply for support email?
An out-of-office auto-reply is an automatic message that goes back to anyone who emails your support address while your team is away or after hours. It confirms the message arrived, sets a realistic time for a human reply, and points the customer to anything urgent they can do in the meantime. Done well, it buys you time without leaving the customer wondering whether their email vanished.
What should an auto-acknowledgement actually say?
Keep it short and honest: confirm you have received the message, give a realistic response window in your real business hours, and offer one clear next step for anything that genuinely cannot wait. Avoid promises you cannot keep, do not bury the reply time, and never imply a human is reading it right now if nobody is. A calm, specific acknowledgement reassures far more than a cheery one that says nothing.
How do bank holidays affect support response times?
On a UK bank holiday your team is usually off, so a same-day reply is not realistic and your auto-reply should say so. Name the holiday, say when you reopen, and adjust the response window accordingly. England and Wales have eight bank holidays in 2026, including Good Friday on 3 April, Easter Monday on 6 April, the early May holiday on 4 May, the spring holiday on 25 May, the summer holiday on 31 August, and Christmas. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ, so set your dates to wherever your team actually works.
Will these templates fill in the placeholders for me?
No. Square-bracket placeholders such as [customer name], [reopening date] or [response window] mark the details you replace before the message goes out. They are a writing convention, not software, and they will not fill themselves in. For an auto-reply this matters even more than usual, because nobody is checking it before it sends, so read every template through and replace every bracket first.
Can I save these as auto-replies in Solves?
You can save any of these as Solves saved replies and drop them into a ticket in a click, which is ideal for the high-volume and we-have-received-your-message wording an agent sends by hand. Solves does not yet run scheduled out-of-hours auto-responders for you, so a true unattended auto-reply is still set on your mail provider or mailbox. What Solves does give you is a queue that never loses a message and first-response and resolution SLA timers, with a breaching view that surfaces overdue tickets, so the reply time you promise is the reply time you measure.
Save these as Solves saved replies
Copy any template and adapt, then store the ones your team sends most as Solves saved replies so the wording stays consistent. First-response and resolution SLA timers, with a breaching view that surfaces overdue tickets, mean the response time you promise is the one you measure. Start at £29.