How to Set a Slack Out-of-Office Status
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner of Slack (desktop or web).
- Click Update your status.
- Type your OOO message in the text field (e.g. "On annual leave — back June 3").
- Click the emoji picker and choose something that signals absence — 🌴 (palm tree), ✈️ (airplane), 🏖️ (beach), or 🗓️ (calendar) all work well.
- Click the expiry dropdown (it defaults to "Don't clear") and choose Custom.
- Set the date and time you plan to return — Slack will clear the status at that point automatically.
- Click Save.
On mobile: tap your avatar → Status → set text, emoji, and expiry the same way.
Best Slack OOO Status Messages for 2026
A good OOO status message does two things: tells people you're gone, and tells them when you'll be back (or who to contact). Here are templates across different scenarios:
🌴 On leave until June 9. Back on June 10. For urgent matters ping @[teammate].
Covers the essential: gone, returning when, escalation path.
🤧 Out sick today — back tomorrow. Will catch up on messages then.
Sets expectations without oversharing.
✈️ At [Conference Name] May 27–29. Slow on Slack — email for urgent.
Explains the absence type and gives an alternate channel.
👶 On parental leave until August 1. [Name] is covering — reach them at @[handle].
Clear hand-off, no ambiguity about coverage.
🗓️ Public holiday today (NZ). Back tomorrow as usual.
Helpful for globally distributed teams in different time zones.
🎧 In a focus block until 3pm. Slow to respond — DM for urgent only.
Not strictly OOO, but the same pattern for heads-down time.
OOO Status vs Slack Snooze: What's the Difference?
| Feature | Custom OOO Status | Notification Snooze |
|---|---|---|
| Visible to teammates | Yes — status text + emoji | Crescent moon icon only |
| Communicates return date | Yes — in your status text | No |
| Silences notifications | No | Yes — up to a week |
| Clears automatically | Yes — set a custom date | Yes — at scheduled end |
| Best for multi-day absence | Yes | Partial (max 1 week) |
For a proper vacation, combine both: set an OOO custom status and snooze notifications. The status handles communication; the snooze handles your sanity.
Does Slack Have an Auto-Reply for OOO?
Not natively. Slack doesn't send automatic DM replies the way email clients do. What you can do instead:
- Rely on your status message — before anyone sends you a message, they'll see your OOO status in the compose window. Many people will read it and not send the message, or send it knowing you won't respond until you're back.
- Use Slack Workflow Builder — on paid plans, you can build a workflow triggered by a direct message to your account that sends an automated reply. It requires setup before you leave but works well for longer absences.
- Set a channel post — post a message in your team's main channel before going on leave, noting dates and coverage.
Setting Up OOO Status from Mobile
If you're updating your status from your phone the morning you leave:
- Tap your avatar in the top left (or bottom right on iOS).
- Tap Set a status.
- Type your message, select an emoji, and tap the expiry option.
- Choose Choose date & time and set your return date.
- Tap Save.
Pro tip: once you've created a good OOO status once, Slack saves it as a suggestion so future vacations take three taps instead of writing it from scratch.
What Happens to Your Slack Presence While You're OOO
Setting a status doesn't affect your presence dot. While you're away from Slack:
- You'll appear Away after 10 minutes of no activity (grey dot).
- You'll appear Offline after extended inactivity or when your device is fully disconnected.
- Your OOO status text will appear next to your name in the compose window — so teammates see it before messaging you.
This is the right behaviour for a genuine absence. The Away or Offline state combined with an OOO status is a clear signal that no response is expected. The only time you'd want to keep the green dot lit during an OOO period is if you need to appear available despite being away — for example, if you're checking in briefly each day and want to maintain continuity. In that case, a cloud presence tool can maintain your Available state on a schedule.