Workplace writing · Free builder and reference
Out of office message builder and workplace email guide
Write an out-of-office message you can copy, then review email sign-offs, how to end an email, cc vs bcc and active listening skills, with practice questions at the end. Free, nothing you type is saved or sent, no sign-up needed.
- Message builder: copy it
- Sign-offs, cc vs bcc, signatures
- Active listening skills
- No sign-up needed
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1 · Out-of-office message builder
Write an out-of-office message
Choose your situation, type the date you are back and a colleague to contact, and the message and subject line fill in. Free, nothing you type is saved or sent.
Subject
Out of Office Until DATE
Message
Thank you for your message. I am out of the office with limited access to email and will return on [DATE]. I will reply to your message within two business days of my return. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL].
Does it say the four things senders need?
- That you are away: included
- When you will return: missing, fill in the form (fill in the form)
- When a reply can be expected: included
- Who to contact for urgent matters: missing, fill in the form (fill in the form)
What a good message says
- That you are away. One plain sentence: you are out of the office.
- When you will return. Give the date you are back, and put it in the subject line too.
- When a reply can be expected. Say how soon senders will hear back once you return.
- Who to contact for urgent matters. Name a colleague and a work email address, where there is someone who can help.
What to leave out
- Personal details about the absence, such as travel plans or the dates you are out of the country.
- Personal contact details: a home address or home phone number.
- Anything long. Keep it concise, helpful and easy to understand.
Subject line patterns
- Out of Office Until DATE
- Out of Office DATE Through DATE
- Automatic Reply: Out of Office Until DATE
2 · Email sign-offs
Email sign-offs from the writing centers
The closings that university writing centers list, with the page each comes from. Follow your workplace’s own habits first, and put your name under whichever you choose.
Best
Listed by both. Followed by your name.
Listed by: Purdue OWL, Boise State
Sincerely
Listed by both. Followed by your name.
Listed by: Purdue OWL, Boise State
Thanks
Listed with “best” and “sincerely”, followed by your name.
Listed by: Purdue OWL
Thank you
Thanking someone for their time and help is common courtesy.
Listed by: Tufts Career Center
Regards
Listed among its example closings.
Listed by: Boise State
Kindly
Listed among its example closings.
Listed by: Boise State
Warm regards
Listed among its example closings (Boise State prints it “Warm regard”).
Listed by: Boise State
Looking forward to meeting
A closing line that points to the next step.
Listed by: Boise State
Please contact me for additional help
A closing line that invites a reply.
Listed by: Boise State
3 · Cc vs bcc
Cc vs bcc, and when to reply all
Who sees what in each field, and a short routine before you press Reply All.
| Field | Who goes here | Who sees the address | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| To | The people the message is for. | Everyone on the message sees the address. | The main recipients. |
| Cc | A recipient who gets a copy but is not the primary recipient. | Everyone on the message sees the address. | Keeping someone aware of what the email says. |
| Bcc | A recipient who gets the message without the others seeing the address. | Bcc recipients do not see each other and do not receive later replies. | Newsletters, broad announcements, large mailing lists, or emails that do not need responses. |
Before you press Reply All
- Look at the To field before you send.
- Use Reply All only if everyone on the list should receive your reply.
- If your answer concerns one person, start a new email to that person.
- If you were bcc’d, do not use Reply All: it shows everyone on To and Cc that you were bcc’d.
4 · Ending an email
How to end an email, and what goes in a signature
Four moves at the bottom of a message, then the signature lines under your name.
Step 1
Say what happens next
State what you need, when you need it, or what will happen next. Give a deadline and a way to reach you where it helps.
Step 2
Put it before the closing
The next step comes before the sign-off, not after your name.
Step 3
Thank the reader if they helped
Thanking someone for their time and help is common courtesy.
Step 4
Add a sign-off and your name
A short closing such as Best or Sincerely, then your name. Your name is the minimum.
A signature, top to bottom
- 1. Name
- 2. Position or title
- 3. Company or group
- 4. Phone and/or email
- 5. Mailing address, if relevant
- Name at the very minimum.
- Include a preferred email address and phone number so the reader can reach you.
- For a student signature, Tufts advises 3 or 4 lines separated with colons or pipes.
- Avoid fancy fonts, colors, graphics and inspirational quotes (Tufts).
Examples (made-up names)
Dana WhitfieldScheduling CoordinatorHarbor Street Clinic555-0142 | dwhitfield@example.org
Marcus BellVolunteer Lead, Riverside Food Pantry555-0178 | mbell@example.org
Priya Raman | Evening Business Programpraman@example.org | 555-0119
5 · Active listening
Active listening skills
The listening skills that college writing and communication pages name, with a phrase you can use for each.
Paraphrasing
Restating the speaker’s thought in your own words, so they can confirm or correct your understanding. It restates the content of the message, not the feelings.
- “It sounds like you’re saying that the schedule has to change.”
- “It seems like the main issue is the deadline.”
From: Highline, MIT
Clarifying
Asking questions to make sure you understand what the speaker means. Open-ended questions about vague words work well.
- “Can you give me an example of that?”
- “Could you clarify what you mean by “soon”?”
- “Are you saying the report is late?”
From: Highline, MIT
Summarizing
Briefly stating the speaker’s main intent or key ideas, often at the end of a conversation.
- “I think the main ideas here are the deadline and who owns the draft.”
From: Highline, MIT
Reflecting
Restating the emotional tone of a message, which paraphrasing does not cover. Nonverbal cues such as posture, facial expression and voice quality are often a better guide to how someone feels than their words.
- “It sounds like that was frustrating.”
From: MIT
Showing you are listening
Body language such as nodding, eye contact or leaning in shows you are engaged without interrupting. Do not rely on a single cue: a furrowed brow can mean confusion or disagreement.
From: Highline
What gets in the way
- Low concentration: distractions, stress or lack of interest pull your attention away.
- Weighing everything equally, so the key points are hard to keep.
- Forming an opinion before the speaker has finished.
- Focusing on style, such as accent or delivery, rather than the message.
6 · Workplace phrases
Two phrases you will hear
Plain meanings for two common phrases in work email.
Touch base
Make brief contact to check in or share an update.
“Let’s touch base on Thursday about the schedule.”
Loop someone in
Add a person to a conversation so they can follow it.
“I will loop Marcus in so he sees the thread.”
7 · Practice questions
12 practice questions
Out-of-office messages, cc and bcc, ending an email and active listening, one question at a time. Every answer is explained. Your result is free: no sign-up needed.
Question 1 of 12
Which of these belongs in an out-of-office message?
Bonus · unlocks with your email
Eight out-of-office templates and a printable cheat sheet
- Eight out-of-office templates with a subject line and message each, ready to copy and fill in: limited email access, no email access, a work event, an office closing, a colleague covering, and messages for people inside and outside your organization.
- A printable cheat sheet with the out-of-office checklist, cc vs bcc, the sign-offs, signature order and listening skills from this page, laid out for print with no header, footer or sign-up box.
Enter your email in the box above and the bonus opens right here, and stays open on this browser.
Sources
Where the advice comes from
Everything here is written in our own words from these public pages, except the two plain-meaning phrases, which come from everyday usage. Your workplace may have its own style; follow it over these tips.
- Adelphi University: Email guidelines (out-of-office best practices and subject lines; ending with a clear next step)
- University of Liverpool IT Services: Out-of-Office Message (what to include and leave out)
- Purdue Online Writing Lab: Email Etiquette (greeting, closing, reply all, tone)
- Boise State Writing Center: Professional Email Guide (closings, signature order, cc and bcc, call to action)
- Tufts Career Center: Professional Email Etiquette (closing, signature length and content)
- University of Maryland Facilities Management: 3 Tips to Avoid the Dreaded Reply All (cc, bcc, reply all)
- Highline College Writing Center: Effective Listening Skills (paraphrasing, clarifying, summarizing, barriers)
- MIT Collaboration Toolbox: Communication, listening responses (clarifying, paraphrase, reflection, summarizing)
More free tools: the business letter format guide, for letters, memos and the email comparison.
Questions
Common questions
That you are away, when you will return, when senders can expect a reply, and who to contact for urgent matters. Keep it brief and put the return date in the subject line, for example “Out of Office Until” and the date. Leave out personal details such as travel plans, and do not give a home address or home phone number.
Everyone on the message sees the people on the To and Cc lines; a cc recipient gets a copy but is not the primary recipient. Bcc recipients do not see each other on the original email and do not receive later replies, which is why bcc suits newsletters, broad announcements and large mailing lists.
Only when everyone on the message should receive your reply. Check the To field before you send, and if your answer concerns one person, start a new email to that person.
Say what you need, by when, or what happens next, and put that before the closing. Then add a short sign-off such as Best or Sincerely, followed by your name, and a signature with your title and a way to reach you if it helps.
No. What you type stays in your browser until you leave the page; nothing is sent anywhere or stored. Copy the message into your email program’s automatic reply setting. The only thing you can send from this page is the email address for the bonus, if you choose to enter it.
Yes. The builder, the reference sections and the practice questions need no sign-up. An email unlocks the bonus: eight out-of-office templates to copy and a printable cheat sheet, which open on this page right away and stay open on this browser.