Automated Recurring Out of Office Reply in Gmail

Introduction

In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of setting up an automated recurring out-of-office reply in Gmail. While you may already be familiar with Gmail’s out-of-office setting for one-time auto-replies during vacations or sick leave, what if you could make this feature even more powerful? Imagine using it to establish a recurring out-of-office reply that automatically notifies contacts when you're unavailable on a specific day, every Wednesday or outside your regular working hours. It’s like setting business hours for Gmail.

However, unlike Google Calendar, which offers a built-in business hours feature, Gmail lacks a native option to auto-respond during off hours. That’s where Foresight steps in. In this article, we’ll show you how to leverage Foresight to fully automate after-hours email responses, ensuring your customers or partners receive timely updates and instructions—even when you're away from your inbox.

Introducing xFanatical Foresight Automation tool

xFanatical Foresight Automation tool is a powerful automation tool designed to streamline your workflow by automating repetitive tasks. It integrates seamlessly with Gmail, allowing you to schedule and send recurring emails with ease. With xFanatical Foresight, you can create customized email templates, set specific sending intervals, and ensure that your emails are sent out on time, every time.

Rule Creation Instructions

1. Log in to your xFanatical Foresight account with your Google Admin account. 
2. Go to the Rules page and click the New Rule button.
3. Select the Recurring times trigger from the select a trigger screen.
   1. Select an initial time to start the automation. This will be the first time Foresight automatically turns on the out-of-office (OOO) reply for you.
   2. Set the recurring schedule based on how often you want to activate out-of-office (OOO) in Gmail:
      1. If you activate out-of-office once a week, repeat every 1 week.
      2. If you activate out-of-office multiple times a week, repeat daily.
   3. (Optional) Set an end time for the recurring automation.
      
4. Next, you may need to grant permission to xFanatical Foresight in the Google Workspace account. Once the permission is successfully granted, you will see the status as Access granted. Note: since it’s an Administrative rule, in addition to grant access permissions, you also have to set Admin API enabled in Admin Console. Otherwise, this rule will fail by the time it runs.
5. Click Next.
6. On the Select an action screen, select the Update vacation responder action, if your out-of-office schedule is regular and simple.
7. If your OOO schedule is irregular, select If action to configure different responses based on predefined conditions.
8. In the Edit actions screen, configure the out-of-office schedule using different branches.
9. A branch for Monday to Thursday at 5 pm.
10. A branch for Friday at 5 pm.
11. A fallback branch for Saturday and Sunday.
12. Then select Update vacation responder as Add Action for each branch.
13. In the Start vacation at field, select the variable icon and choose Current Datetime.
14. In the End vacation field, select After and configure the duration for OOO mode to stay active. For example:
    1. For Monday to Thursday, set OOO mode to expire 3 days later (e.g., from 5 pm to 9 am the next day).
    2. For Friday at 5 pm, set OOO mode to expire in 3 days (e.g., from Friday 5 pm to Monday 9 am).
15. Edit the Subject and fill in the Response body.
16. (Optional) Select checkboxes for sending responses only to people in your contacts or domain.
17. Click Review.
18. Enter the Rule name, click Create.

Rule Trigger 

Trigger the rule by uploading templates CSV file.

Result Verification

1. Look for the notification in the top right-hand corner and click on it.
2. Then, check the Logs page for details.

Conclusion

In conclusion, automating recurring out-of-office replies in Gmail with Foresight can greatly enhance your productivity and customer communication. By setting up custom rules, you ensure that emails sent after working hours or on specific days receive prompt, informative responses—without the need for manual intervention. This goes beyond the traditional out-of-office feature, giving you flexibility similar to business hour settings in Google Calendar.

Try a 14-day free trial with Foresight and manage your tasks. For more article please visit our website: Articles