⚡ Dynamically send out-of-office / vacation message using Gmail & Google Calendar
⚡ 117 views · ⚡ Personal Productivity
Description
What it Does
Automatically checks your Google Calendar to determine if you’re officially off work for the rest of today. If so, it auto-sends a personalized out‑of‑office reply via Gmail, telling senders when you’ll be back—based on your next calendar entry within the next 2 weeks.
Prerequisites
To use this template, you’ll need:
- Gmail credentials (for the trigger and reply nodes)
- Google Calendar credentials (for both calendar checks)
- A dedicated work calendar selected in the Calendar nodes
Workflow Logic
- Gmail Trigger
- Monitors incoming emails every minute
- Can be filtered (e.g., labels or VIP senders)
- Calendar Check #1
- Inspects if any events remain today
- Calendar Check #2
- If no remaining events, scan the next 14 days for the next event
- Function Node
- Formats the return date as Weekday, Month D, YYYY (e.g., “Thursday, July 24, 2025”)
- Gmail Send
- Sends a customized out‑of‑office email, using the formatted date
- Optionally includes n8n attribution (editable)
User Setup Instructions
- Gmail Trigger: Connect your Gmail account and add any desired filters (labels, senders).
- Google Calendar Nodes: Connect your calendar account and select your “work” calendar in both nodes.
- Function Node: No changes needed unless you prefer a different date format.
- Gmail Send Node: Edit the message template and toggle attribution as desired.
Customization - Options
Edit the final email content and tone in the Send node
- Adjust calendar lookahead in Calendar Check #2 (default is 14 days)
- Add Gmail filters to restrict auto-replies (e.g. only specific senders or labels)
Why It’s Useful
Ideal for freelancers, consultants, or remote workers who don’t follow a strict 9–5, yet want automated responses aligned with their actual availability, not a static setting. It’s dynamic, real-time, and easy to tweak.
Classification
Use Case: Calendar-driven out-of-office automation
Recommended audience: Business professionals, freelancers, remote employees
🔗 Nodes Used
Google Calendar, Gmail, Gmail Trigger
📥 Import
Download workflow.json and import into n8n:
Workflow menu → Import from File