How to Set Out of Office in Google Calendar

Quick answer: create a new item in Google Calendar, choose Out of office, set the start and end time, choose whether to automatically decline meetings, write a decline message, and save. Any covered invite can be declined with your message instead of sitting on your calendar unanswered.

This is different from a normal busy block. A normal event says you are busy. Out of office can actively reject meetings.

Last checked against Google Calendar Help on June 4, 2026.

What out of office does

Google Calendar’s out-of-office event type is designed for unavailable time. It can:

• Mark you unavailable
• Automatically decline meetings during that window
• Send a custom decline message
• Cover a few hours, a full day, or multiple days
• Repeat on a schedule

Google’s help docs note that if you decline meetings, organizers can see your decline message. That is the reason to write a clear one.

Set out of office on desktop

Open Google Calendar on a computer.

Click Create or click directly on the calendar.

Choose Out of office as the event type.

Set the start and end date/time.

Choose the meeting-decline behavior. Depending on your account and interface, Google may let you decline new meetings, existing meetings, or both.

Write the decline message.

Save the out-of-office block.

Use a message that tells people what to do next. For example: “I am out June 10-14 and will respond when I return. For urgent scheduling, contact Priya.”

Set out of office on mobile

Open the Google Calendar app.

Tap the create button.

Choose Out of office if it appears for your account.

Set the date and time.

Choose the auto-decline option.

Add your message.

Save.

If the mobile app does not show the out-of-office type, use Google Calendar on desktop. Some account types and interfaces expose more options on the web.

Use it for recurring no-meeting time

Out of office is not only for vacation.

You can create recurring blocks for:

• No-meeting afternoons
• Regular focus windows
• School pickup
• Commute boundaries
• Recovery time after night shifts
• Weekly admin or planning time

If you use recurring out-of-office blocks for focus time, be thoughtful with the decline message. “Unavailable for focus work; please book before 1pm” is clearer than a vague “OOO.”

For a softer version that protects space without auto-declining, see weekly time block planning. For recovery spacing, see what buffer time is.

Out of office vs busy vs focus time

Event type	Best for	Auto-declines meetings?
Normal event/busy block	Personal holds, appointments, generic unavailable time	No
Out of office	Vacation, hard unavailable time, no-meeting windows	Yes, when enabled
Focus time	Protected work blocks, depending on account features	Depends on account/settings

Use out of office when the answer should be no by default.

Use a normal busy block when you want people to see you are occupied but still allow exceptions.

What invitees see

When someone sends an invite that overlaps your out-of-office block, Google Calendar can decline it and show your custom message.

That message should answer the obvious follow-up:

• When are you back?
• Should they reschedule?
• Is there another contact?
• Is this a recurring no-meeting block?

Good examples:

• “Out today for PTO. Please book after June 7.”
• “No meetings after 2pm Fridays. Please choose a morning slot.”
• “Unavailable during school pickup. I can meet before 3pm or after 4:30pm.”

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Meetings are not auto-declining	Decline option was not enabled	Edit the out-of-office block and check decline settings.
Existing meetings remain	You only declined new meetings	Update the option or manually handle existing meetings.
Out-of-office type is missing	Account or app version limitation	Try desktop Google Calendar or check Workspace settings.
People keep booking around it	Message is unclear or calendar sharing is limited	Make the message explicit and verify calendar visibility.
You blocked too much time	Recurrence is too broad	Edit this and following events in the series.

Make time off real

Out-of-office blocks are useful because they reduce negotiation. Instead of personally defending every unavailable hour, the calendar does it.

LifeLoad looks at the same problem from the load side. Time away, focus time, and recovery only work if the calendar protects them before they are consumed by meetings. Out of office is one of the simplest tools for making that protection visible.

Sources

• Google Calendar Help: show when you are out of office