Away and offline messages: 30 examples for chat and email

An away message is what customers read when nobody can answer right now – in the evening, at the weekend, over the holidays or when the whole team is busy. A good offline message does three things: it says you're not there, tells people when they'll hear back, and gives them a way to get help in the meantime.

Below are 30 examples you can copy for live chat and email, sorted by situation, followed by tips on setting up after-hours support so customers aren't left waiting.

What a good away message contains

Every example below follows the same checklist:

1. Honest status: "We're offline right now" – not a vague "We'll get back to you soon".
2. A concrete time: "tomorrow from 9 a.m.", "on Monday", "within one business day".
3. The next step: leave your email, read the help center, or – if urgent – another channel.
4. Your tone: an away message is still a message from you. Keep it in your brand's voice.

Keep chat messages short – two or three sentences. Email auto-replies can be a little longer, because people read them in their inbox, not in a small window.

Live chat: after hours (examples 1–8)

1. "Hi! We're offline for the day, but leave your question here – we'll reply tomorrow from 9 a.m., by email if you've left by then."
2. "Our team is back at 8 a.m. Drop us a message and your email, and you'll have an answer first thing in the morning."
3. "We've closed up for today 🌙 Write us anyway – we read every message and reply on the next business day."
4. "Nobody's here right now, but your message isn't lost. Leave your email and we'll get back to you tomorrow morning."
5. "Our support hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Leave a message and we'll answer as soon as we're back."
6. "We're off for the evening. Many answers are already in our help center – or leave a message and we'll reply tomorrow."
7. "Hi there! It's after hours, so replies may take until tomorrow. Tell us what you need and we'll pick it up first thing."
8. "The team has gone home, but the chat stays open. Write your question and your email – we'll reply in the morning."

Live chat: weekends (examples 9–12)

9. "It's the weekend and we're recharging. Leave a message and we'll reply on Monday morning."
10. "We're offline until Monday 9 a.m. If your question is about an order, include the order number and we'll check it first thing."
11. "Weekend mode is on ☀️ Your message lands straight in our inbox and we'll answer on Monday."
12. "We don't work weekends, but our help center does. Search it here – or leave a message for Monday."

Live chat: holidays and closures (examples 13–17)

13. "We're closed for the holidays from 24 December to 1 January. Leave a message and we'll reply from 2 January. Orders placed now ship on 2 January."
14. "Our office is closed today for a public holiday. We're back tomorrow and will answer your message first."
15. "We're taking a short break and are back on [date]. Messages left here will be answered in the order they arrive."
16. "Team retreat! We're out until [date] and reply more slowly until then. For urgent order problems, email [address]."
17. "We're closed for inventory today. Online orders work as usual – questions will be answered tomorrow."

Live chat: busy times (examples 18–21)

18. "Lots of messages right now – thanks for your patience! We usually reply within [time] at the moment."
19. "Everyone's on a call right now. Leave your message and we'll be with you in a few minutes."
20. "It's a busy day (hello, sale 👋). We're answering in order and will get to you shortly. Your place in line is saved."
21. "We're helping other customers right now. If you leave your email, we'll answer there in case you need to go."

Email auto-replies (examples 22–27)

22. After hours: "Thanks for your email! Our team is offline right now and will reply on the next business day. Our support hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Many questions are answered in our help center: [link]."

23. Weekend: "Thanks for getting in touch. We're out for the weekend and will reply on Monday. If you're writing about an order, please make sure your order number is in the subject line – it helps us answer faster."

24. Holidays: "Thanks for your message. We're closed from [date] to [date] and will reply from [date], in the order emails arrived. Orders placed during this time will ship on [date]."

25. High volume: "We've received your message. We're getting more emails than usual right now, so a reply may take up to [time]. You don't need to write again – your message is in the queue."

26. Personal out-of-office for a support person: "Hi, I'm away until [date]. Your message has been passed to the team at [address], who'll take care of it."

27. After hours with a self-service pointer: "Thanks! We're offline until tomorrow morning. In the meantime: shipping times [link], returns [link], track your order [link]. Not covered? We'll reply first thing."

When an AI agent covers the night (examples 28–30)

If an AI agent answers outside working hours, say so – and say when a person is back:

28. "Hi! The team is offline, but I'm the AI assistant and can answer most questions right away. If I can't help, I'll pass your message on – a person will reply tomorrow morning."
29. "It's after hours. I can help with shipping, returns and payment questions right now. For anything else, the team takes over at 9 a.m."
30. "Our AI assistant is answering until the team is back on Monday. Ask away – and if you'd rather talk to a person, just say so."

How to set up after-hours support

Writing the text is the easy part. Decide how your chat behaves when nobody is there:

Option 1: Hide the chat

The widget only appears while someone is online. Nobody waits for an answer that doesn't come – but you also miss questions asked in the evening, which for many shops is a busy time.

Option 2: Keep the chat open and collect messages

Visitors leave their question and email, you reply in the morning. This works well if you ask for the email address after the first message, so your answer reaches people who have closed the tab.

Option 3: Let an AI agent answer

An AI agent answers from your help articles around the clock and hands over to your team for the rest. This is the only option that solves the problem at night instead of postponing it – as long as the handover is clean. Our guide on chatbot vs. live chat covers when the AI should step aside.

Setting this up in asktrix

All three options are settings in asktrix:

• Offline status text: the widget shows a status below the title – "We're here" or "Offline for now" by default. Both texts, the welcome message and every other widget text can be changed per language under Settings → Chat widget.
• Hide when everyone is away: the widget only shows while at least one teammate is online.
• Ask for email: after the first message, visitors are asked where you can reply. If they close the window, your answer reaches them by email.
• Typical reply time: optionally show "Replies within minutes / a few hours / about a day" below the title so expectations are set before anyone writes.
• Personal schedules: each teammate can set working hours under Settings → Your profile → Status & working hours and is shown as away automatically outside them.
• Trix after hours (Start plan and up): the AI agent answers from your help articles on your own AI key and hands over when it isn't sure.
• Quiet hours (Team plan): outside your hours, Trix takes every chat and you get a morning handover – what happened and where you're needed.

See the pricing page for what's in each plan.

Common mistakes

• No time frame. "We'll get back to you soon" means nothing at 11 p.m. on a Friday.
• Promising what you can't keep. If you say "within an hour", you need someone to actually check.
• Forgetting to update holiday messages. A "closed until 2 January" in February looks worse than no message.
• Pretending the AI is a person. Label it as an assistant. Customers accept bots; they don't accept being misled.
• Dead ends. Every away message should leave the customer with something to do: leave an email, read an article, or wait for a clear time.

FAQ

Should I show the chat when nobody is online? If you can reply the next morning and you ask for an email address, yes – you collect questions instead of losing them. Hide it only if you truly can't follow up.

How long should an away message be? Two or three sentences in chat; a short paragraph in email.

Can I use the same text in every language? Translate it. A German visitor who gets an English away message feels like they've reached the wrong shop. In asktrix, every widget text can be set per language.

Looking for the opposite moment – the first message when you are online? Our live chat greeting templates cover that. Or create a free workspace and set up your offline behaviour in five minutes.