Gmail Vacation Responder

[iamtheshow]

In case you haven't noticed lately, Gmail has added a bunch of new features, which include an antivirus check for attachmets, "Web Clips" that rotate headlines at the top of your inbox, and a Google Talk ad near the Labels box that seems to be MIA at the moment (thankfully - it was getting annoying). Here's a new feature introduced two days ago, a simple yet oftentimes crucial feature that lets you auto-reply with a vacation message in case you're out of town or just plain avoiding people like I sometimes do.

Here's how to let people know you can't respond right away:

1. Log in to your Gmail account.
2. Click 'Settings' along the top of any Gmail page.
3. From the 'General' tab, select 'Vacation responder on' in the 'Vacation responder:' section.
4. Enter the subject and body of your message in the 'Subject:' and 'Message:' fields (you can also use the default message).

• If you've enabled a personalized signature in your account, Gmail will automatically append it to the bottom of your vacation response.

5. Check the box next to 'Only send a response to people in my Contacts' if you don't want everyone who emails you to know that you're away from your mail.
6. Click 'Save Changes.'

Nice to see things still in motion for something that's completely free and arguably one of the best e-mail services out there.

[edit: Speaking of additional features - Gmail now allows you to create contact groups for group e-mails!]

How do I set up an automatic vacation response? [Gmail Help Center]