Out-of-Office (OOO) Reply Handling
Last updated: April 21, 2026
When a prospect replies to a sequence email with an out-of-office message, Unify automatically detects it and pauses the sequence until they return. This keeps your outreach on track without any manual work.
How It Works
Send sequences as normal — there's nothing extra to set up or configure. OOO detection is automatic and enabled for all accounts.
Unify detects the OOO reply — when a prospect sends an auto-reply saying they're out of office, Unify classifies it and pauses the sequence enrollment. The status changes to "Paused: OOO".
The sequence resumes automatically — Unify reads the return date from the OOO reply and resumes the sequence on that date. If no return date is found, the sequence resumes after 14 days.
The sequence picks up where it left off — there's no need to re-enroll the prospect. The next step in the sequence sends as scheduled once the pause lifts.
How OOO Replies Affect Your Metrics
OOO replies are not counted as real replies. This means:
Reply rates reflect genuine prospect engagement only
No reply tasks are created for OOO replies
No notifications are sent when an OOO reply comes in
This gives you a cleaner, more accurate picture of how your sequences are performing.
Where to See OOO Status
You can see if a prospect is currently OOO in three places:
Engagement tab on the Person Details page — shows "Paused: OOO" status
Sequence enrollment page — enrollment status shows "Paused: OOO"
Task creation modal — an OOO indicator appears when creating tasks for that person
FAQ
Do I need to turn this on?
No. OOO detection is on by default for all accounts. There's nothing to configure.
What if the OOO reply doesn't include a return date?
The sequence will automatically resume after 14 days.
Does this work for one-off tasks too?
Yes. OOO detection works across both sequences and one-off email tasks.
Can I manually override the OOO classification?
Not today. Manual override is planned for a future update.
Will this change how past replies were classified?
No. OOO detection only applies to new replies going forward. Past replies are not retroactively reclassified.