How to answer trip questions at night with saved replies

Any Gmail or Google Workspace account. Templates only work in Gmail on a computer. For your phone, use the iPhone shortcuts below.

1. On your computer, open Gmail. At the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
2. At the top, click Advanced. Next to Templates, click Enable, then at the bottom click Save Changes.
3. Click Compose and paste one of your five answers. At the bottom of the compose window, click More options, then Templates, then Save draft as template, then Save as new template. Name it, like "Date open".
4. Repeat for each answer.
5. To use one, reply to the question, click More options, then Templates, and pick it under Insert template. Fill in the details and click Send.

Google warns a deleted template can't be recovered. Keep a copy of your wording in your notes.

Checked against Gmail help docs, November 2026.

A qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. Works in new Outlook, classic Outlook and Outlook on the web. If My Templates is missing, your organization may have add-ins turned off.

1. From the Home ribbon, select New, then Mail.
2. From the Message tab of the ribbon, select My Templates. A task pane opens.
3. Select +Template. In the Title field, enter a name, like "Date open". In the field below it, paste your answer.
4. Select Save. Repeat for each answer.
5. To use one, open My Templates from the Message tab while replying and pick it. Fill in the details and send.

My Templates holds short text with basic styling. That suits trip answers well.

Checked against Outlook help docs, November 2026.

Free on any iPhone. Works in Messages, Mail, Instagram and any app with a keyboard. The catch: one shortcut per answer, and you edit the blanks by hand.

1. In the Settings app, tap General, then Keyboard, then Text Replacement.
2. Tap the Add button.
3. Enter your phrase and shortcut. Paste one answer as the phrase, and pick a shortcut you'd never type by accident, like ;open or ;full.
4. Tap Save. Repeat for each answer.
5. To use one, type the shortcut in any reply box and your full answer drops in.

Checked against iPhone text replacement help docs, November 2026.

Templates turned on (see Great) and your after-hours reply saved as a template. Gmail on a computer.

1. In the search box at the top, click Show search options.
2. Enter what your trip questions have in common, such as the address your website form sends from.
3. Optional: click Search to check it finds the right emails, then click Show search options again.
4. Click Create filter.
5. Check the box next to Send template, then choose your after-hours reply. Click Create filter.

A Gmail filter answers at any hour, day or night. Write the reply so it reads well either way, for example "Thanks for asking. Here are quick answers, and I'll write back personally soon."

Checked against Gmail help docs, November 2026.

A Microsoft 365 or Exchange account. Microsoft notes automatic replies are not supported for Gmail, Yahoo or other POP or IMAP accounts.

1. On the View tab, select View settings.
2. Select Accounts, then Automatic Replies.
3. Turn the Automatic replies toggle on and paste your after-hours reply.
4. Select Send replies only during a time period, and enter start and end times.
5. Select Send replies only to contacts if you'd rather only people in your Contacts get it. When you're done, select Save.

Microsoft warns that replying to everyone outside your organization also answers newsletters and junk. Test it with a message from another address first.

Checked against New Outlook help docs, November 2026.