Getting started

Connecting Your Accounts

General Connection Questions

Schedules and Auto-Replies

Privacy and Security

Customization & Troubleshooting

For IT Administrators

FAQ - Getting started

  • AwayZen is an out-of-office reply service. When you are away - on holiday, in a meeting, or simply done for the day - AwayZen monitors your email and messaging accounts and sends custom replies to anyone who contacts you. It works across Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Telegram (Telegram Business), WhatsApp Business, Discord, and Microsoft Teams, all from a single dashboard.

  • AwayZen is available as a web app, an iOS app, and an Android app. Your settings sync automatically across all devices.

  • 1. Open the AwayZen app or visit the web app.

    2. Tap Sign Up.

    3. Enter your email address and choose a password.

    4. You are signed in immediately -- no email confirmation step is needed.

    Your 14-day free trial starts the moment you sign up.

  • Yes. Every new account gets a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start.

  • After your trial ends, AwayZen costs 2.49 EUR per year. That is less than the price of a coffee for a full year of out-of-office replies across your accounts.

  • Yes, there is guided in-app onboarding to help you get you up and running. When you first sign in, AwayZen shows you a short checklist on your dashboard. It walks you through three steps:

     1. Connect your first account - link an email or messaging account.

    2. Write your first template - create the auto-reply message your contacts will receive.

    3. Activate your first schedule - set the dates and times when replies should be sent.

    Most users complete all three steps in under three minutes.

FAQ - Connecting Your Accounts

  • 1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + to add a new account and select Gmail.

    3. Tap Connect with Google.

    4. Sign in to your Google account and approve the permissions AwayZen requests.

    5. You are redirected back to AwayZen and your Gmail account appears in the list.

    AwayZen asks Google for permission to read new messages (to know when someone writes to you) and to send messages (to deliver your auto-reply). We never store the content of messages you receive → see the Privacy section for details.

     

    Note: If your Gmail is managed by your employer or school (Google Workspace), your IT administrator may need to approve AwayZen before you can connect. Please see the IT Administrator section of this page.

  • 1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select Outlook.

    3. Tap Connect with Microsoft.

    4. Sign in with your Microsoft account and approve the permissions.

    5. You are redirected back to AwayZen and your Outlook account appears in the list.

    AwayZen asks Microsoft for permission to read new messages and send replies on your behalf.

    Note: If your Outlook account is managed by your organization (Microsoft 365 / Entra ID), your IT administrator may need to approve AwayZen first. See the IT Administrator section at the bottom of this page.

  • These providers use traditional email protocols (IMAP for reading, SMTP for sending) rather than OAuth:

     1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select your provider (or choose Custom Email if it is not listed).

    3. Enter your email address.

    4. AwayZen will try to auto-detect the correct server settings. If it cannot, enter them manually (your provider's help pages will list the IMAP and SMTP server addresses and ports).

    5. For the password, you will usually need an app-specific password rather than your regular login password. This is a security feature from your email provider. Here is how to get one:

       - Yahoo: Go to Yahoo Account Security, enable two-step verification, then generate an app password.

       - iCloud: Go to Apple ID settings, enable two-factor authentication, then generate an app-specific password.

       - GMX: Go to GMX Settings and allow IMAP access, then use your regular password.

       - AOL: Go to AOL Account Security, enable two-step verification, then generate an app password.

       - Zoho: Go to Zoho Account Security, generate an app-specific password.

    6. Once configured tap Test Connection to confirm everything works, then save.

  • If your email provider is not listed, you can connect any standard email service:

     1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select Custom Email.

    3. Enter your email address. AwayZen will attempt to detect your server settings automatically.

    4. If auto-detection does not work, enter the IMAP and SMTP server addresses, ports, and security settings manually. Your email provider's documentation will have this information.

    5. Enter your username (usually your full email address) and password (or app password if your provider requires one).

    6. Tap Test Connection to verify, then save.

  • 1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select Slack.

    3. Tap Connect with Slack.

    4. Choose the Slack workspace you want to connect and approve the permissions.

    5. You are redirected back to AwayZen. Your Slack workspace now appears in your accounts list.

    AwayZen will monitor direct messages and group conversations for new messages while your schedule is active, and send your auto-reply on your behalf.

    Note: If your Slack workspace is managed by your company, your Slack workspace administrator may need to approve the AwayZen app before you can connect.

  • Telegram works differently from the other platforms. Instead of signing into Telegram through AwayZen, you link AwayZen's bot to your Telegram Business account:

    1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select Telegram.

    3. Give the account a name and tap Connect.

    4. Open Telegram on your phone.

    5. Go to Settings > Telegram Business > Chatbots (you need Telegram Premium for this).

    6. Add the AwayZen bot as your business chatbot.

    Once linked, the bot will automatically reply to new messages on your behalf when your schedule is active.

    Important: Telegram Business features require a Telegram Premium subscription.

  • 1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select WhatsApp Business.

    3. Follow the on-screen steps to sign in with your Meta (Facebook) business account.

    4. Select the phone number you want AwayZen to manage.

    5. Approve the permissions.

    AwayZen will then reply to incoming WhatsApp messages on your behalf when your schedule is active.

    Note: This feature requires a WhatsApp Business account (not a regular WhatsApp personal account).

  • 1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select Discord.

    3. Follow the on-screen steps to authorize the AwayZen bot for your Discord server.

    4. Enter the server (guild) IDs where you want auto-replies to be active.

    When your schedule is active, AwayZen will reply to direct messages and mentions in the specified servers.

  • 1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Tap + and select Microsoft Teams.

    3. Tap Connect with Microsoft.

    4. Sign in with your Microsoft work account and approve the permissions.

    5. You are redirected back to AwayZen and your Teams account appears in the list.

    AwayZen monitors your Teams chats and sends auto-replies when your schedule is active.

    Note: Your IT administrator may need to approve AwayZen in your organization's Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) settings before you can connect. See the IT Administrator section at the bottom of this page.

FAQ - General Connection Questions

  • AwayZen requests only the minimum permissions needed to:

     1. Read new incoming messages -- so it knows when someone writes to you.

    2. Send replies -- so it can deliver your auto-reply on your behalf.

     We do not request permission to delete your messages, access your contacts list, or change your account settings. The exact permissions vary by platform and are shown to you during the connection process before you approve them.

  • Yes. You can connect as many accounts as you need → for example, two Gmail accounts and one Outlook account, or a personal Slack workspace and a work Slack workspace. Each account is managed independently and can be assigned to different schedules.

  • After connecting an account, you can send a test reply:

    1. Go to the Messages tab.

    2. Open the template you want to test.

    3. Tap Send Test Reply.

    4. Choose which connected account to send from and enter a recipient.

    5. Check the recipient's inbox to confirm the reply arrived.

    You can also use the Test Connection button on any account card to verify that AwayZen can still reach your account.

  • This means the connection between AwayZen and your account has expired. This happens naturally from time to time → for example, when your email provider refreshes its security tokens, when you change your password, or when an administrator revokes access.

     To fix it:

     1. Go to the Accounts tab.

    2. Find the account marked with a warning.

    3. Tap Re-authenticate and follow the sign-in steps again.

    AwayZen will send you an email notification when an account needs re-authentication, so you do not have to check manually.

FAQ - Schedules and Auto-Replies

  • 1. Go to the Schedules tab.

    2. Tap New Schedule.

    3. Choose a name (e.g., "Summer Holiday").

    4. Set the start date/time and end date/time.

    5. Choose which connected accounts this schedule should cover.

    6. Select the reply template each account should use.

    7. Tap Save.

    Your schedule will activate automatically at the start time and deactivate at the end time. You can also start and stop it manually at any time.

  • Quick Away is a one-tap shortcut for when you need auto-replies right now, without setting up a full schedule. Tap the Quick Away button on your dashboard and choose how long you want to be away (for example, 1 hour or until end of day). AwayZen immediately starts replying on all your connected accounts using your default template.

    You can customize Quick Away to use a specific template, cover only certain accounts, or set a fixed duration. These settings are saved so you can activate Quick Away with a single tap next time.

  • Presets let you save multiple Quick Away configurations for different situations. For example:

    - "Lunch Break" - 1 hour, all accounts, short message.

    - "Weekend" - until Monday morning, work accounts only, detailed message.

    - "In a Meeting" - 30 minutes, Slack and Teams only, brief message.

    To create a preset, configure your Quick Away settings the way you want them, then tap Save as Preset and give it a name. Next time, just pick the preset from the list.

  • Yes. When you create or edit a schedule, you assign a reply template to each connected account individually. Your Gmail might use a formal out-of-office message while your Slack uses a more casual one - all within the same schedule.

  • You control how often AwayZen replies to the same person:

    - Once - reply only the first time someone messages you during the schedule. Even if they send ten messages, they get one reply.

    - Once per day - reply once per calendar day. If they message you again the next day, they get another reply.

    - Once per week - reply at most once every seven days.

    - Once per month - reply at most once every thirty days.

    This prevents your contacts from receiving the same auto-reply repeatedly.

  • Templates are the messages your contacts receive. You can create and manage them in the Messages tab.

    Templates support placeholders - special tags that are automatically replaced with real values when the reply is sent. For example:

    - {sender_name} - replaced with the name of the person who messaged you.

    - {return_date} - replaced with the end date of your active schedule.

    This lets you write one template that feels personal to each recipient.

  • 1. Go to the Messages tab.

    2. Open the template you want to preview.

    3. Tap Preview. AwayZen shows you exactly what the final reply will look like, with all placeholders filled in using sample values.

  • 1. Go to the Messages tab.

    2. Open the template you want to test.

    3. Tap Send Test Reply.

    4. Pick the connected account to send from and enter a test recipient (your own email or a colleague).

    5. Check the recipient's inbox to confirm the message looks right.

    We strongly recommend sending a test reply before activating your first schedule.

  • Yes. If you have overlapping schedules (for example, one covering work email and another covering personal messaging), both will run simultaneously. Each schedule independently manages its assigned accounts and templates.

  • 1. Go to the Schedules tab.

    2. Tap the schedule you want to change.

    3. Tap Edit to change dates, accounts, or templates. Or tap Delete to remove it entirely.

    If you delete an active schedule, auto-replies stop immediately for the accounts it covered.

FAQ - Privacy and Security

  • AwayZen reads incoming messages, but never stores their content. Here is what happens:

    1. When a new message arrives, AwayZen reads it briefly to determine who sent it and whether an auto-reply should be sent.

    2. The message content is processed in memory only and is immediately discarded.

    3. AwayZen records only the sender's identifier, a message ID (for de-duplication), and the fact that a reply was sent.

    No subject lines, message bodies, or attachments are ever saved in our database, logs, or any third-party system. This is a core product principle that cannot be overridden. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.

  • Your email passwords and OAuth tokens (the keys that let AwayZen access your accounts) are stored using Supabase Vault, a secure secrets management system that encrypts everything at rest. They are never stored as readable text.

    Additionally:

    - OAuth tokens are automatically rotated (refreshed) on a regular schedule.

    - Legacy plain-text storage has been permanently removed from the system.

    - Each user's data is isolated through row-level security - no other user can access your credentials.

  • Loop protection prevents two auto-reply systems from endlessly replying to each other. For example, if you and a colleague both have auto-replies active, without protection each auto-reply would trigger the other, creating an infinite loop.

    AwayZen detects this pattern and automatically stops replying after a safe number of exchanges. You do not need to configure anything, it works automatically. You can view and adjust the loop protection threshold in Settings > Auto-Reply > Loop Protection.

  • AwayZen supports several ways to add extra security to your account:

    - TOTP (authenticator app) - Use apps like Google Authenticator, Authy, or 1Password to generate a six-digit code each time you sign in.

    - Biometric authentication - Use your fingerprint on supported devices.

    - Email one-time password - Receive a verification code by email.

    You can enable one or more of these methods in Settings > Security > Advanced.

  • When you successfully verify your identity using multi-factor authentication, you can mark that device as "trusted." Trusted devices are not asked for a second factor every time you sign in, they are remembered for a set period. You can review and remove trusted devices in Settings > Security > Trusted Devices.

  • When you enable multi-factor authentication, AwayZen generates a set of one-time recovery codes. These are your backup if you lose access to your authenticator app or device.

    - Each code can only be used once.

    - Store them in a safe place (printed or in a password manager).

    - You can regenerate a fresh set at any time in Settings > Security > Recovery Codes, which invalidates the old set.

  • Go to Settings > Security > Activity Log. You will see a chronological list of security-related events on your account: sign-ins, account connections, schedule changes, MFA changes, and more. This helps you spot any unexpected activity.

  • Yes. Go to Settings, scroll to the bottom, and tap Delete Account. This permanently removes:

    - Your profile and login credentials.

    - All connected accounts and their stored tokens.

    - All templates, schedules, and presets.

    - All reply logs and activity history.

    This action cannot be undone by users. Replies that were already delivered to your contacts remain in their inboxes (that is outside our control).

FAQ - Customization & Troubleshooting

  • Go to Settings > Preferences > Timezone and pick your timezone from the list. AwayZen uses this to start and end your schedules at the correct local time.

  • Go to Settings > Auto-Reply > Check Interval. This controls how often AwayZen checks your connected accounts for new messages. A shorter interval means faster replies; a longer interval uses fewer resources. The default works well for most users.

  • Go to Settings > Appearance > Language and pick from the available languages. Currently supported: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Hungarian. The interface switches immediately.

  • Go to Settings > Appearance > Font Size. You can choose from several sizes, or enable Follow System Text Size to match whatever text size you have set in your device's operating system settings.

  • Go to Settings > Reply History. You will see a log of every auto-reply AwayZen has sent on your behalf, including the date, the connected account used, and the recipient identifier. (Message content is not stored, only the fact that a reply was sent.)

  • When you delete a schedule, template, or connected account, it goes to Trash first. Go to Settings > Trash to see everything you have recently deleted. From there you can restore items with a single tap, or permanently delete them.

  • Check these things in order:

    1. Is your schedule active? Go to the Schedules tab and confirm the schedule is running (green status).

    2. Is the account connected? Go to the Accounts tab and check for any "Needs Re-authentication" warnings.

    3. Has the recipient already received a reply? If your frequency is set to "once" the same person will not get a second reply during the same schedule.

    4. Is the recipient on your exceptions list? Check Settings > Exceptions.

    5. Is loop protection active? If AwayZen detected a reply loop with that contact, it will have paused replies. Check the dashboard for any loop warnings.

    If none of these apply, try disconnecting and reconnecting the affected account.

  • If AwayZen repeatedly fails to reach one of your connected accounts (for example, because the provider is temporarily down), it slows down how often it retries. This is called failure backoff, it prevents AwayZen from hammering a service that is not responding.

    The backoff resets automatically once the connection succeeds again. You can see the current backoff status in Settings > Auto-Reply > Failure Backoff.

  • - "Backing off" means AwayZen is waiting before trying that account again after repeated connection failures. It will retry automatically. See the failure backoff question above.

    - "Loop paused" means AwayZen detected a reply loop (two auto-reply systems responding to each other) and stopped replying to that specific conversation to prevent spam. This is a safety feature and requires no action from you.

  • Go to the Accounts tab, find the account with the warning, and tap Re-authenticate. You will be asked to sign in to the provider again (Google, Microsoft, Slack, etc.) and re-approve permissions. AwayZen will resume auto-replies immediately after re-authentication.

    If this happens frequently, your organization's IT administrator may have set a short token lifetime. See the IT Administrator section below.

FAQ - For IT Administrators

  • If your organization uses managed accounts (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, managed Slack workspaces), employees may not be able to connect their accounts until an administrator approves the AwayZen application. The steps depend on which platform you manage.

  • 1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center (entra.microsoft.com) with a Global Administrator or Application Administrator account.

    2. Go to Enterprise applications > All applications.

    3. Search for "AwayZen" (it will appear after the first employee attempts to connect).

    4. Open the application and go to Permissions.

    5. Click Grant admin consent to approve the requested permissions for all users in your organization.

    The permissions AwayZen requests:

    - Mail.ReadWrite - to read incoming messages and send auto-replies.

    - User.Read - to identify the user's account.

    - offline_access - to maintain the connection without requiring the user to re-sign in every day.

    - Chat.ReadWrite and ChatMessage.Read (Teams only) -- to read Teams chat messages and send auto-replies.

    Once approved, all employees in your organization can connect their Outlook and/or Teams accounts without individual approval prompts.

  • 1. Sign in to the Google Admin console (admin.google.com).

    2. Go to Security > API controls > Third-party app access (the path may vary slightly depending on your Google Workspace edition).

    3. Search for "AwayZen" in the list of apps requesting access, or add it manually by its OAuth client ID.

    4. Set the access level to Trusted (or the equivalent in your console version).

    The permissions AwayZen requests:

    - gmail.readonly - to read incoming messages.

    - gmail.send - to send auto-replies.

    - gmail.modify - to mark messages as read after replying.

    - userinfo.email and userinfo.profile - to identify the user's account.

    Once marked as trusted, employees can connect their Gmail accounts without being blocked by your organization's third-party app policy.

  • 1. Sign in to your Slack workspace as an Owner or Admin.

    2. Go to Administration > Manage apps (or visit your-workspace.slack.com/apps/manage).

    3. If app approval is enabled in your workspace, AwayZen will appear in the pending requests list after an employee attempts to connect.

    4. Review the permissions and click Approve.

    Alternatively, you can pre-install the AwayZen Slack app for the entire workspace so that employees do not need to request approval individually.

  • The Microsoft Teams approval is the same as the Microsoft 365 / Entra ID approval described above, since Teams uses the same Microsoft identity platform. Once you grant admin consent for AwayZen's permissions in Entra ID, employees can connect both their Outlook email and Teams chat through AwayZen.

  • | Platform | Scope | Why it is needed:

    | Gmail | `gmail.readonly` | Read incoming messages to decide whether to auto-reply |

    | Gmail | `gmail.send` | Send the auto-reply on the user's behalf |

    | Gmail | `gmail.modify` | Mark messages after processing to avoid duplicate replies |

    | Gmail | `userinfo.email`, `userinfo.profile` | Identify the user's account |

    | Outlook | `Mail.ReadWrite` | Read incoming messages and send auto-replies |

    | Outlook | `User.Read` | Identify the user's account |

    | Outlook | `offline_access` | Maintain the connection without repeated sign-in |

    | Teams | `Chat.ReadWrite` | Read and reply to Teams chat messages |

    | Teams | `ChatMessage.Read` | Read Teams chat messages |

    | Teams | `User.Read` | Identify the user's account |

    | Slack | `channels:history`, `groups:history`, `im:history`, `mpim:history` | Read messages in channels, groups, and direct messages |

    | Slack | `channels:read`, `groups:read`, `im:read`, `mpim:read` | List conversations the user is part of |

    | Slack | `chat:write` | Send auto-replies |

    | Slack | `users:read` | Identify the user within the workspace |

    AwayZen does not request administrative, destructive, or contact-list scopes. It cannot delete messages, manage users, or access data beyond what is listed above.

  • No. AwayZen never stores the content of incoming messages. Message bodies, subjects, and attachments are processed in memory only to determine whether an auto-reply should be sent, and are immediately discarded. Only metadata is retained: sender identifiers, message IDs (for de-duplication), and timestamps.

    This is a non-negotiable architectural principle. For more details, see the AwayZen Privacy Policy.

  • AwayZen accesses:

    - Incoming messages (transiently, in memory only) to decide whether to reply.

    - User profile information (name, email) to identify the user and personalize replies.

    - Send capability to deliver the user's auto-reply.

    AwayZen does not access contacts, calendars, files, organizational directories, or any data beyond messaging.

  • The full privacy policy is available within the app and at the link www.awayzen.com website. It covers data collection, retention periods, third-party services, security measures, and user rights under GDPR and U.S. state privacy laws.

  • Reach out to us:

    - Email: admin@awayzen.app

    - Subject line: "FAQ" followed by a brief description of your question