--- title: "Use Slack Vacation Mode | Idle Pilot" description: "Configure Slack status presets for Vacation Mode, understand session-start checks, and pause Work Hours manually for holidays or Microsoft Teams time off." canonical: "https://idlepilot.com/help/vacation-mode/" updated: "2026-10-28" generated_by: "scripts/build-markdown-twins.mjs" --- > Markdown representation of https://idlepilot.com/help/vacation-mode/ — the HTML page at that URL is canonical and carries the same content. # Use Vacation Mode and take time off Configure Slack status presets for Vacation Mode, understand session-start checks, and pause Work Hours manually for holidays or Microsoft Teams time off. Last updated: October 28, 2026 On this page ## How does Vacation Mode work? Vacation Mode is a Slack feature. You choose Slack status presets that should pause Idle Pilot, such as a time-off status offered by your workspace. At the start of a presence session, Idle Pilot checks your Slack status against those selections. A match can pause scheduled presence. It checks once at the start, not continuously throughout the day. ## How do I set up Vacation Mode? 1. Open **Dashboard** for your linked Slack workspace. 2. Find **Vacation Mode** below Work Hours. 3. Choose **Configure**. 4. Select at least one status in **Auto-pause when your status shows…**. 5. Choose **Save**. Saving selected presets enables Vacation Mode. 6. Set the appropriate status in Slack before the scheduled session begins. If you turn Vacation Mode on without having selected any presets, the app opens the selection dialog first. ## How do I change which statuses pause the schedule? Choose **Vacation Mode → Configure**, change the selected checkboxes, and choose **Save**. You must select at least one status to save an enabled configuration. Choose **Cancel** to discard the changes in the dialog. ## Why can I not find Vacation Mode for Microsoft Teams? Vacation Mode is currently offered for Slack, not Teams. To take time off with Teams, turn **Dashboard → Work Hours** off, or disable the relevant weekday switches. Turn them back on when you return. Do not rely on a Teams status message to activate Slack Vacation Mode. ## Does Vacation Mode notice a status I change in the middle of the day? Do not rely on that. It checks your Slack status at the start of a presence session, not every time your status changes. If you want to stop Idle Pilot immediately during an active period, turn **Work Hours** off. ## How do I pause for a holiday or several days away? For a predictable manual pause, switch **Work Hours** off before leaving. Your hours stay saved. On return, review them and turn Work Hours back on. To exclude one weekday from the repeating schedule, switch that day off; remember that it stays off until you enable it again. The current editor does not have a dated holiday calendar. ## Does Vacation Mode create an out-of-office message for me? No. Set your message/status in Slack yourself or through a calendar connection you already use in Slack. Vacation Mode uses the selected Slack status as a reason to pause; it does not write messages, create an automatic reply, or book time off in a calendar. ## Do I need to connect Google Calendar or Outlook to Idle Pilot? The Vacation Mode card suggests existing calendar-to-Slack status sync because that can set your Slack status for you. You choose the status presets in Idle Pilot. The card is not an Idle Pilot calendar-connection wizard, and you should not assume it adds a calendar integration or changes calendar events. ## How do I disable Vacation Mode? Turn off the switch beside **Vacation Mode** on Dashboard. Review the main Work Hours switch and the dashboard status afterward. Disabling Vacation Mode does not change or cancel your paid plan. ## Why am I auto-paused when I want to be active? Read the dashboard's time-off/auto-paused reason. In Slack, check whether your current status matches a selected Vacation Mode preset. Change the status or adjust the presets if it is unintended. You can disable Vacation Mode using its switch. Keep Work Hours enabled only when you intend Idle Pilot to maintain availability. ## Related help - [Take time off with Slack or Teams](https://idlepilot.com/help/vacation-and-teams/) - [Pause presence without cancelling the subscription](https://idlepilot.com/help/stop-schedule-without-cancelling/) - [Green Schedule, work hours, and breaks](https://idlepilot.com/help/schedules-and-presence/) - [Connect and reconnect Slack](https://idlepilot.com/help/slack-connection/) Still need help? Sign in to [Idle Pilot](https://app.idlepilot.com) and open **Support**. On a computer, it is under your name or email at the bottom left. On a phone, open **Profile → Support**. [Browse all help articles](https://idlepilot.com/help/)