> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://absentify.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cancel an absence request

> Cancel a pending or approved absence request in absentify as an employee, including how the cancellation impacts approvals, allowances, and calendars.

As an employee, you can only cancel your own future absence requests in absentify. Follow the steps below to cancel a request:

<iframe src="https://demo.arcade.software/bZH6R0yon5YAYkpPnloA?embed&embed_mobile=inline&embed_desktop=inline&show_copy_link=false" title="Cancel an absence request - absentify" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen allow="clipboard-write" className="responsive-iframe" />

<Warning>
  Only an administrator or manager can cancel requests that have already started or are in the past. As an employee, you can only cancel requests that are scheduled for the future.
</Warning>

***

## Steps to cancel a request

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select the request you want to cancel">
    Open your calendar and select the absence request you want to cancel, such as a vacation request from March 17th to March 20th.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Cancel the request">
    In the absence request window, select the **trash icon** in the bottom left, then select **"Cancel request"**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Provide a reason for cancellation">
    A field will appear prompting you to give a reason for the cancellation. Once you’ve entered the reason, select **OK** to confirm the cancellation.

    <Tip>
      Use the tooltip before entering your cancellation reason to check who will be able to see the information, especially if you have data privacy concerns.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the cancellation">
    Go to the Overview page to confirm that your request has been successfully canceled. The request should no longer appear on your calendar.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  All approvers, representatives, and managers associated with this request will be automatically notified once you cancel it, in accordance with their configured [notification settings](/docs/en/roles/employee/your_preferences#notification-settings).
  This ensures that all relevant stakeholders are informed about the change.
</Info>

***

### Cancel a recurring absence

When you cancel an absence that is part of a recurring series, a dialog will appear. The available options depend on whether the series already includes past dates.

If the recurring absence **has not started yet**, you can choose:

* **Only this occurrence**\
  Only the selected absence will be canceled. All other occurrences in the series will remain.

* **This occurrence and all future requests**\
  Cancels the selected occurrence and every later occurrence in the series. Earlier occurrences remain unchanged. This option appears only when the selected occurrence has later active occurrences in the series.

* **Entire series**\
  All occurrences in the series will be canceled.

If the recurring absence **has already started** (meaning at least one date is in the past), you can choose:

* **Only this occurrence**\
  Only the selected absence will be canceled. All other occurrences in the series will remain.

* **This occurrence and all future requests**\
  Cancels the selected occurrence and every later occurrence in the series. Past occurrences before the selected date remain unchanged.

After choosing one of the options, select **Continue** to confirm the cancellation. To exit without making changes, select **Cancel**.

<Warning>
  Cancellations cannot be undone. Make sure to double-check before confirming.
</Warning>

***

### Example of a request that cannot be canceled

You cannot cancel requests that have already started or are fully in the past beyond the allowed options.

In this case:

* Past occurrences remain unchanged.
* Only the available cancellation options for future dates are shown.
* If no future dates exist, the **trash icon** to access the **"Cancel request"** option is not visible.

***