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How to Delay or Schedule an Email in Outlook

Delay delivery of your Outlook emails for a more appropriate time

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 24, 2021 Reviewed by Christine Baker Reviewed by Christine Baker Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Outlook Word Excel Powerpoint

What to Know

Go to Options > Delay Delivery, then select the Do not deliver before check box in the Properties dialog. Set a date and time.To change the delivery time or date, go to the Outbox folder, open the email, and select Options > Delay Delivery.To delay delivery for all emails, select the File tab, go to Rules and Alerts > Manage Rules & Alerts, and create a custom rule. This article explains how to schedule an email in Outlook. Instructions apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and Outlook for Microsoft 365.

Scheduling Delayed Delivery of Emails in Outlook

Microsoft Outlook supports the scheduling of email messages to send at a later date and time instead of sending them immediately. Select New Email. Or choose an existing email and select Reply, Reply All, or Forward. In the message window, compose and address the message. Go to the Options tab and select Delay Delivery. In the Properties dialog, under Delivery options, select the Do not deliver before check box. Set the date and time you want the email to be sent. Select Close. In the message window, select Send. Go to the Outbox folder to find the email messages that are scheduled but have not yet been sent. To change the delivery time or date, open the email in a separate window, select Options > Delay Delivery, and reschedule a different send time. To send a scheduled email immediately, open the message in a separate window, return to the Delay Delivery screen, uncheck the box next to Do not deliver before, and then press Close followed by Send.

Create a Send Delay for All Emails

You can create an email message template that automatically includes a send delay for all messages you create and send. This is handy if you often make a change to an email you just sent, or you've sent an email that you regretted sending hastily. By adding a default delay to all your emails, you prevent them from being sent immediately. This gives you an opportunity to make changes or cancel them if it's within the delay you create. To create an email template with a send delay: Go to the File tab. Under Info > Rules and Alerts, select Manage Rules & Alerts. In the Rules and Alerts, go to the Email Rules tab and select New Rule. In the Rules Wizard, go to the Start from a blank rule section, select Apply rule on messages I send, then select Next. In the Select condition(s) list, select the check boxes for options that you want to apply to sent messages. To apply a delay send to all messages, clear all the check boxes. Then select Next. If you cleared all the check boxes, a confirmation box appears. Select Yes to apply the rule to all sent messages. In the Select action(s) list, select the defer delivery by a number of minutes check box. In the Edit the rule description list, select a number of. In the Deferred Delivery dialog box, enter the number of minutes you want to delay emails before they are sent. The maximum is 120 minutes. Then select OK. In the Rules Wizard, select Next. Select any exceptions, then select Next. In the Specify a name for this rule text box, type a descriptive name. Select the Turn on this rule check box if it isn't already checked. Select Finish. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, select OK to apply the changes. When you select Send for any email, it is stored in the Outbox or Drafts folder where it waits the specified amount of time before being sent.

What Happens If Outlook Is Not Running at the Delivery Time

If Outlook is not open and running at the time a message reaches its scheduled delivery time, the message is not delivered. The next time you launch Outlook, the message is sent immediately.

What Happens If There Is No Internet Connection at the Delivery Time

If you are not connected to the internet at the time of scheduled delivery and Outlook is open, Outlook attempts to deliver the email at the specified time, but it will fail. You will see an Outlook Send/Receive Progress error window. Outlook also automatically attempts to send again, though, at a later time. When the connection is restored, Outlook sends the message. If Outlook is set to work in offline mode at the scheduled time of delivery, Outlook automatically sends as soon as the account used for the message is working online again. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Schedule Email in Microsoft Outlook How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Outlook How to Postpone an Email in Outlook for iOS How to Recall an Email in Outlook How to Schedule a Text Message on an iPhone How to Schedule a Google Meet How to Schedule an Email in Gmail How to Export Emails From Outlook Outlook Auto CC and BCC Email Addresses How to Insert a Link Into an Email With Outlook How to Forward Outlook Mail to Another Email Address Learn How to Properly Redirect an Email in Outlook Changing Outlook So It Sends Mail Right Away Forward Multiple Emails Individually in Outlook How to Save an Outlook Email as a PDF How to Schedule a Post on Facebook Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies