How to Delay or Schedule an Email in Outlook

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.

1. Select New Email. Or choose an existing email and select Reply, Reply All, or Forward.

2. In the message window, compose and address the message.

3. Go to the Options tab and select Delay Delivery.

4. In the Properties dialog, under Delivery options, select the Do not deliver before check box.

5. Set the date and time you want the email to be sent.

6. Select Close.

7. In the message window, select Send.

8. Go to the Outbox folder to find the email messages that are scheduled but have not yet been sent.

9. To change the delivery time or date, open the email in a separate window, select Options > Delay Delivery, and reschedule a different send time.

10. 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:

1. Go to the File tab.

2. Under Info > Rules and Alerts, select Manage Rules & Alerts.

3. In the Rules and Alerts, go to the Email Rules tab and select New Rule.

4. In the Rules Wizard, go to the Start from a blank rule section, select Apply rule on messages I send, then select Next.

5. 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.

6. If you cleared all the check boxes, a confirmation box appears. Select Yes to apply the rule to all sent messages.

7. In the Select action(s) list, select the defer delivery by a number of minutes check box.

8. In the Edit the rule description list, select a number of.

9. 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.

10. In the Rules Wizard, select Next.

11. Select any exceptions, then select Next.

12. In the Specify a name for this rule text box, type a descriptive name.

13. Select the Turn on this rule check box if it isn't already checked.

14. Select Finish.

15. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, select OK to apply the changes.

16. 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.