Send an E-mail later

Outlook 2016
By default, Outlook in Online mode sends messages immediately after clicking the Send button. You can configure your Outlook not to send messages immediately, send them manually, or set up rules to delay sending all messages for some fixed time (for example, 2 hours).

If needed, schedule an e-mail to be sent at the specified date and time in the future. See below how to schedule an email to be sent later in Outlook for Windows and Outlook for Web.

Set a delay for an email message in Outlook for Windows

To delay the delivery of a currently created message, reply, or forward in Outlook for Windows, open the Properties dialog box by doing one of the following:

  • If you use the Simplified ribbon (see more about customizing ribbons):
    • On the Options tab, click the Delay Delivery button (if you don't see it on the ribbon, click the More commands button - three points to the very right of the ribbon buttons):
      Delay Delivery in Simplified ribbon Outlook 365
    • Click the dialog box launch button in the lower right corner of the Tracking groups of the Options tab:
      Message Options in Simplified ribbon Outlook 365

      Note: If you don't see it on the ribbon, click the More commands button - three points to the very right of the ribbon buttons, then choose Message Options...:

      Message Options in Simplified ribbon Outlook 365
  • If you use the Classic ribbon:
    • On the Options tab, in the More Options group, click the Delay Delivery button:
      Delay Delivery in Classic ribbon Outlook 365
    • Click the dialog box launch button in the lower right corner of the Tags group of the Message tab or the Tracking or More Options groups of the Options tab:
      Tags dialog box launch button in Classic ribbon Outlook 365  or   Tracking dialog box launch button in Classic ribbon Outlook 365  or   More Options dialog box launch button in Classic ribbon Outlook 365
  • On the File tab, click the Properties button:
    Properties button in Information pane Outlook 365

In the Properties dialog box, under Delivery options, select the Do not deliver before checkbox, then specify the date and time from the appropriate drop-down lists:

Properties dialog box in Outlook 365

When the specified date and time are realized, Outlook will attempt to send the e-mail. Clicking the Send button will store the message in the Outbox folder until the designated time is reached:

Message in the Outbox folder Outlook 365

Notes:

  1. If Outlook for Windows is not running when the scheduled delivery time of the message is reached, the message is not delivered. The next time you start Outlook, the message will be sent immediately.
  2. If Outlook for Windows is running, but there is no Internet connection when the message is scheduled to be sent, Outlook will try to deliver the email at the scheduled time but fail. You will see an Outlook send/receive progress error window (see how to send and receive messages in Outlook for more details).

    Outlook also automatically tries to send scheduled messages again later. When the connection is restored, Outlook sends the message. If Outlook is configured to work offline at the scheduled delivery time, Outlook automatically sends the message as soon as the account used for the message returns online.

Schedule sending for an email message in Outlook for Web

To set the delivery delay of an email message (it doesn't matter whether it is a new one, reply, or forward), in Outlook for Web, do one of the following:

  • If you use the Simplified ribbon (see more about customizing ribbons), on the Options tab, click the Schedule send button:
    Schedule send in Simplified ribbon Outlook for Web
  • If you use the Classic ribbon, on the Options tab, in the Send group, click the Schedule send button:
    Schedule send in Classic ribbon Outlook for Web
  • After completing the message, click the down arrow at the right of the Send button, then choose Schedule send:
    Schedule send in message Outlook for Web

In the Schedule send dialog box, do one of the following:

  • Choose any of the proposed timestamps:
    Schedule send dialog box in Outlook for Web
  • Click the Custom time link to specify the necessary date and time in the Set custom date and time dialog box, then click the Send button. For example:
    Set custom date and time dialog box in Outlook for Web

After clicking the Send button, Outlook saves the message in the Drafts folder till the sending time:

Message in the Drafts folder Outlook for Web

At the top of the draft message, you can see the [Schedule Send] message and the following information about the date and time of the scheduling: "This message is scheduled to send on {data and time}". To change any, click the Schedule Send Options button:

Schedule Send Options in message Outlook for Web
  • By clicking the Modify Email option, you open the message for editing, where you can modify the message and the scheduling.
  • By clicking the Send Now option, you force Outlook to send this email message immediately without waiting for the scheduling timestamp.

See also this tip in French: Envoyer un courriel plus tard.

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