Outlook & Email
Scheduling an Email to Send Later
This guide shows you how to write an email now but schedule it to be delivered at a specific future time in both Outlook on the web and the Outlook desktop app.
Time needed
5 minutes
Platform
Microsoft 365
Guide steps
2 clear sections
Before you begin
You are signed in to Outlook.
Follow along
Step-by-step guide
Schedule send in Outlook on the web
- Instruction 1: Go to portal.office.com and open Outlook on the web.
- Instruction 2: Click New message or compose a reply.
- Instruction 3: Write your email as normal.
- Instruction 4: Instead of clicking Send, click the dropdown arrow next to the Send button.
- Instruction 5: Click Schedule send.
- Instruction 6: Choose one of the suggested times (e.g. 'Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM') or click Pick a custom time to set a specific date and time.
- Instruction 7: Click Send. The email will be held in your Drafts folder (or a Scheduled folder) and will be sent automatically at the time you selected.
Action map
Schedule send in Outlook on the web
- 01
Go to portal.office.com and open Outlook on the web.
- 02
Click New message or compose a reply.
- 03
Write your email as normal.
Visual guide
Use this visual action map alongside the written instructions above.
Open Outlook help & learning for Scheduling an Email to Send LaterSchedule send in Outlook desktop (Windows)
- Instruction 1: Open the Outlook desktop app and compose your email.
- Instruction 2: In the new message window, click the Options tab in the ribbon.
- Instruction 3: Click Delay Delivery.
- Instruction 4: In the Properties window, tick Do not deliver before and set the date and time you want the email to send.
- Instruction 5: Click Close, then click Send.
- Instruction 6: The email will sit in your Outbox until the scheduled time. Do not close or disconnect Outlook before the scheduled time, as the email needs to be open to send. Using Outlook on the web schedule-send is more reliable if you close your laptop.
Quick fixes
Troubleshooting
My scheduled email sent immediately instead of at the set time
In Outlook desktop, if you click Send and send the message manually while it is sitting in the Outbox, it will send straight away. Avoid opening the Outbox or clicking Send All after scheduling. Use Outlook on the web's scheduled send for a more reliable experience.
I want to cancel a scheduled email
In Outlook on the web, go to your Drafts or Scheduled folder, open the email, and click Discard or Unschedule. In Outlook desktop, go to Outbox, open the email, remove or change the Delay Delivery setting, and close the message without sending.
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