How to Schedule Emails to Send Later in Microsoft Outlook

Writing emails outside of standard business hours can often send the wrong message to colleagues or clients, making them feel pressured to respond during their personal time. However, if you are most productive late at night, you shouldn’t have to break your workflow. By learning how to schedule emails to send later in Outlook, you can write messages whenever you want and have them delivered at the perfect moment.

Microsoft Outlook refers to this feature as “Delay Delivery”. It allows you to queue up an email in your Outbox and holds it there until the exact date and time you specify.

How to Delay Delivery in Outlook Desktop App

If you are using the traditional Outlook desktop application on Windows, scheduling an email takes just a few clicks.

1. Open Outlook and click New Email to start drafting your message.
2. Write your subject line, add your recipients, and compose the body of your email as usual.
3. Before clicking send, navigate to the Options tab on the ribbon at the top of the message window.
4. Click the Delay Delivery button.
5. A Properties dialog box will appear. Look for the “Delivery options” section.
6. Check the box next to Do not deliver before, and then use the drop-down menus to select your desired delivery date and time.
7. Click Close on the dialog box, and then click Send on your email.

Important Note: If you use a POP3 or IMAP account, your Outlook application must remain open on your computer until the delivery time passes, otherwise the email will not send. If you use Microsoft Exchange, the server will handle it even if your PC is off.

How to Schedule Emails in Outlook on the Web

If you prefer using Outlook via your web browser, the process is even more straightforward and does not require you to keep your computer turned on.

1. Log into your Outlook account online and click New message.
2. Compose your email as normal.
3. Instead of clicking the main Send button, click the small drop-down arrow immediately to the right of the Send button.
4. Select Schedule send.
5. Choose one of the pre-set times suggested by Outlook, or click Custom time to pick a specific date and time from the calendar.
6. Click Send. Your email will be stored safely in the Drafts folder until the scheduled delivery time.

Mastering how to schedule emails to send later in Outlook is a fantastic way to maintain professional boundaries and ensure your messages land at the top of your recipient’s inbox precisely when they are most likely to read them.