Schedule Emails in Outlook and Send Them at the Right Time
Outlook’s Schedule Send feature lets you finish an email when it suits you and choose when it reaches the recipient.
Reviewed by Connected Platforms | Updated September 2026
Why schedule an email?
Scheduling is useful when you finish a message outside business hours, prepare a recurring update early or want an announcement to arrive at a more appropriate time.
- Send during the recipient’s working hours.
- Prepare client follow-ups while the details are fresh.
- Avoid relying on reminders or memory.
- Reduce unnecessary after-hours notifications.
- Coordinate updates for a planned launch or meeting.
How to use Schedule Send in Outlook
Compose the message
Add recipients, subject, attachments and the final message.
Open the send options
Select the arrow beside Send in new Outlook or Outlook on the web.
Choose Schedule send
Pick a suggested time or set a custom date and time.
Review before confirming
Check recipients, attachments, time zone and the intended delivery time.
Change or cancel if needed
Open the scheduled message from Drafts or the relevant scheduled folder, depending on your Outlook version.
Useful situations
Client follow-ups
Write the update after a meeting and schedule it for the next suitable business window.
Team updates
Prepare a weekly message early and deliver it at a consistent time.
Leave preparation
Schedule known communications before you are away, while keeping someone responsible for replies.
Early or late work
Work when you are productive without creating pressure for others to respond outside normal hours.
Check the details before relying on it
The exact steps and delivery behaviour can vary between Outlook versions, account types and organisational settings. Confirm that the message appears as scheduled and that the account will be able to send it.
- Check the recipient’s time zone.
- Do not schedule sensitive information unless the recipient and attachments are correct.
- Avoid scheduling messages that may become outdated before delivery.
- Use a calendar task when the follow-up needs human judgement rather than automatic delivery.
Try it this week
Choose one non-urgent email you would normally send immediately and schedule it for a more useful time. It takes seconds and removes one small task from your mental list.
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