How to Send a Delayed Email in Outlook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to send a delayed email in Outlook and improve your productivity and communication with this step-by-step guide. Discover different approaches using Rules, VBA coding, Quick Steps, and the built-in Delay Delivery feature for delayed emails.

I. Introduction

Have you ever written an email but wanted to delay sending it until later? Perhaps you need to wait for additional information, want to avoid sending an email outside of business hours, or need to schedule reminders for follow-up emails. Whatever your reason may be, you can send a delayed email in Outlook with just a few clicks. In this article, we will explore different approaches to send delayed emails in Outlook, including creating rules, using VBA coding, setting up quick steps, and using the built-in Delay Delivery feature. Let’s get started!

II. Step-by-Step Guide

To send a delayed email in Outlook, you can follow these steps:

Compose a new email in Outlook.
Click on the “Options” tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
Click on the “Delay Delivery” button located in the “More Options” group.
In the “Properties” pop-up window that appears, check the box next to “Do not deliver before,” and select a date and time for delivery from the drop-down menus.
Click “Close” to save your changes.
Finish composing your email, and click “Send.” Your email will now be sent at the scheduled time.

Now that you know the basics, let’s explore some advanced approaches to send delayed emails in Outlook.

III. Using Rules Feature

The Rules feature in Outlook allows users to create custom actions based on specific criteria. You can use this feature to delay email delivery by creating a rule that delays sending emails for a specified period of time. Here’s how:

Open Outlook and click on the “File” tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
Click on “Manage Rules & Alerts.”
Click on the “New Rule” button, and select “Apply rule on messages I send.”
In the “Select Conditions” section, select the criteria you want your delayed emails to meet.
In the “Select Actions” section, select “Defer delivery by a number of minutes.”
Enter the number of minutes by which you want to delay delivery.
Click “Finish” to save your new rule.

Now, any email you send that meets the criteria you selected in step 4 will be delayed by the number of minutes you specified in step 6.

IV. Via VBA Coding

VBA macros are a powerful tool for automating tasks in Outlook, including sending delayed emails. However, this approach requires some coding knowledge. If you are comfortable writing code, here’s how to create a custom macro to send a delayed email in Outlook:

Open Outlook and press “Alt” + “F11” to open the VBA editor.
Click on “Insert” and select “Module.”

Copy and paste the following code into the module:

Sub DelayedMail()
Dim objMail As Outlook.MailItem
Set objMail = Application.CreateItem(olMailItem)
With objMail
  .DelayDeliveryTime = #3/11/2019 10:00:00 AM#
  .To = "[email protected]"
  .Subject = "Delayed email test"
  .Body = "This is a test email sent using a VBA macro."
  .Send
End With
End Sub

Edit the code to meet your specifications, including changing the date and time in the “DelayDeliveryTime” line and customizing the email address, subject, and body text.
Click the “Run” button to execute the macro.

After running the macro, your delayed email will be sent according to the date and time you specified in the code.

V. Setting Up Quick Steps

Quick Steps are a feature in Outlook that automates repetitive tasks. You can use Quick Steps to send delayed emails by creating a custom step that delays delivery. Here’s how:

Open Outlook and click on “Create New” or “Custom” Quick Step in the Quick Steps group in the Home tab.
Enter a name for your Quick Step and select “Send email” as the action.
In the “To” field, enter the recipient’s email address.
Add any desired text or attachments to the body of the email.
Expand the “Options” section and select “Delay Delivery.”
Select a date and time for delivery from the drop-down menus.
Click “Finish” to save your new Quick Step.

Now, whenever you want to send a delayed email in Outlook, simply select your Quick Step and customize the recipient and email content as desired.

VI. Delayed Delivery Options

The built-in Delay Delivery feature in Outlook allows you to send a delayed email without using any additional tools or features. Here’s how to use it:

Compose a new email in Outlook and enter the recipient’s email address, subject, and message.
Click on the “Options” tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
Click on the “Delay Delivery” button located in the “More Options” group.
In the “Properties” pop-up window that appears, check the box next to “Do not deliver before,” and select a date and time for delivery from the drop-down menus.
Click “Close” to save your changes.
Finish composing your email, and click “Send.” Your email will now be sent at the scheduled time.

If you prefer to use the keyboard, you can also press “CTRL” + “ALT” + “B” to bring up the Properties window.

VII. Organizational Benefits

Delayed emails can benefit organizations in a variety of ways. By sending emails at appropriate times, organizations can improve their communication, productivity, and efficiency. One example is scheduling reminder emails for important meetings or deadlines. By sending these emails ahead of time, recipients will be better prepared and more likely to be on time. Another example is sending emails during business hours to avoid disturbing employees outside of work hours, which can improve work-life balance and employee satisfaction.

VIII. Reminder For Follow-ups

Sales and marketing professionals can also benefit from delayed emails by using them as reminder tools for follow-up communications. For example, they can schedule follow-up emails for prospects who have shown interest in their products or services. This can increase the likelihood of closing deals and improve sales results. Additionally, delayed emails can be used to follow up with existing customers to gather feedback or provide information about new products or services.

Create a new email in Outlook.
Click on the “Options” tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
Click on the “Delay Delivery” button located in the “More Options” group.
In the “Properties” pop-up window that appears, check the box next to “Do not deliver before,” and select a date and time for delivery from the drop-down menus.
Finish composing your email, and click “Send.” Your email will now be sent at the scheduled time to remind your recipients to follow-up on previous conversations or meetings.

IX. Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know how to send delayed emails in Outlook using various approaches such as Rules, VBA coding, Quick Steps, and the built-in Delay Delivery feature. Delayed emails can improve communication, productivity, and efficiency in organizations and serve as a reminder tool in sales and marketing. With this knowledge, you can easily schedule emails for sending at a later time and focus on other important tasks.