Information Technology

How to Send a Time Delayed E-mail in Microsoft Outlook 2007

This process does not work with Outloook Web Access, only the program Outlook 2007 itself.

1. Open Microsoft Outlook 2007
2. Create a new e-mail and set it up as you normally would.
3. Before clicking "Send," click on the word "Options" in the "Message" tab at the top of the e-mail.
4. In the resulting window, check the box labeled "Do not deliver before:"
5. Type in the date and time that you want the message to arrive in the recipient's inbox (NB: if you set it to a time in the past, it will be delivered immediately)
6. Click the "Close" button in the Message Options Window.
7. Go ahead and send your e-mail.

You may notice that the message remains in the Outbox of your mail folder. Don't worry about this, it will be sent out at the time, even if you are not logged in and even if Microsoft Outlook 2007 is not open.

If you open the e-mail while it is in your Outbox, it will not be sent at the proper time (Outlook will think that it's an unfinished draft). If you do open it, you will have to click "Send" again after you are finished modifying the e-mail in order for it to be delivered on time. E-mails that will be sent at the appropriate time are in italics in your "Outbox" view in Outlook while e-mails that will not are in regular type.

This document last reviewed August 3rd, 2010.