Need to schedule an email Outlook? Whether you’re planning ahead or managing your time more efficiently, scheduling emails is a key feature of Outlook. In this guide, we dive directly into how to schedule an email Outlook across different platforms, including Windows, Mac, and web versions. Discover step-by-step instructions to ensure your emails are sent exactly when you need them to be.
Key Takeaways
Outlook offers email scheduling options across Windows, Mac, and Web platforms, providing users with tools to send messages at specific dates and times using features like ‘Delay Delivery’ and ‘Send Later’.
Users can manage their scheduled emails in Outlook by tracking, editing, rescheduling, or canceling them, and have the option to delay delivery of all messages by creating a rule.
Third-party tools like Saleshandy and GMass offer advanced integration with Outlook and Gmail respectively, enabling automation and enhancement of email campaigns with features like mail merge and follow-up automation.
Scheduling Emails in Outlook: A Comprehensive Guide
Microsoft Outlook, a powerhouse in the world of email clients, offers a robust feature – scheduling emails. Whether you’re using an Outlook email account on Windows, Mac, or the web, the platform provides you a seamless experience. With a few simple steps, you can schedule an email for a specific delivery time, ensuring your message arrives precisely when you want it to.
We’ll now delve into the specifics.
Scheduling Emails in Outlook for Windows
If you are a Windows user, scheduling emails in Outlook is a walk in the park. The ‘Options’ tab in the ribbon houses the ‘Delay Delivery’ feature, which you can use to schedule your emails. To set a specific date and time for your message, you can check the ‘Do not deliver before’ box, and voila – you have just scheduled an email!
Nonetheless, bear in mind that the convenience offered by Outlook for Windows to delay the dispatch of individual messages or apply rules to postpone all messages necessitates careful management to prevent any miscommunication or issues with a delayed message. To avoid such issues, it’s crucial to send a message immediately when required, directly from the message window.
Scheduling Emails in Outlook for Mac
For those using Outlook on a Mac, the platform provides you a similar feature to schedule your emails. The ‘Send Later’ function, accessible by clicking the arrow next to the Send button of your email draft, enables you to choose the desired time and date for your email to be sent.
Enhancing the appeal of this feature is its adaptability. You can use default time slots like ‘tomorrow at 8:00 AM’ or customize the date and time as per your needs. Moreover, there are no limitations on the number of emails you can schedule, making it an excellent tool for those times when you have multiple emails to send out.
Scheduling Emails in Outlook on the Web
For those who prefer using Outlook on the Web, the platform has you covered with the ‘Schedule send’ option, also known as scheduled mail or scheduled message. Located next to the Send button when composing a message, this feature allows you to schedule your emails with ease.
Whether you choose to select one of the default options or set a custom date and time, the process of scheduling an email in Outlook on the Web is straightforward. However, it’s worth noting that the ‘Send’ option promptly sends the email, whereas the ‘Send later’ option enables you to schedule the email to be sent at a later time.
Managing Your Scheduled Emails in Outlook
Scheduling emails is just half the battle. The other half is managing your scheduled emails effectively. From tracking to editing, rescheduling, and canceling, Outlook offers a suite of features to help you take control of your email communication.
We’ll now delve into these features more in-depth.
Tracking Scheduled Emails
One of the first aspects of managing scheduled emails is tracking them. In Outlook, you can easily track your scheduled emails by checking your drafts or Outbox folder, which is ordered by date. This can be particularly helpful in ensuring your emails are scheduled correctly and will be sent out at the desired time.
For more advanced tracking capabilities, you can even add a ‘Defer Until’ column to your Outbox folder. This column displays the postponed delivery date and time for each email, making it easier for you to keep track of when each email is scheduled to be sent.
Editing or Rescheduling Emails
Sometimes, you may need to make changes to a scheduled email or reschedule it to a different time. In Outlook, you can easily do this by unscheduling the email first and then accessing the email in edit mode. Whether you need to alter the content or the recipient, Outlook gives you the flexibility to do so.
Furthermore, Outlook presents multiple methods for rescheduling emails. Whether you use the ‘Send later’ option or the ‘Delay Delivery’ feature, you can specify a new date and time for your email. And for more advanced management options, consider using third-party tools like Boomerang.
Canceling Scheduled Emails
If you change your mind about a scheduled email, Outlook allows you to cancel it effortlessly. Simply open the email and select the ‘Cancel Delivery’ option. This action will prevent the email from being sent as scheduled.
Not only can you cancel an individual email, but you can also cancel multiple scheduled emails at once. By opening your Outbox folder, selecting the emails you wish to cancel, and disabling the delayed delivery for each, you can have complete control over your outgoing emails.
Delaying Email Delivery for All Messages in Outlook
Along with scheduling individual emails, Outlook also allows you to delay the delivery of all your messages. This feature proves useful when you have numerous emails to dispatch and aim to avoid bombarding your recipients simultaneously.
Creating a Rule for Delayed Delivery
To delay the delivery of all your messages, you can create a rule in Outlook. This rule will include a ‘defer delivery by # minutes’ in the rule description, which will then delay all outgoing messages for the specified duration. Whether you want to delay your emails by a few minutes or a few hours, you can easily set it up in Outlook.
Creating a rule for delayed delivery in Outlook is beneficial due to the adaptability it offers. You can adjust the time settings for delayed delivery when configuring your rule. So, whether you want to send an email during your recipient’s work hours or at a time when they’re most likely to check their inbox, you can do so with ease.
Modifying or Disabling the Rule
As with any rule, the rule for delayed delivery in Outlook can also be modified or disabled. You can modify the rule by going to the ‘Options’ tab while composing a message, clicking on the ‘Delay Delivery’ button, and updating the delivery date and time as needed. To delay sending, simply follow these steps and adjust the delivery date accordingly.
To disable the rule for delayed delivery, follow these steps:
Navigate to the File menu.
Select Options.
Choose Add-Ins.
Click on Manage Com Add-ins.
Press Go.
This action will disable all add-ins, effectively disabling the delayed delivery rule.
Outlook vs. Gmail: Scheduling Email Showdown
Now that we’ve covered the various features and capabilities of Outlook for scheduling emails, it’s time to pit it against another popular email client – Gmail.
Both platforms offer robust features for scheduling emails, but how do they stack up against each other?
Advantages of Scheduling Emails in Outlook
Outlook excels in integrating with other Microsoft Office tools. Whether it’s Outlook.com, Office 365, or Boomerang, integration with these tools allows users to perform actions like:
Sending mail
Scheduling meetings
Adding contacts
and more.
In addition to this, the Outlook desktop app provides users with the ability to schedule emails through features such as ‘Send later’ and ‘Do not deliver before’. This strategic planning of email delivery can significantly enhance productivity, allowing users to work at flexible hours, respond promptly to individuals, minimize email clutter, and thoughtfully consider their message content before sending.
Advantages of Scheduling Emails in Gmail
Gmail counters with a built-in email scheduling feature, enabling users to draft messages in advance, including crafting the perfect subject line, and dispatch them at an optimal time for increased efficacy or convenience. This can be a game-changer for those looking to enhance their email communication strategy.
Furthermore, Gmail supports a variety of third-party extensions like:
Gmail Schedule tool
Mail Boss Scheduler
Boomerang for Gmail
Email Scheduler for Gmail
These extensions offer additional features that can further refine and automate the email scheduling process, making Gmail a formidable contender in the email scheduling showdown.
Automating Email Campaigns with Third-Party Tools
Beyond the native features of Outlook and Gmail, third-party tools can further enhance your email scheduling capabilities. Tools like Saleshandy for Outlook and GMass for Gmail can automate your email campaigns, offering advanced features that can take your email communication to the next level.
Saleshandy Integration with Outlook
Saleshandy is a cold email outreach software that integrates with Outlook using an Outlook plugin. This plugin empowers users to execute tasks such as:
Mail dispatch
Meeting scheduling
Contact addition
and more, directly from their Outlook interface.
In addition to its integration capabilities, Saleshandy offers the following features in Outlook:
Email scheduling: Users can schedule their emails to be sent at a specific date and time.
Multiple stages for engaging with leads: Users can configure multiple stages for their email campaigns and automate the dispatch of follow-up emails.
Personalized mail merge campaigns: Saleshandy is an excellent tool for running personalized mail merge campaigns.
These features make Saleshandy a powerful tool for enhancing email scheduling and running effective email campaigns in Outlook.
GMass Extension for Gmail
Contrarily, GMass serves as a robust mass email and mail merge system for Gmail. By installing the GMass extension from the Chrome Web Store, users can access features like email scheduling, mass emailing, and personalized email campaigns directly from their Gmail interface.
Apart from these features, GMass also allows for sending emails automatically to new rows in a Google Sheet and creating bulk email campaigns with analytics. This advanced functionality makes GMass a versatile tool for anyone looking to enhance their email communication strategy using Gmail.
Summary
To sum it up, scheduling emails in Outlook and Gmail can significantly enhance your email communication strategy. Whether you’re using the native features of these platforms or leveraging third-party tools like Saleshandy and GMass, the ability to schedule emails, delay delivery, and manage your scheduled emails effectively can revolutionize your communication workflow. So, why wait? Master the future of communication today by mastering email scheduling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I send a regular scheduled email in Outlook?
To send a regular scheduled email in Outlook, go to the “Options” tab, click on “Delay Delivery,” and then select the “Recurring” option in the “Do Not Deliver Before” dropdown menu.
How do I send an email at a certain time?
You can schedule emails on Gmail by composing a new message, tapping the More Options button, and selecting the Send Later button to choose a custom date and time. It’s a convenient feature available on both desktop and mobile devices.
Can you set a schedule in Outlook?
Yes, you can set a schedule in Outlook by clicking on the Options button in the Outlook ribbon and selecting the Delay Delivery option to schedule emails. If you want to schedule a calendar event or meeting, you can do so by selecting the calendar, clicking on New event, and entering the relevant details.
Can I schedule emails in Outlook for Mac?
Yes, you can schedule emails in Outlook for Mac by clicking the arrow next to the Send button and selecting ‘Send later’.
What are the advantages of using third-party tools like Saleshandy and GMass for email scheduling?
Using third-party tools like Saleshandy and GMass can enhance your email communication strategy by offering advanced features like personalized email scheduling, auto follow-ups, and large-scale campaigns. These tools provide benefits that can improve your overall email productivity.