Can I pre-send email?

I have the need to send clients reminders a few days before certain meetings. Is there any way that I can compose the message and queue it up to be sent a future date and time?

 

I have a client meeting on Jan 19. I'd like to send a reminder on Jan 17 in the morning. I'd love to be able to "send" it right now but not have it actually sent until Jan 17. That way I don't have to set a reminder for myself.

 

PS: If is also possible that it would give me a chance to OK it just before it is actually sent, that would be perfect.

Edited by Cynthia Moore, 11 January 2017 - 04:01 PM.

Ideas Per Google

 

Louis

I assume here you're using Outlook. If not then this does not apply.

Delay the delivery of a single message:

1. In the message, on the Options tab, in the More Options group, click Delay Delivery .

2. Click Message Options.

3. Under Delivery options, select the Do not deliver before check box, and then click the delivery date and time that you want.

From: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Delay-or-schedule-sending-email-messages-026af69f-c287-490a-a72f-6c65793744ba

I assume here you're using Outlook. If not then this does not apply.

Yes, I should have mentioned that. Sorry. 
 

Delay the delivery of a single message:

1. In the message, on the Options tab, in the More Options group, click Delay Delivery .

2. Click Message Options.

3. Under Delivery options, select the Do not deliver before check box, and then click the delivery date and time that you want.

From: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Delay-or-schedule-sending-email-messages-026af69f-c287-490a-a72f-6c65793744ba

Perfect. I'm running a test right now.

I also found that I can add a column in the Outbox window to show the Defer Until date-time. Excellent.

Thanks so much. 

Ideas Per Google

 

Louis

Thanks for that suggestion. I may have what I need within Outlook.

"...If is also possible that it would give me a chance to OK it just before it is actually sent, that would be perfect..."

My earlier Mozilla Thunderbird and my present eM Client never gave me that option -- did the above given steps give you that option in your Outlook?

"...If is also possible that it would give me a chance to OK it just before it is actually sent, that would be perfect..."

My earlier Mozilla Thunderbird and my present eM Client never gave me that option -- did the above given steps give you that option in your Outlook?

I don't see that that is an option in Outlook 2007, which is what I an running right now.

Hi:

 

Sorry, I cannot help with Outlook, as I have never used it.

But I presume there is some way to compose and save a DRAFT message?

 

As to this:

 

"...If is also possible that it would give me a chance to OK it just before it is actually sent, that would be perfect..."

My earlier Mozilla Thunderbird and my present eM Client never gave me that option --<snip>

(emphasis mine)

 

That's not entirely accurate.

While TB does not specifically provide a "send later" function, there is a way to do it.

 

It involves temporarily switching TB to "offline" state.  Messages will be stored in the Outbox until TB is restored to "online" state.

And, there are extensions that can be used to schedule sending.

This tutorial explains more:

 

Outbox - Mozillazine Knowledge Base

 

Bottom line: delayed/scheduled sending from an email client is more complicated than it seems at face value.  That's probably why it's not a common feature in today's email clients.

 

>>Disclaimer: That tutorial has not been updated in a while and I have not personally tried any of the extensions mentioned there.

 

Cheers,

MM

 

{EDIT: typo}

Edited by MoxieMomma, 11 January 2017 - 09:44 PM.

I just discovered a little Microsoft gotcha related to delayed-delivery emails. If I try to close Outlook, it complains that I have unsent messages in my outbox. It them offers me a choice to "Exit without sending" or "Don't exit". If I click on "Exit without sending", it restarts the 30 second clock.

 

So now whenever I make use of the delayed delivery feature, I have the choice of waiting 30 seconds or waiting 30 seconds multiple times to close Outlook. I sure hope some genius developer at M$FT got a bonus for that one.  

 

PS: I just discovered that it's even worse. If I wait for the 30 seconds, it then resets the clock to 30 seconds and does it again. So I have to wait 60 seconds. If I ever make the mistake of clicking on the Exit without sending button, it starts all over.

 

PPS: And if I have more than 1 Outlook window open, I get the message on the last one, which means that the default windows when I reopen Outlook will be screwed up.

Edited by Cynthia Moore, 12 January 2017 - 02:24 PM.

MoxieMomma, thanks for your post!  I should have said there was no "single click - click here" choice; there was a work-around that I never knew about and never explored -- until you mentioned it  

I just discovered a little Microsoft gotcha related to delayed-delivery emails. If I try to close Outlook, it complains that I have unsent messages in my outbox. It them offers me a choice to "Exit without sending" or "Don't exit". If I click on "Exit without sending", it restarts the 30 second clock.
 
So now whenever I make use of the delayed delivery feature, I have the choice of waiting 30 seconds or waiting 30 seconds multiple times to close Outlook. I sure hope some genius developer at M$FT got a bonus for that one.  
 
PS: I just discovered that it's even worse. If I wait for the 30 seconds, it then resets the clock to 30 seconds and does it again. So I have to wait 60 seconds. If I ever make the mistake of clicking on the Exit without sending button, it starts all over.
 
PPS: And if I have more than 1 Outlook window open, I get the message on the last one, which means that the default windows when I reopen Outlook will be screwed up.

I believe this is tied into the fact (if memory serves) that Outlook cannot send any email message unless it is actively running. So, it sees the delayed email messages in the outgoing/to be sent folder and is giving you a warning as a reminder in effect. Now, one could argue that Microsoft should have been smart enough to make Outlook realize that those delayed send messages are not going to be sent for a couple days, but then Microsoft/Outlook does not know when you are going start Outlook backup so that argument is kind of weakened.

Best that I can suggest is don't close Outlook and just leave your computer running. In today's world, there is no harm to the computer to have it running 24/7, although some would argue that it does waste power (not that much if you have power save options turned on).