Delay Delivery in Outlook Explained

Use Delay Delivery in classic Outlook for Windows

Delay Delivery is the classic Outlook control for holding an outgoing email until a chosen date and time. It is useful when you finish a message early but want to release it during the recipient's working day. It can also give you time to revisit an email before it leaves your Outbox.

These instructions apply to classic Outlook for Windows. New Outlook uses Schedule send instead. Before starting, confirm which interface you have. If you cannot find the classic Options ribbon or delivery properties, see the guide to scheduling across Outlook versions.

Set Do not deliver before for an individual message

1. Create a new email or open a reply in its own compose window.
2. Enter the recipients, subject, message, and attachments.
3. On the ribbon, select Options, then Delay Delivery.
4. In Delivery options, select the checkbox for Do not deliver before.
5. Choose the date and time when Outlook may release the message.
6. Close the properties window and click Send.

The email remains in the Outbox until it becomes eligible for delivery. Choosing a time does not send or queue the draft by itself. You must click Send after closing the properties window. Check the Outbox afterward to confirm that the intended message is there.

Read the selected time using Outlook's displayed time settings. Do not assume it represents the recipient's local time. An email addressed to people in different regions still has the same release time for everyone.

Edit, release, or cancel a delayed message

Before its scheduled release, open the Outbox and open the pending message. Change its content or return to Options and Delay Delivery to revise the date and time. Close the properties window and click Send again so the updated message returns to the queue.

To release it as soon as Outlook can send, clear Do not deliver before, close the properties window, and click Send. To cancel the pending send, move the message out of the Outbox into Drafts or delete it. Confirm that it is no longer queued. These controls affect pending messages and cannot retrieve an email that has already left.

Create a rule that delays outgoing messages

A rule can add a short review buffer to messages you send through classic Outlook. This differs from selecting a calendar date for an individual email. The rule applies a delay to matching outgoing messages after you click Send.

1. Open File and select Manage Rules & Alerts.
2. Choose New Rule and start with Apply rule on messages I send.
3. Select the conditions that should trigger the delay. If you leave them blank, confirm that you intend the rule to cover all outgoing messages.
4. Select defer delivery by a number of minutes and choose an allowed duration.
5. Add any exceptions needed for messages that should bypass the delay.
6. Name the rule, enable it, and finish the setup.

Review the conditions and exceptions carefully before relying on the rule. A broad rule can hold an urgent email you expected to send immediately. After setup, inspect a harmless pending message to understand how the rule behaves in your mailbox and how to remove it from the queue.

Keep classic Outlook open for delayed delivery rules

The outgoing defer delivery rule is a client rule. Classic Outlook must be running and connected for it to process and send the queued messages. Closing the application can postpone delivery beyond the selected delay. A local rule is not an unattended scheduling service.

For individual Delay Delivery messages, behavior can also depend on the account and connection. Keep classic Outlook open and connected when relying on its Outbox, and verify your mailbox behavior before using it for time sensitive communication. A queued send time is not a guarantee of arrival or reading.

What native Delay Delivery lacks for teams

Delay Delivery sets one release time for an email in one channel. Its outgoing rule adds a delay but does not calculate each recipient's time zone, enforce configurable recipient quiet hours rules, or require a teammate's approval. Neither control coordinates a shared sending plan across email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

ScheduleSend is a subscription service for B2B teams that schedules those channels at each recipient's local time, with quiet hours rules and approvals. Use the ScheduleSend planner to prepare team messages and review pricing for subscription options. Your team remains responsible for consent and local messaging rules.