Send & Receive Issues

How to Delay Outlook Emails Until Monday Automatically

Muhammad Talha Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to schedule or delay emails drafted over the weekend so they are automatically sent on Monday morning.

How to Delay Outlook Emails Until Monday Automatically

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Working over the weekend and drafting emails that should not be sent until the start of the next business week.
Observed behavior: Users need a way to hold messages in the Outbox and automatically dispatch them on Monday without requiring manual action at the time of sending.

Before you start

Ensure that your Outlook application remains open and connected to the internet if you are using a POP3 or IMAP account, as emails may not send at the scheduled time if the app is closed. Exchange accounts process delayed emails directly on the server.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Delay Delivery for Individual Emails

The most reliable method to send a weekend email on Monday is to set a specific delivery date and time for each message before sending.

By using the native 'Delay Delivery' option inside the email composer, you can easily instruct Outlook to hold onto the message until a precise date and time.

Compose a new email

Open Outlook and click 'New Email' to draft your message as you normally would.

Access the Options tab

In the message window, navigate to the 'Options' tab on the top ribbon menu.

Select Delay Delivery

Click on 'Delay Delivery' in the More Options group. This opens the Properties dialog box.

Set Date and Time

Under Delivery options, check the box next to 'Do not deliver before'. Choose the upcoming Monday date and your desired morning time from the dropdown lists.

Send the scheduled email

Click 'Close' on the Properties box and then hit 'Send'. The email will stay safely in your Outbox until the scheduled time arrives.

Use Delay Delivery for Individual Emails

Email Stored in Outbox: You can open the Outbox folder at any time before the scheduled delivery to edit, delete, or reschedule the email.

Solution 2

Create a Rule to Delay All Outgoing Messages

Set up a rule to defer all sent emails by a specified amount of time. Note that this feature allows a maximum delay of two hours.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to keep Outlook open for delayed delivery to work?

If you are using an Exchange server account, you can close Outlook and the server will still send the email at the scheduled time. If you use an IMAP or POP3 account, Outlook must remain open until the scheduled delivery time.

Can I automatically hold all weekend emails until Monday?

Outlook does not have a native rule to specifically hold all weekend emails until Monday morning. You must either use the 'Delay Delivery' option on individual emails manually or rely on third-party add-ins or advanced VBA scripts to automate weekend delays.

How can I edit an email that is waiting to be sent?

Navigate to your Outbox folder, open the scheduled email, make your changes, and click 'Send' again. The original delay delivery settings will remain intact unless you change them in the Options tab.

Why did my delayed email send immediately?

This usually happens if the 'Do not deliver before' date or time has already passed when you clicked Send, or if the system clock on your computer is incorrect.

Outlook & Email Problems