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How to Send Microsoft Lists Due-Date Reminders with Power Automate

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to configure an automated system to email assigned users exactly seven days before a task's deadline in Microsoft Lists, including users from outside their immediate tenant.

Send Microsoft Lists Due-Date Reminders with Power Automate

Product: Microsoft Lists
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up advanced task tracking and automated deadline notifications for internal and cross-tenant users.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Lists' built-in notification rules do not support sending customized, time-delayed reminders (like exactly seven days before a due date) to dynamically assigned users.

Before you start

Verify that you have an active Power Automate license, adequate permissions to access the target Microsoft List, and that cross-tenant users have valid email addresses stored in your list.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Scheduled Cloud Flow in Power Automate

Use Power Automate to run a daily check on your Microsoft List and automatically email users whose tasks are exactly seven days away from the deadline.

Since the native Microsoft Lists interface only triggers alerts upon item creation or modification, a Scheduled Cloud Flow in Power Automate is required to evaluate date conditions on a recurring basis.

Set up a daily scheduled flow

Log in to Power Automate, click 'Create' from the left menu, and select 'Scheduled cloud flow'. Name your flow, set it to run once every day, and click 'Create'.

Initialize a time variable

Add an action called 'Compose' (or 'Get future time'). Use a workflow expression like addDays(utcNow(), 7, 'yyyy-MM-dd') to calculate the exact date seven days from today.

Retrieve items from Microsoft Lists

Add the 'Get items' action from the SharePoint connector. Select your Site Address and List Name. In the advanced options, use an OData Filter Query to match the list's Due Date column with your calculated time variable (e.g., DueDate eq 'Outputs').

Send the email reminder

Add the 'Send an email (V2)' action. Power Automate will automatically wrap this in an 'Apply to each' loop. In the 'To' field, select the 'Assigned To Email' dynamic content. Customize the Subject and Body with specific task details to notify both internal and cross-tenant users.

Create a Scheduled Cloud Flow in Power Automate

Cross-Tenant Compatibility: For users in another tenant to receive the email seamlessly, ensure their email addresses are correctly formatted in a Text column or that they have been added as Guest Users in your Azure Active Directory.

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Track Tasks and Manage Documents with WPS Office

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set the reminder for 3 days or 14 days instead of 7?

Yes. In the Power Automate flow, simply adjust the 'addDays' expression or the 'Get future time' interval to 3 or 14 days. The logic will automatically check for items matching that new timeframe.

Will this flow send duplicate emails every day?

No, as long as your OData filter query strictly matches the due date to exactly 7 days in the future (e.g., matching 'yyyy-MM-dd'). It will only trigger once on the specific day that is exactly 7 days prior to the deadline.

Why can't I just use the 'Set a reminder' feature natively in Microsoft Lists?

The native 'Set a reminder' feature is limited to personal alerts or basic modifications. It does not natively support dynamically emailing specific cross-tenant users stored in an 'Assigned To' column exactly seven days before a due date.

What if the 'Assigned To' user is from another tenant and doesn't appear in the directory?

If they are not in your directory, avoid using the standard 'Person or Group' column type. Instead, use a standard 'Single line of text' column to store their email address, and map that column directly into the 'To' field of the 'Send an email (V2)' action.

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