How to Set a Microsoft Planner Reminder Three Days Before a Due Date
Question details
The user wants to configure Microsoft Planner to send task notifications exactly three days before the designated due dates.
- Product
- Microsoft Planner
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing task deadlines and ensuring team members receive timely notifications before tasks become overdue.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Planner provides standard due-date alerts but lacks a native built-in setting to customize reminders for a specific number of days prior to the deadline.
Ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 account with permissions to access both Microsoft Planner and Power Automate to create custom workflow notifications.
Create a Custom Power Automate Flow
Since Planner lacks a native pre-alert feature, you can build a scheduled Power Automate flow to trigger notifications three days before any task's due date.
Power Automate allows you to bridge the functionality gap in Microsoft Planner by connecting it with email or Teams notifications. By setting up a scheduled cloud flow, the system can automatically check task due dates daily and notify assigned users in advance.
Log in to Microsoft Power Automate, select 'Create' from the left navigation menu, and choose 'Scheduled cloud flow'. Set the recurrence interval to repeat every 1 day.
Add a new step and search for 'List tasks'. Select the specific Plan ID and Group ID linked to the Microsoft Planner board you want to monitor.
Use compose actions to calculate the date three days from the current date. Then, add an 'Apply to each' loop and a 'Condition' to check if each task's due date matches this calculated date.
In the 'If yes' branch of your condition, add an action such as 'Send an email (V2)' via Outlook or 'Post a message' in Microsoft Teams to alert the users assigned to the task.
Submit a Feature Request via the Feedback Portal
If you prefer not to rely on Power Automate workarounds, submitting feedback directly to Microsoft can help prioritize native customization in future updates.
Streamline Your Project Management with WPS Office
While automated reminders in Microsoft Planner require building complex Power Automate flows, managing your daily tasks doesn't have to be complicated. WPS Office is a free, lightweight suite that provides highly customizable project planning templates, allowing you to track deadlines intuitively without needing advanced workflow programming.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS Office website to download and install the free productivity suite.
- 2. Explore Templates: Open WPS Spreadsheet, navigate to the 'Templates' section, and search for 'Task Tracker' or 'Project Planner'.
- 3. Customize Your Schedule: Download your preferred template and easily customize deadlines and statuses to manage your team's workload natively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set reminders in Microsoft Planner without using Power Automate?
No, native Planner settings only provide standard due-date emails (such as when a task is due today or overdue) and do not allow you to customize a reminder for a specific number of days in advance. You must use Power Automate for custom timing.
Will the Power Automate flow notify me if the task is already completed?
It will notify you unless you add a specific condition in your flow to check the completion status. You must configure the flow to ignore tasks where the completion percentage equals 100%.
Can I notify the entire team or just the assigned user?
In your Power Automate flow, you can map the notification action to either email the assigned user directly using dynamic content, or post a message in a Microsoft Teams channel to notify the entire group.
Are there additional costs to use Power Automate with Microsoft Planner?
Standard Power Automate features used to connect Microsoft Planner with Office 365 Outlook or Teams are generally included in most standard Microsoft 365 business and enterprise subscriptions at no extra cost.
