How to Stop Daily Microsoft Lists Reminder Error Emails
Question details
The user is receiving daily error emails from a Microsoft Lists reminder and wants to stop them.
- Product
- Microsoft Lists
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- The user deleted a Microsoft List application, but the automated daily reminders associated with it continue to trigger error emails from an unknown source.
- Observed behavior
- Daily error emails persistently arrive in the user's inbox, even though the source list application has already been deleted.
Before proceeding, ensure you have access to the Power Automate and Outlook accounts associated with your Microsoft 365 profile, as reminders are often managed by these connected services rather than Lists directly.
Disable the Orphaned Flow in Power Automate
Microsoft Lists reminders are often powered by Power Automate. Deleting the list does not automatically delete the background flow, so you must turn it off manually.
When you set a reminder in Microsoft Lists, it automatically creates a scheduled flow in Power Automate. If the list is deleted, the flow continues to run, fails to find the list, and sends an error email to your inbox.
Go to the Microsoft Power Automate website and log in using the same Microsoft account that you used to create the deleted list.
On the left-hand navigation menu, click on 'My flows' to view all the automated processes linked to your account.
Look for a flow that says 'Get a reminder' or matches the name of your deleted list. You can also check the run history for flows showing a 'Failed' status.
Select the problematic flow. In the top menu, click 'Turn off' to temporarily disable it, or click 'Delete' to permanently remove the reminder.
Block or Filter the Emails via Outlook
If you cannot immediately locate or delete the source flow, you can set up Outlook rules to stop the error emails from cluttering your main inbox.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Microsoft Lists reminder emails continue after deleting the list?
Microsoft Lists uses Power Automate to handle reminders. Deleting the list removes the front-end data, but the scheduled background flow remains active. When the flow triggers, it cannot find the deleted list, resulting in a failed action and an error email.
How do I find out which Power Automate flow is sending the error emails?
Log into Power Automate, navigate to 'My flows', and look at the '28-day run history' column. Flows with a 'Failed' status that run daily at the time you receive the emails are likely the culprits.
Is it safe to block the email address sending these error messages?
While it is a quick fix, blocking the generic Power Automate sender address (usually macc@microsoft.com or similar) might prevent you from receiving legitimate notifications for other active flows you rely on. It is highly recommended to disable the specific failing flow instead.
