How to Schedule a Recurring Email in Outlook Using Rules and Templates

You need to send the same email, like a weekly report or a monthly reminder, on a regular schedule. Outlook does not have a built-in “send later” feature for recurring messages. This article explains how to automate this task by combining email templates with Outlook rules.

You will create a message template once and set up a rule to send it automatically. The process uses the delayed delivery feature and requires Outlook to be running on your scheduled send time.

How Rules and Templates Work for Recurring Emails

Outlook rules are automated actions triggered by specific events, like receiving or sending a message. For a recurring email, you create a rule that triggers when you manually send a specially crafted template. The rule’s key action is to delay the delivery of that specific message.

You must create the email content once and save it as an Outlook Template file with an .oft extension. This template preserves the subject, body, recipients, and attachments. To send it, you open the template, which creates a new message in your draft state. You then send it manually to trigger the scheduling rule.

A critical requirement is that Outlook must be running and connected to your mail server at the scheduled send time. The rule uses the “defer delivery” function, which holds the message in your Outbox for the specified number of minutes before releasing it to the server.

Steps to Create and Schedule a Recurring Email

Part 1: Create the Email Template

1. Compose a new email
   Open Outlook and click New Email. Add all recipients, write the subject, and compose the full body of your recurring message. Attach any necessary files.
2. Save the message as a template
   Click File > Save As. In the dialog box, navigate to where you want to save the file. Change the “Save as type” dropdown to “Outlook Template (*.oft)”. Name the file clearly, like “Weekly-Report.oft”, and click Save.
3. Close the draft without saving
   Close the message window. When prompted to save changes, click No. The draft is not needed because the template file is already saved.

Part 2: Set Up the Scheduling Rule

1. Open the Rules Wizard
   Go to the File tab and select Manage Rules & Alerts. In the new window, click New Rule on the E-mail Rules tab.
2. Choose the rule template
   In the Rules Wizard, select “Apply rule on messages I send” from the list of templates. Click Next.
3. Set the condition
   You need a condition to identify your template. Check the box for “with specific words in the subject”. In the lower pane, click the “specific words” link. Type the exact subject line of your template email and click Add, then OK. Click Next.
4. Select the delay action
   Check the box for “defer delivery by a number of minutes”. In the lower pane, click the “a number of” link. Enter the delay in minutes. For a weekly email, you would enter 10080, which is 7 days times 24 hours times 60 minutes. Click OK, then Next.
5. Finish the rule setup
   Skip adding any exceptions by clicking Next. Name your rule, for example, “Send Weekly Report”. Ensure the box for “Turn on this rule” is checked. Click Finish to save and activate the rule.

Part 3: Send the Template to Trigger the Rule

1. Open your saved template
   In the main Outlook window, go to Home > New Items > More Items > Choose Form. In the Choose Form dialog, click the “Look In” dropdown and select “User Templates in File System”. Browse to and select your .oft file, then click Open.
2. Send the message immediately
   A new message window opens with your template content loaded. Do not change the subject. Simply click the Send button. The rule will intercept this message, apply the delay you set, and hold it in your Outbox until the time is up.

Common Mistakes and Limitations to Avoid

Outlook Must Be Running to Send the Delayed Email

The defer delivery action works by holding the message in your local Outbox. If you close Outlook or put your computer to sleep before the delay period ends, the send action will not occur until Outlook is reopened and connected. For critical schedules, ensure your device and Outlook remain active.

The Rule Triggers Only on the Exact Subject Line

The rule condition checks for specific words in the subject. If you modify the subject when opening the template, the rule will not recognize it, and the email will send immediately. Always send the template with its original, unaltered subject line.

Recurring Send Requires Manual Template Launch

This method schedules only one send instance per triggered rule. To make an email truly recurring, you must manually open and send the template again after each cycle completes. You cannot set the rule to automatically resend the template from a file at future intervals.

Rules Do Not Work with Some Account Types

Server-side rules for Microsoft 365 or Exchange accounts process messages on the mail server. The “defer delivery” action is a client-side action that requires Outlook to be running. If your account uses server-only rules, this delay action may not be available or may function inconsistently.

Manual Template Send vs. Full Task Automation

Item	Using Rules and Templates	Using Task Automation (VBA/Power Automate)
Setup Complexity	Moderate, uses built-in Outlook features	High, requires scripting or cloud workflow knowledge
Recurrence Handling	Manual, user must send template each cycle	Automatic, can be set to run on a true schedule
Outlook Running Required	Yes, at scheduled send time	VBA: Yes. Power Automate: No
Best For	Infrequent, reminder-based emails you control	Business-critical, hands-off reports and notifications

You can now automate sending standard emails like weekly updates or monthly invoices. Remember to keep Outlook open so the delayed delivery rule can execute. For a more advanced method, explore creating a recurring calendar appointment with the email template attached as a file, then using a rule triggered by that appointment.