Delaying email send in Outlook

All too often, I send an email and regret it a moment later.

Maybe I bumped into Send before I was ready. Maybe I wrote something mean & nasty, and want to rephrase to something more constructive. Maybe I think of a better way to make my point.

With these steps, Outlook will keep my message in the Outbox for a few minutes. When I change my mind, I can go there and modify the message.

1. Tools.Rules and Alerts
2. New Rule
3. Start from a Blank Rule
4. Check Messages before Sending
5. Next
6. (don't check any conditions)
7. Next
   • Yes, apply to every rule
8. Check "defer delivery by a number of minutes" (the last checkbox)
9. Click on "a number of".
   1. 3
   2. OK
10. Next
11. (don't check any exceptions)
12. Next
13. Supply name if you like.
14. Finish

Comments

• Anonymous
  August 04, 2004
  We use exchange 2000 + Outlook 2003 but don't have the option "Check messages before sending". Does this sound right?
• Anonymous
  August 04, 2004
  I use this feature, but sometimes I want to ignore the delay for a certain message, that is, I want to send it right away. Is this possible?
• Anonymous
  August 04, 2004
  Even simpler. Set Outlook not to send automatically. Go to the "Mail Setup" tab in options and deselect "Send Automatically when Connected". Bob's yer uncle, mail sits happily in your Outbox until you go in there and hit Shift f9.
  
  Saved me a few times that. Only problem is the occasions when you forget to shift f9!
• Anonymous
  August 05, 2004
  Larry: With the message open, click on Options on the toolbar. There's a "Don't send before". Uncheck it.
  
  That should do the trick.
• Anonymous
  August 05, 2004
  Another option is to remove the To, Cc (and Bcc) lists while writing the message. Even if you accidentally hit Send, it won't go. Once you are sure you want to send it, fill them back in. No messing around with options.
• Anonymous
  August 06, 2004
  The comment has been removed