How to Edit a Scheduled Email in Outlook

To edit an Outlook email that is scheduled to send, cancel or reopen its scheduled delivery, change the message or send time, and schedule it again. The steps depend on which Outlook you use: new Outlook and Outlook on the web usually return a canceled message to Drafts, while classic Outlook for Windows keeps delayed messages in Outbox.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Outlook account that contains the scheduled message.
The Outlook app or website where you scheduled it. Menu names and message locations differ between classic Outlook, new Outlook, and Outlook on the web.
The new date and time you want, plus any updated message text, recipients, or attachments.
A little time before the scheduled send. If the delivery time is close, cancel or update the message promptly to reduce the chance it sends while you are editing.

Step-by-Step

Identify your Outlook version. In Windows, classic Outlook has the traditional desktop ribbon and may show a File tab; new Outlook has a more modern interface and a Settings gear. Outlook on the web runs in a browser. If you are unsure, check the app you used to schedule the email, because a scheduled message may not appear in the same folder or have the same controls in every version.
For new Outlook or Outlook on the web, open Drafts. In the folder list, select Drafts and look for the scheduled message. It may be labeled as scheduled or show its planned delivery time. Open the message to review it. If you do not see it in Drafts, check that you are signed in to the correct account and look for a Scheduled folder or a scheduled-message notice in the folder list; labels can vary by account and interface.
Cancel the scheduled send before making changes. In the open scheduled message, look for Cancel schedule or a similar cancel-sending control. Select it and confirm if Outlook asks. The message should return to Drafts as an ordinary unsent draft. This step prevents the original schedule from remaining active while you edit. Do not simply delete the message unless you want to discard it.
Edit the draft. Open the returned draft and change whatever needs updating: the To, Cc, or Bcc fields; the subject; the message body; or its attachments. Check the recipient addresses carefully, especially if you are changing an existing reply or forwarding a thread. If the content depends on a link or attachment, open or verify it before rescheduling.
Choose the new send time and schedule it again. Select the arrow or dropdown beside Send, then choose Schedule send or Schedule send later, depending on the version. Pick a suggested time or enter a custom date and time, then confirm the schedule. Reopen Drafts or the scheduled-message view to make sure the updated email is listed with the intended delivery time. If you decide it should go out immediately, use the normal Send command instead.
For classic Outlook for Windows, find the message in Outbox. Delayed-delivery messages generally wait in the Outbox until their delivery time. Select Outbox, open the message in its own window, and make the necessary changes. If it is not there, check whether Outlook has already sent it, or whether you are viewing a different account or mailbox.
Update the delivery setting in classic Outlook. With the message open, go to Options > Delay Delivery. Under Delivery options, update the Do not deliver before date and time. Make sure the date is in the future and review any other delivery settings before closing the dialog. Select Close, then select Send in the message window to save and queue the revised message. It should remain in Outbox until the new time. Check the Outbox entry afterward rather than assuming the change took effect.

On Mac: Outlook for Mac versions that offer scheduled sending generally use the dropdown beside Send and a scheduled-message or Drafts view. If the message was scheduled there, cancel its schedule, edit the returned draft, and schedule it again. Older versions may use a Send Later option with different behavior. Follow the controls shown in your version, and confirm the email is still unsent before changing it.

Common Mistakes

Editing without canceling first. In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, cancel the schedule and confirm the message becomes a draft before changing it. Otherwise, you may not be editing the active scheduled copy.
Looking in the wrong folder. New Outlook and web messages are commonly found in Drafts, while classic Outlook delayed messages are typically in Outbox. Check the account and folder before deciding the message has disappeared.
Confusing a time zone or date. A scheduled time can appear different from what you expected if your device, account, or recipient uses another time zone. Check the displayed date and local time, including whether the date is today or tomorrow.
Clicking Send before checking the schedule. In classic Outlook, the message window’s Send button is used to queue the revised delayed message. First verify the future delivery date under Delay Delivery; otherwise, you could send the email immediately.
Assuming edits update an attachment or recipient automatically. After changing the message, inspect the full recipient list and confirm each attachment is present and correct. A scheduled message is still an email that can be sent to the wrong person or without its intended file.

Tips

Make the changes in one pass: confirm recipients, subject, body, attachments, and delivery time before rescheduling.
For a time-sensitive message, schedule it a few minutes later than the current time rather than choosing a time that is about to pass. This gives you a chance to verify the scheduled entry.
After rescheduling, reopen the message or check its listing to confirm the new time. A confirmation banner alone is less useful than verifying the actual scheduled entry.
If you are editing a message on behalf of a shared mailbox, check that you have opened the shared mailbox’s Drafts or Outbox, not your personal account’s folder.
Keep the original wording somewhere safe before making major changes, especially if the scheduled email contains a long explanation or carefully formatted content.

Troubleshooting

The scheduled message is missing. Confirm you are signed into the account that created it, then check Drafts and Outbox. Search by a distinctive subject phrase if your Outlook version supports mailbox search. Also check Sent Items: if the scheduled time passed, the message may already have gone out. If it is a work or school mailbox, check the relevant shared mailbox or account rather than only your personal folders.

You cannot find Cancel schedule. Open the scheduled message itself rather than selecting it only in the folder list. Look for a schedule banner or a cancel option near the message controls. If the message is in classic Outlook’s Outbox, use Options > Delay Delivery to change its delivery time instead. A missing control can also mean you are in a different Outlook version or using an account that does not support that scheduling feature.

Outlook will not let you change the time. Make sure the new date and time are valid and in the future, then save or confirm the change. In classic Outlook, verify Do not deliver before is selected and set correctly. If the email has already left Outbox or appears in Sent Items, you generally cannot edit that sent copy; send a correction or a follow-up instead.

The message remains in Outbox past its delivery time. In classic Outlook, check your internet connection and account status, then verify that Outlook is not showing a send/receive error. Delayed delivery can depend on Outlook being open and connected, particularly with some account types. Keep Outlook running and connected when relying on a client-side delay, and check with your organization’s support team if a work account continues to hold the message.

The email sent while you were trying to edit it. Check Sent Items to confirm what was sent and when. If the content or recipients were wrong, contact the recipient if appropriate and send a corrected message. Outlook generally cannot recall a message reliably once it has been delivered, so do not count on recall as a substitute for correcting it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a scheduled email without canceling it?
In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, the practical method is to cancel the scheduled send, edit the resulting draft, and schedule it again. In classic Outlook for Windows, open the Outbox message and change its contents or Delay Delivery setting before re-queuing it.

Will canceling the schedule delete my email?
Normally, canceling a scheduled send returns the message to Drafts so you can revise it. Check that it appears there before closing Outlook. Deleting the draft is a separate action and discards the message.

Can I change only the send time?
Yes. Cancel the schedule and reschedule the unchanged draft in new Outlook or the web. In classic Outlook, open the Outbox message and update the date and time under Options > Delay Delivery.

Can I edit an email after Outlook has sent it?
No. Once it is sent, you cannot change the delivered message. You can send a correction or follow-up. Some work accounts offer recall under limited conditions, but it is not guaranteed to remove a message from recipients’ inboxes.

Does Outlook have to be open for a scheduled email to send?
It depends on the Outlook version and account. Classic Outlook delayed delivery can rely on the desktop app being open and connected, especially for some account types. New Outlook and web scheduling may be handled differently. If delivery is critical, keep classic Outlook open and online, and verify that the message leaves Outbox.

Why is the scheduled email in Drafts instead of Outbox?
New Outlook and Outlook on the web commonly keep scheduled messages in Drafts or a scheduled-message view. Classic Outlook for Windows commonly uses Outbox for delayed delivery. The folder location is one reason the steps differ by version.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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