Overview

     In this video, Jonathan Silva from Pragmatic Works demonstrates how to send recurring emails using Power Automate in Outlook. Power Automate allows users to automate workflows without the need for third-party connectors, making it a free and simple solution for recurring emails.

Setting Up Recurring Emails with Power Automate

Jonathan starts by explaining that Outlook itself doesn't provide an out-of-the-box solution for sending recurring emails. However, by using Power Automate, users can easily set up automated email reminders without any additional purchases or plugins.

Steps for Creating a Recurring Email Workflow

1. Open Outlook and navigate to the app launcher (referred to as the "waffle" in Microsoft jargon).
2. Select Power Automate from the app launcher to open the Power Automate site in your browser.
3. Click "Create" in the left-hand navigation pane to begin building your workflow.
4. Choose "Scheduled" as the trigger for the automation, as this is for recurring emails.
5. Give your workflow a name, such as "Send Recurring Emails Weekly."
6. Set the start date and time for the first email to go out, such as Monday at 9:00 AM.
7. Choose the frequency for the emails—weekly, daily, monthly, etc. You can customize it to run on specific days and times.
8. Click "Create" to initiate your scheduled workflow.

Customizing the Recurrence

Jonathan demonstrates how to customize the recurrence settings, such as adjusting the time zone and modifying the frequency of the emails. The recurrence trigger allows for fine-tuned scheduling, whether it's once a week, every day, or on specific days of the week.

Adding the Email Action

Next, users can add the "Send an Email" action to their workflow. Jonathan shows how to use the Office 365 Outlook connector to send emails directly from Power Automate.

1. Search for "Send an Email" in the action search bar.
2. Choose the Office 365 Outlook connector and sign in with your account.
3. Compose the email by adding the recipient's email, subject, and body of the message.

The email will be sent automatically according to the schedule set earlier.

Testing the Workflow

After creating the workflow, Jonathan demonstrates how to test it by manually triggering the flow. He clicks the "Test" button, and the email is sent to the specified recipient to ensure that everything works correctly.

Sending Emails to Multiple Recipients

If you need to send different project information to multiple recipients, Jonathan shows how Power Automate can pull data from an Excel file stored on OneDrive. This feature allows users to send personalized emails to each recipient based on data from an Excel table, making it even more powerful for business purposes.

1. Use Excel Online (Business) as the connector to list rows from a table.
2. Map the dynamic content from the Excel file (e.g., name, project, due date) to the email fields.
3. Use the "Apply to each" loop to send a unique email to each recipient based on the rows in the table.

Conclusion

By following these steps, users can easily create recurring email workflows in Outlook using Power Automate, which saves time and ensures that important reminders and tasks are communicated efficiently. Jonathan encourages viewers to check out his beginner Power Automate series on YouTube for more in-depth tutorials.

For more tips and tutorials, visit Pragmatic Works.

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