Power Automate: Reminder Emails By Date [Power Platform Series - Ep. 16]

In this video, Matt Peterson, a trainer at Pragmatic Works, demonstrates how to automate reminder emails using Power Automate based on specific dates. Drawing from a real-world business scenario, he walks through how a single flow can send different email notifications depending on how close a due date is. This approach helps organizations streamline communication, reduce manual effort, and improve task tracking efficiency.

📌 Business Scenario Overview

Matt introduces a use case involving a dental company that needed to send automated reminders to patients:

• 📅 A reminder email 7 days before an appointment
• 📅 Another reminder 3 days before, including additional instructions

Instead of building multiple workflows, the goal is to create one Power Automate flow that dynamically sends emails based on date conditions.

📊 Setting Up the Data Source

The solution begins with a SharePoint list, which acts as the data source. The list includes:

• Issue or task title
• Description
• Assigned user
• Estimated completion date

This “Estimated Completion Date” field becomes the key driver for triggering reminder emails.

⚙️ Creating the Scheduled Flow

Matt creates a Scheduled Cloud Flow in Power Automate. This flow runs at a defined interval (typically daily) and performs the following steps:

1. Initialize variables for future dates
2. Filter SharePoint records based on those dates
3. Send reminder emails accordingly

🧮 Capturing Future Dates with Expressions

To calculate dates dynamically, Matt uses expressions such as utcNow() and addDays().

• 📌 Capture the date 3 days from today
• 📌 Capture the date 7 days from today

Each date is stored in a variable using the correct formatting (MM-DD-YYYY) to match the SharePoint data structure.

🔀 Using Parallel Branches for Efficiency

Instead of running steps sequentially, Matt uses parallel branches:

• One branch processes records for 3-day reminders
• Another branch processes records for 7-day reminders

This allows both processes to run simultaneously, improving performance and organization.

🔍 Filtering SharePoint Data with OData Queries

To retrieve only relevant records, the flow uses OData filter queries. A key tip highlighted:

• Use the internal column name from SharePoint (not the display name)
• Ensure proper formatting when comparing values
• Wrap string values in single quotes to avoid errors

This step ensures that only items matching the target date are processed.

📧 Sending Dynamic Emails

Once filtered records are retrieved, the flow sends emails using the “Send an Email (V2)” action. Key features include:

• Dynamic recipient selection (Assigned To user)
• Personalized greetings using display names
• Inclusion of task details (title, description, due date)

Because multiple records can be returned, Power Automate automatically uses an “Apply to Each” loop to send individual emails per item.

👤 Retrieving Manager Information

Matt enhances the workflow by adding the “Get Manager” action from Office 365 Users. This allows the email to include:

• The manager’s name
• Escalation instructions if tasks are not completed

This adds accountability and improves communication across teams.

🧪 Testing and Troubleshooting

Matt emphasizes the importance of testing flows in stages. During testing, he encounters a common issue:

• ❌ Filter query fails due to incorrect data type handling
• ✅ Solution: Add single quotes around string variables

After fixing the issue, the flow successfully sends:

• 1 email for items due in 3 days
• 2 emails for items due in 7 days

🚀 Key Takeaways

• ✔️ Use a single flow to handle multiple reminder scenarios
• ✔️ Leverage expressions like addDays() for dynamic dates
• ✔️ Utilize parallel branches for better performance
• ✔️ Ensure correct SharePoint column naming and data types
• ✔️ Enhance emails with dynamic content and manager details

🎯 Conclusion

Matt Peterson demonstrates how Power Automate can simplify and automate reminder systems using date-based logic. By combining SharePoint, expressions, filtering, and dynamic email actions, organizations can significantly reduce manual follow-ups and improve workflow efficiency.

Don’t forget to check out Pragmatic Works’ on-demand learning platform for more Power Automate training and subscribe to their YouTube channel for regular updates.

 Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Power Automate and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.