Automated reminders help businesses and teams stay on track by reducing manual follow-ups. Power Automate allows you to send reminder emails, Teams notifications, or task alerts based on conditions such as due dates, status changes, or inactivity.
This guide covers:
✔️ Why use automated reminders?
✔️ Step-by-step setup in Power Automate
✔️ Use case examples
✔️ Best practices for automation
1. Why Use Automated Reminders?
Increase Productivity – Reduce the need for manual follow-ups.
Enhance Collaboration – Notify team members about tasks, approvals, or deadlines.
Ensure Compliance – Automate reminders for document reviews and policy updates.
Reduce Errors – Avoid missed deadlines or overdue tasks.
Improve Customer Engagement – Send reminders for appointments, invoices, or renewals.
2. How to Set Up an Automated Reminder Flow
Step 1: Create a New Scheduled Flow
1️⃣ Go to Power Automate and sign in.
2️⃣ Click Create → Select Scheduled cloud flow.
3️⃣ Enter a flow name (e.g., “Task Reminder Notification”).
4️⃣ Set Start Time and Repeat Interval (e.g., daily, weekly, hourly).
5️⃣ Click Create.
Step 2: Retrieve Data from a Source
Your reminders can be based on:
✔ SharePoint Lists – Task deadlines, approvals, or project updates.
✔ Microsoft Planner – Unfinished tasks or assignments.
✔ Excel Online – Due dates from a spreadsheet.
✔ Dataverse – Business process tracking.
Example: Retrieving Tasks from a SharePoint List
1️⃣ Click + New Step → Search for SharePoint.
2️⃣ Select “Get items” action.
3️⃣ Choose your SharePoint site and list name.
4️⃣ Click + Add Filter Query to retrieve overdue tasks:
csharpCopyEditStatus eq 'Not Completed' and DueDate le utcNow()
Step 3: Send Reminder Notifications
Once data is retrieved, choose how to send reminders:
Email (Outlook, Gmail, SMTP)
Microsoft Teams Message
Mobile Notification
Planner Task Update
Example: Sending Email Reminders
1️⃣ Click + New Step → Search for Outlook or Gmail.
2️⃣ Select “Send an email” action.
3️⃣ In To, use Dynamic Content to select the recipient’s email.
4️⃣ Set Subject (e.g., “Reminder: Task Due Today”).
5️⃣ In Body, include details like task name, due date, and links.
Example Email Body:
Hello [Name],
This is a reminder that your task **[Task Name]** is due today.
Please review and complete it before [Due Date].
[Task Link]
Thank you,
[Your Team Name]
Step 4: Add Conditional Logic (Optional)
1️⃣ Click + New Step → Search for Condition.
2️⃣ Set If Due Date = Today → Send reminder.
3️⃣ Add Else Condition (e.g., notify the manager if overdue).
Step 5: Save and Test the Flow
1️⃣ Click Save and Test with sample data.
2️⃣ Ensure emails or notifications are sent correctly.
3️⃣ Adjust the schedule if needed.
3. Common Use Cases for Automated Reminders
Task Completion – Remind employees of pending tasks in SharePoint or Planner.
Event & Meeting Reminders – Notify attendees before an event.
Invoice & Payment Follow-Ups – Send payment reminders to customers.
Approval Requests – Follow up on pending approvals in Power Automate.
Customer Appointment Reminders – Send automated SMS or emails for bookings.
License Renewals – Alert users about upcoming expiration dates.
4. Best Practices for Automated Reminders
🔹 Personalize Notifications – Use dynamic content like names and task details.
🔹 Avoid Over-Messaging – Set a limit to prevent excessive reminders.
🔹 Use Conditional Logic – Only send reminders for overdue or soon-to-be-due items.
🔹 Monitor Flow Runs – Check execution logs to troubleshoot errors.
🔹 Allow Opt-Outs – Give users the option to disable non-essential reminders.
5. Troubleshooting Common Issues
Flow does not trigger
✔ Ensure the scheduled trigger is active and correctly set.
Emails not being sent
✔ Check if recipients have valid email addresses.
✔ Ensure the correct connector (Outlook, Gmail) is configured.
Flow errors on filtering data
✔ Verify SharePoint column names in filter conditions.
Reminders sent too frequently
✔ Adjust the recurrence interval to avoid spam.