How to Set Up Email Reminders in Gmail and Outlook

Email reminders are like your own personal assistant for ensuring you don’t let important emails and follow-ups slip through the cracks.

Relying on written notes as reminders means leaving your productivity up to chance. Instead, you can send reminders straight to your inbox, right when you need them.

With the many moving pieces in sales, email reminders take one thing off your plate. Let’s take a look at how to set reminds in both Gmail and Outlook today.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• The Benefits of Email Reminders
• When Do You Need Email Reminders?
• How to Use Reminders in Gmail
• How to Use Reminders in Outlook 
• Email Reminders FAQs

The Benefits of Email Reminders

What are the benefits of using email reminders? We looked at our database of hundreds of thousands of emails to find this answer.

To analyze the benefits of email reminders in Gmail, we compared email users who use reminders frequently vs. users who don’t. We found that Yesware users who use email reminders send more emails and campaigns weekly.

This finding indicates that reminder users may have higher email productivity because of their ability to stay on top of tasks.

When Do You Need Email Reminders?

Email reminders can come in handy for various reasons but the most crucial is for follow-up emails.

Why? 80% of sales deals take five or more follow-ups to close. This means having a strong follow-up game is essential for winning business and ensuring you’re consistent in your communication.

In sales, when you’re frequently communicating through email, messages get lost in your inbox. It’s inevitable. With busy workdays, staying on top of who has responded and who hasn’t is nearly impossible without the help of technology.

A great standard practice is to set email reminders right as you send or receive an email that will require a follow-up. That way, you can confidently move on to the next thing in your day and know that you’ll re-visit the email when the time comes.

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How to Use Email Reminders in Gmail

Although Gmail’s native email reminders feature is pretty limited, they have a standard functionality called “nudges.”

Here’s how to use nudges in Gmail:

1. At the top right of your inbox, click the settings gear icon, then “see all settings.”

2. On the “General” tab, scroll to “Nudges,” and select one or both options listed.

3. Scroll to the bottom and click “Save Changes.”

Now, you will see this next to your emails that haven’t had activity for a while.

Tip: Discover more time-saving features in Gmail here –> Gmail Automation Guide.

How to Use Yesware Reminders in Gmail

To take email reminders a step further, with more customization, try Yesware Reminders.

Here’s how to set reminders in Gmail using Yesware.

1. Click the Remind button (the blue bell icon) at the bottom of the compose window.

2. Set the time you want the reminder to be sent at plus other custom options.

You can customize and schedule email reminders, including:

• Choose if you want to be reminded only if the recipient doesn’t reply to your email or regardless of whether they reply
• Schedule when you want to be reminded using the drop downs or pre-listed time-frames
• Write yourself a note about why you want to be reminded about this particular email

3. Click confirm and send the email.

That’s it. Now, these reminders will ping you at the top of your inbox for your next follow-up.

Your email and reminder note will come back to the top of your inbox when you want it to — whether that’s tomorrow, next week, or three months from now.

You’ll receive an email from yourself to yourself that will say “Reminder” and have your related notes and valuable tracking information that’ll help you determine how best to follow up. 

Reminders are like your own personal assistant for ensuring you don’t let important emails or follow-ups slip through the cracks.

Gmail Reminders: How-to Video

For a closer look, check out the video below to see exactly how to set up Yesware reminders in Gmail.

Stay on top of your follow upsGet reminders in your Gmail inbox todayTry Yesware Free

How to Use Email Reminders in Outlook

The reminders feature is fully native in Outlook. There are a couple of ways to do so. Let’s take a look.

How to Set Reminders From Your Outlook Inbox

1. At the bottom of your Outlook inbox, click “Mail” and select an email message.

2. Click “Follow Up” (next to the red flag icon) at the top of your inbox.

3. Click “Add Reminder.”

4. In the Custom dialog box, check or uncheck Reminder and adjust your date and time according.

How to Set Reminders When Composing an Email

1. In the compose window, click “Follow Up” and “Add Reminder.”

2. Set the date and time for when you want the reminder dialog box to appear.

Here, you can select whether you want the reminder to flag yourself or the recipient.

3. Click Ok.

You can view all reminders in your To-Do List in Outlook. The reminders live in the “Tasks” folder. Here, you can manage all reminders.

Conclusion

Out of the three options listed above, we hope that one fits your workflow and helps you boost inbox productivity and connect with more buyers.

Whether that be using a native functionality or Yesware’s reminders — cut yourself some slack and take advantage of the power of email reminders today.

Email Reminders FAQs

1. What are email reminders?

Email reminders are notifications that bring important messages back to your attention at a chosen time. They help you stay on top of follow-ups, deadlines, and tasks without relying on sticky notes or manual tracking.

2. How do email reminders work?

Email reminders let you flag or schedule messages to resurface at the right time. Depending on the platform, they appear as notifications, pinned emails, or inbox alerts so you never miss important communication.

3. Why are email reminders important in sales?

Email reminders are crucial in sales because most deals require multiple follow-ups. Reminders ensure reps reach out consistently, avoid missed opportunities, and stay organized—ultimately helping improve response rates and close more deals.

4. Do Gmail and Outlook have built-in email reminders?

Yes. Gmail offers nudges to resurface unanswered emails, while Outlook provides reminders through flags and tasks. These features are useful, but they can be limited compared to specialized tools like Yesware that add customization and tracking.

5. How does Yesware improve email reminders?

Yesware lets you set reminders directly in Gmail or Outlook with full customization. You can choose when to be reminded, add notes for context, and decide whether to trigger reminders only if a recipient hasn’t replied.

6. Can I set reminders only if someone doesn’t reply?

Yes. With Yesware, you can choose conditional reminders that only trigger if the recipient hasn’t responded. This prevents unnecessary notifications and helps you focus on prospects who need a timely follow-up.

7. Are email reminders better than calendar events?

Calendar events are useful for scheduled meetings, but email reminders are designed for follow-ups and task management tied to specific conversations. Together, they create a complete system for managing your time and responsibilities.

8. Can I manage multiple reminders at once?

Yes. In Outlook, reminders are collected in the Tasks folder. With Yesware, you can view and manage all your reminders inside your inbox, ensuring you don’t lose track of follow-ups across different conversations.

9. Do email reminders sync across devices?

Native Gmail and Outlook reminders sync with your account, so they appear on desktop and mobile. Yesware reminders also sync seamlessly, letting you stay on top of your follow-ups no matter which device you’re using.

10. How do email reminders boost productivity?

Email reminders reduce mental load by automating when you need to revisit a message. Instead of manually scanning your inbox, reminders surface emails at the right time, helping you focus on selling, not inbox management.

11. Can teams use email reminders collaboratively?

Yes. While built-in reminders are personal, Yesware allows sales teams to share templates and workflows. This ensures consistency, helps teams follow the same follow-up cadence, and improves overall sales productivity.

12. Are email reminders customizable?

Yes. Platforms like Yesware offer full control over when reminders appear, how they’re triggered, and notes for context. This customization ensures reminders fit your workflow, whether you need hourly nudges or long-term follow-up scheduling.