Ever miss a meeting because the meeting invite didn’t have a reminder? I have, and it’s incredibly frustrating.
Turns out there’s a way to fix this permanently using Microsoft Power Automate as a scheduling assistant. With Microsoft Power Automate you can create automated Flows that will add a reminder to all meetings using automation.
Once you set it up, it will add a reminder to all your meetings if one isn’t already there. You can even build in some basic logic to exclude personal work sessions.
This tutorial is designed for people who are not familiar with Microsoft Power Automate – if you haven’t used it before, just follow the instructions step by step. If you have, skim along as you go.
Creating the Flow
The first step is to open your web browser and sign into Microsoft Power Automate. Go here Microsoft Power Automate then sign in.
Once you have signed in, click Create on the left side menu.
Then choose Automated cloud flow. From the Start from blank options.
Next, choose your Flow name. I have chosen to Add Meeting Reminder to Outlook Meetings as my name – you can name yours as you see fit but make sure its self-explanatory.
Then Choose your flow’s trigger. Search for “outlook new calendar meeting” and choose “When a new event is created (V3)” from the list.
Now click Create.
Configuring the Flow
Now you have a flow with a starting point (trigger).
Choose your Calendar Id. In my case, “Calendar” is the correct option. Your dropdown list may look different but should be contextually the same.
See if The Event Already Has a Reminder
Next click + New step.
Search for “condition,” and select Condition from the list.
Now Choose a value by clicking in the field, then searching for “reminder” (or just scroll down) and choosing Is reminder on.
Note: Once selected, click anywhere in the gray area to close the pop-up.
Then choose Automated cloud flow. From the Start from blank options.
Finally, choose a value by clicking in the field. Type true into the pop-up then click Ok.
We’ve now set up the decision logic. We just need to Add an action for If no and we’re done!
Add a Reminder to the Event If One Doesn’t Exist
Under If no click on Add an action.
Search for “outlook update event.” And select Update event (V4).
Set The Event Update to Add a Reminder
During this step you need to set each field to its existing value. The only exception will be the Reminder, which we will set to be 30 minutes in advance (you can use whatever time you prefer).
For Calendar Id, choose the same calendar as in step 1.
For Id, search for “id” then choose the top option.
For Subject, do the same steps as for Id.
Continue with Start time, End time.
Next, set the Time zone by clicking in the field then choosing Enter custom value at the bottom of the list. Once the pop up appears, choose Time zone.
Now choose Show advanced options.
Continue Setting the Advanced Options
For Required attendees, you’ll need to click on Add dynamic content then you can select Required attendees from the list.
Do the same for Optional attendees and Resource attendees.
Continue by setting Body and Location.
For Importance, select Enter custom value and select Importance from the pop-up.
Continue by setting Recurrence, Recurrence end date, and Number of occurrences the same way you have for other fields.
Configure the Reminder
Now we are ready to add a reminder. For the Reminder field, enter the number of minutes you want to be notified in advance. In my example, I want a 30-minute reminder, so I have chosen 30.
Finally, set Is reminder on to “Yes.”
Now complete the remaining fields the same way you have for all others.
Turn it On
You have finished configuring the steps in the flow. You can now Save it at the bottom and test it.
When saving finishes, you’ll see a green bar notifying you of a successful save and recommending you go test it. To test, create a new Appointment in your calendar and make sure you do not set a reminder for it (reminder set to None).
After creating the fake meeting (you don’t have to invite anyone to test). The flow will trigger within a minute and add the reminder to the meeting.
Go give it a try and enjoy never missing a meeting again!
Contact us to learn more!
