Reminder email in flow - sent too early, advice please

[CAHJ]

Hi,

I've created a flow to get an approval from 1 person, and intend to send reminder emails after 5 days, and then every 2 days until it's approved. The flow is a manual one with no attachments, and is a simplified example from my original flow which worked without reminders.

However, I am running this and getting a reminder email even before I get the approval request. How is this happening please? I gleaned some settings from posts here, but have given it 3 minutes delay in testing so I can test getting the first email - the result is reminder email, then approval request, then (after 3 minutes) the next reminder email.

My aim is then to go back to my original flow and add this reminder into that which would be:

1. Message to approver 1
2. If approve go to next approver, if reject, email me and stop the flow
3. If no response, reminder email after 5 days, until approval or rejection
4. If approver 1 approves, then message to approver 2
5. If approve then email document to third party, if reject, email me and stop the flow
6. If no response, reminder email after 5 days, until approval or rejection

Thanks for any advice!Overall flowApproval / Reject branchRun after settings

[ScottShearer · Accepted solution]

@CAHJ:

I believe one issue is that you need a delay immediately before your loop for the reminder email.  As you Flow is currently configured, the loop send the email immediately and then hits your delay.  So, you need a delay before your loop and a delay in the loop after the email.

 

Your Flow should look something like this:

Also, you need to set timeout values for your approvals.  You need to set the Run After on approvals that run after the previous approval times out to only run after it times out.

Here is a video that explains how to escalate approvals using this technique.

Here is another.

If this solves your issue, please mark your post as Solved

Scott

[CAHJ]

Thanks. I'd seen a Delay step work in an earlier test, but for some reason, assumed the flow wouldn't need that.

[Anonymous]

Can you please help to explain more about Times out ?

I set my flow exactly as you describe, but not the time out. 

Even if the request is approved, there is always one Reminder email is sent to the approver. How can we stop the reminder if the request is approved already. 

Br

Hang Le