How to Send Emails Later in a Workflow

Jotform’s workflow offers the flexibility to send emails exactly when it makes the most sense, not just immediately after someone submits a form. Sometimes you may want to hold off on sending a message, maybe to follow up a few hours later, wait until a submission is approved, or send a gentle reminder the next day.

With this feature, you can easily schedule emails to go out at just the right time in your workflow, giving you full control over your communication process. This helps you create a smoother, more personalized experience for your respondents—whether you’re managing approvals, onboarding new users, or sending timely updates.

Adding and Setting Up the Pause Element

Whether you’re setting up a brand-new workflow or adjusting an existing one, scheduling emails to be sent later is quick and simple—and can be done in just a few easy steps. Here’s how to get going:

1. In Form Builder, in the orange navigation bar at the top of the page, click on Settings.
2. Then, click on Workflows in the menu on the left.
3. Hover your mouse over the Workflow on the right and click on the Pencil icon to edit it.

4. Next, in the Workflow Builder, click on Add Element on the left side of the page.

5. Now, in the Workflow Elements menu, under the Basic tab, scroll down to see the Pause element and click on it. Or, just drag and drop it to where you want it to be in your workflow.

6. After that, add an Email element next to it.
7. Once done, click on the added Pause field, and then click on the Gear icon.

8. In the Pause Properties panel on the right, under Operations, select the Pause Until Date option.
9. Click on the Downward Arrow icon to select a specific date from the calendar to set when the email will be sent.

That’s it. Your email is now set to send at just the right time in your workflow. Sit back and let Jotform handle the timing for you—no extra clicks needed.

Manually Ending the Pause to Resume the Workflow Early

Sometimes you don’t need to wait for the full pause to finish. If you’re ready to move things along sooner, you can manually end the pause and get your workflow moving again right away. This is perfect for situations where the next step can happen earlier than expected—saving time and keeping everything on track. You can do it in just a few steps:

1. On your Workspace page, click on Type at the top, and in the Dropdown menu that opens, uncheck the boxes next to all the assets except Forms, so only they’ll be shown on the page.

2. Then, hover your mouse over the form you want to archive submissions for, and click on Inbox on the right side of the page. For example, we selected the College Scholarship Application Form.

3. Now, in Jotform Inbox, select the submission where you want to end the pause.
4. Scroll down to the Paused section, click on the Three Dotsicon, and then select Continue.

5. If you turned on the Require Comment option in your Pause properties from your workflow, in the End Pause and Continue window, add a quick reason for ending the pause and click on Continue.

That’s it. Your workflow will now resume right away, letting you skip the wait and keep things moving smoothly.