how can i achieve a ootb mail sending functionality x days before a column value

Question

I have a date field column called review date. I want to send a email to document owner 30 days before the review date so that the doc owner publishes the document by then. How can I achieve this using OOTB options?

Answer 1

You can create a workflow in SharePoint Designer that applies to each document. Workflow would pause until a certain date and then an email is sent to the doc owner that reminds them to publish it. Just be aware that you can't change the review date once the workflow has started. If you do, you will need to stop and restart the workflow on the document.

Answer 2

As I understand from your tags , you are using a Retention Information Policy. So to can achieve that as OOTB you will face the following main two issue :

• You can use your Review Date but not with before condition where retention policy is not to accept minus value as shown.

• You will need to create a custom workflow to your custom list to send an email to the document owner and this is not considered OOTB as you need.

So to overcome the above issues follow the mentioned steps below:

• Try to add to your custom list a new field as Actual Reminder Date that is less than the review date with 30 days (or any period that you need) . but you should note that it's should be manual because if you create it as calculated field it will not be listed at Time Period drop-down as shown at the above image.

• Create a simple workflow to your list to send the email to the owner field of the doc in your different library. (you can check how to create this workflow as mentioned here)

• build your retention Policy in your custom list as the following

  • Go to List Settings of the custom list that have the review date from type date.
  • Go to "Information management policy settings"
  • Select a content type as Item
  • Check Retention
  • Add a retention stage:
  • "This stage is based on a date property on the item": to your new field Actual Reminder Date + (1) days;
  • At Action , Select Start a workflow and select the workflow that you already have created before.